Road Map to Your Goals in 7 Steps

Here it is... December 30th.... Do you know where your 2012 Goals are?  IF not, take a minute to think about these statements/steps as you write your goals for the new year.

  

1. Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good. When setting goals it is very important to remember that your goals must be consistent with your values.

2. A goal cannot contradict any of your other goals. For example, you can’t buy a $750,000 house if your income goal is only $50,000 per year. This is called non-integrated thinking and will sabotage all of the hard work you put into your goals.

3. Develop goals in the 6 areas of life: Family and Home, Financial and Career, Spiritual and Ethical, Physical and Health. Social and Cultural, Mental and Educational. Setting goals in each area of life will ensure a more balanced life as you begin to examine and change the fundamentals of everyday living.

4. Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative. Work for what you want, not for what you want to leave behind. Part of the reason why we write down and examine our goals is to create a set of instructions for our subconscious mind to carry out. The more positive instructions you give it, the more positive results you will get.

5. Write your goal out in complete detail. Once again we are giving the subconscious mind a detailed set of instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the more clearer the final outcome becomes. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient the subconscious mind can become.

6. By all means, make sure your goal is high enough. Shoot for the moon, if you miss you’ll still be in the stars.

7. This is the most important, write down your goals. Writing down your goals creates the roadmap to your success. Although just the act of writing them down can set the process in motion, it is also extremely important to review your goals frequently. Remember, the more focused you are on your goals the more likely you are to accomplish them.

2011 was amazing! May your new year be filled with opportunities and abundance. All my best as you shoot for the moon. <3 Danielle

SMARTER Goal Setting

It seems we have more success when we review our month of action – here we reflect and revise.  We take a look and evaluate if we achieved the goals set for this month.  Then we edit as necessary – maybe we need to be more realistic or maybe we need to stretch and challenge ourselves a bit more. The most important thing we can do is to keep moving forward and set new monthly goals & action items.  (Remember the “Just Keep Swimming” blog entry. J)

Goal Setting – it’s something we all want to do, but sometimes