5 Steps To Making Your Goals A Reality

Learning to set, keep, and fulfil your goals is essential to running your business. I am convinced that sales, planning, and marketing will go nowhere without a solid plan and goals to see you through. Goals will provide direction and a clear vision. People without goals will face difficulties in seeing the big picture of their success and will not be able to stay focused. I don't want this to be you. What I do want is for you to be able to build a bridge that can help you from where you are in your business now and where you want to be in future.

Five Steps to Setting Goals

Here are four steps that I return to often when looking for ways to improve my business and move forward.

Step 1: Begin with a Dream

The first step of setting goals is about dreaming about everything that you need to accomplish in your business. Your dreams will not need to be realistic at this point, so you should avoid limiting your thinking process to what you dream may actually become possible. Now, is the perfect time for you to consider every possibility because there are no boundaries to your aspirations. Start by writing your thoughts of where you want to see your business after five years on a piece of paper. You should not worry about how you will get there, just write down your every thought and possibility big or small.

Step 2: Consider Every Possibility

After writing down the possibilities, now it is the time to mull over every one of them. Repeat them to yourself inside your head. Write them down. Share them with a friend. You will find that during this exercise you will discover even more possibilities and opportunities for growth. After you've discovered which goals you would like to work on, try to focus on a significant idea and make an outline of what you think can be a part of the success of that goal. Use elements like word maps, thinking (or "bubble") maps, graphic organizers, or anything that will help you to conceptualize your plans.

Step 3: Sort your Options

In this step you will need to start sorting all your ideas and possibilities of your business which you have written down. It is very important for you to sort your ideas in some categories of importance. Place the most practical and useful ideas at the top of your list, and everything else goes below. Then, do what's always best to do on paper - RIP IT! Rip off anything that didn't make your top ten. Your top ten is what you're going to be focused on from now on. These are the goals you will live, breathe, eat, and sleep with until you've reached and exceeded them.

Step 4: Create a Plan to Focus on

By now you will have a list of specific, attainable, time based, and relevant goals. Begin with the first goal you've written down and elaborate on your process to fulfill it. Once you've done this for all your goals, DON'T WAIT! Start working on them right away. Don't feel like you have to rush through your list: move on to the second goal once the first one has been reached. Finish all of the items outlined in your goal before moving on. You'll find that being able to focus on what item (rather than several all at once) will help you a great deal. And finally...

Step 5: Celebrate

After you've completed your first goal - tell the world about it! Don't be shy, you've just done a great thing. Share it on your website, social media, and in-person to anyone who's interested. You'll not only get the word out about your business, but people LOVE it when others are in a good mood - because it's contagious! You'll most likely gain a new follower intrigued by what you're going to do next. So, what are you waiting for? Start dreaming!

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3 Life Lessons To Help You Achieve Your Goals

1. Time management

I think time management is something that no one's perfect at - I'm certainly far from the best at managing my time, but going to university did help me a lot. I learned that time is valuable and that I don't really gain anything by being disorganised. I find that if you don't manage your time, you don't get anything done and you're just going to end up getting stressed out. University is all about learning how to juggle work and life outside of work. It took me a while to learn that there is more than enough time to juggle both effectively. There's no point in freaking out about how much you have to do - the best thing to do is to just calmly get on with one of your tasks, then at least you're getting something done. You can get so much done once you appreciate how valuable time is.

2. 'Me' time

The main reason for me going to university was to further my career as an artist. Of course I wanted to learn from professionals and enjoy the whole experience, but ultimately I was there for my own benefit. I think it's important to focus on yourself every now and then. You have to stand on your own two feet to make your way in this world. You have a life and it's up to you how it plays out. If you always give in to other people, you're not going to be able to achieve what you want to achieve. It's important to have some 'me' time once in a while. Set aside some time to reflect on what you want and how you're going to go about realising that.

3. Sticking with it

University is a big commitment. It costs a ton of money and can take up several years of your life. One of the most important things I learned was that you just have to stick with it, even when times are tough - even though it's a fantastic experience, it isn't always going to be plain sailing. There are times when you wonder why you're there and what the point of all your hard work is. The main point of going to university is to complete your degree: you just have to persevere and always have the end result in mind to motivate you. Results aren't going to come to you unless you're prepared both time and hard work into achieving them

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5 Ways to Focus and Achieve Your Goals

Goals are very important so today I wanted to focus on 5 ways to hold your focus and achieve your goals.

Life, accomplishments, success, and advancement all depend on having goals and doing what it takes to achieve those goals.

The secret is to have one focus set on success.

This helps to keep your thoughts concentrated, and your energy does not get dissipated by going in a lot of different directions.

It's easy to get distracted by finding ways to focus on other things, but the key is to build momentum in all things relevant to the goal instead of distraction.

It is all about focus and with focus you can achieve your goals.

We will discuss more about ways to hold your focus in a bit...

But let's get into the power of goal setting and what it can do for you in your life.

The first and most important step is to put your goals in writing. Some place where they are easily visible and allotted time that you can focus on them daily.

Take time out of the day to allow yourself a chance to visualize, focus, and execute them as needed. Look at them often and ask yourself questions on how you can achieve your goals.

Most people who set goals and create a plan to set those goals end up finding themselves headed in the right direction when given a purpose.

It's like a Captain and his ship. To get to where you are going you need coordinates and an effective plan to reach your destination. Goal setting is no different.

Those that do not set goals usually get left in the dust wondering and questioning why success seems to elude them.

While I realize there are people who naturally enjoy success without setting goals, most of us have to if we have any chance of getting from point A to point B.

In my experience with goal setting, past and present, I find that in addition to writing them out, pictures of my goals and associated items, help me to visualize actually having them.

I do this with the use of a vision board or a dry erase board where I right down ideas, plans, timelines, etc.

It gives me the confidence to think that it is just a matter of time until everything will be completed, as well as a road map to help me do the necessary things needed to feel like I'm going in the right direction.

This really helps to subdue any negative vibes that may arise during the journey.

If that plan fails, it's back to the drawing board with a new plan until my goal is completed.

One thing I can tell you is without consistency you will never achieve anything. The power of consistency is vital in achieving many things.

It's about making a decision and going full throttle.

In the past I've struggled with consistency. Struggled with believing that the work I was doing was for nothing. And have struggled with friends and family not supporting or believing in what I was doing.

Get to a point where you make up your mind. Whether anyone is there with you or not you have to do it for YOU. YOU and YOU only even if you have nothing else to stand on find something that will motivate you.

Having a background in sprinting, weightlifting, and fitness I still have issues with working out consistently, but it's a passion for me and I can never leave it alone.

But I've realized that it never gets old and it's part of me. The journey of staying consistent is what makes is so exciting.

I have also been in the internet marketing space for some years now and have yet to have any huge successes because of my lack of consistency. Always finding excuses or ways to cut back and eventually give up.

There should be no excuses no matter what the circumstance. If there's something you want bad enough you do what you need to get to get it. Period!

I can remember a few years back...

I was broke, jobless, going through legal troubles, and had no direction in my life. Everything seemed to not be going my way, but I realized it was all created by my thoughts and my lack of having any real, DESIRABLE goals.

It's about developing a mindset, becoming success driven, goal-oriented, and focused. Pushing the negative self talk aside every chance you get. And coming up with ideas you immediately act on.

Break them down into smaller actions, and then into smaller actions until you come up with something simple, something that does not seem so big it discourages you from finishing.

Anything within reason can be achieved when broken down into something smaller and more manageable. Focus on each process and allow the event to happen, instead of focusing on the event and finding ways to shortcut the process.

The process is the most important part. The event is the reward you reap for completing each process and becoming a problem solver. That's what goals are about.

With that being said let's take a look at what you came here for...

5 Ways to Focus and Achieve Your Goals:

1) Write down your goal/goals and review them frequently. Immerse your mind, thoughts, emotions, feelings, and actions in the process.

2) Create a vision board or a plan that will allow your mind to give attention to your goals daily. It should become a point where even when you aren't consciously thinking about your goals your subconscious is still working on a solution.

3) Talk about your goals every chance you get, review them every chance you get, and find people that will hold you accountable. Commit yourself to doing this daily.

4) Break down your goals to steps that become simple, be specific with the small things needed to complete the ultimate goal.

5) Set your mind to 'WIN', there is no other option to consider. Create the illusion that your back is against the wall and the only way out is to succeed.

Developing focus is a principle to success. Build momentum in all things instead of distraction. Make it work for you.

Don't be allowed to question yourself and ask others for help. Even if you think the question may be stupid.

Make a checklist of the 5 strategies listed above and place them where they can be seen. Review them as often as your goals.

These are the building blocks that will help you become the person you need to be to ultimately win in the end.

You Can Do It!

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How to Develop a Good Habit

Q: Why don't nuns have to worry about deciding what to wear?

A: Because they have a habit.

A habit is a shortcut that makes your life easier because you don't have to spend energy choosing to do it. It's mentally exhausting thinking about every action and every behaviour. If you're spending several minutes two or three times a week looking for your keys that adds up to a lot of frustration and wasted time. And that may point to an area in your life in need of a habit. Similarly, if you've been meaning to incorporate, say, journalling into your morning practice, but it just hasn't happened, then it's pretty clear you haven't developed that habit. Or if your car stays super cluttered and that bothers you, then there may be another habit you need to develop.

Your schedule consists of three basic elements-appointments, to-do items, and habits. An appointment is a commitment with yourself or with another person. Your to-do list is essentially a wish list-it's like that drawer in your kitchen where you dump all that stuff that doesn't have a home yet. And habits are the third element. Brushing your teeth, for example, is not a to-do item, nor is it something we typically put on the calendar as an appointment. It's a habit-something we do on autopilot.

I'd like to invite you to consider a habit that you would like to develop, then spend 30 seconds identifying a strategy, and then make that strategy a rule. Strategy turns to rule and then, with any luck, that rule becomes a new habit.

Let's take the example of someone who spends several minutes each week looking for her misplaced keys. In her 30-second problem-solving period she might come up with a reasonable strategy like, "When I walk in my house, then I'll put my keys in the candy dish by the door." Next, she'll make that strategy a rule. She'll add an evening reminder to her calendar and if she has not followed her rule, she will stop what she's doing and over-correct: She'll pop downstairs and put the keys into the candy dish five times. She is over-practicing, or over-rehearsing, in an effort to lay down this new habit.

Step two is to make that strategy a rule in the form of when/then: When I walk in the door, then I put the keys in the dish. And step three is to make an appointment with yourself at the end of the day to determine whether in fact you have followed through. If you've picked a good strategy, this process should yield a new habit easily enough. On the other hand, if you don't find that your new habit is easy to establish, you might need to go back to the drawing board and spend another 30 seconds identifying a new strategy.

Let's try it

OK, let's go: Spend 30 seconds right now identifying a strategy in the form of when/then. For example, "When I leave the office, then I will head straight to the gym." Or, "When I order a salad, then I'll request dressing on the side." Or, "When my supervisor speaks sharply with me and I want to say something rude, then I'll place my tongue at the roof of my mouth right behind my front teeth and count to five."

Go ahead, identify the strategy; if you feel stuck, reach out to some creative friends. Just make sure that you've come up with a good strategy before you move onto the next step-making that strategy a rule. Agree with yourself in writing: Put it on your calendar. And schedule an evening check-in.

Develop a strategy, make it a rule, and develop a new habit. Wash, rinse and repeat...

Good luck with this process, tell me bout your successes or frustrations developing a new habit. Especially tell me about any tweaks to the process that made it more effective for you!

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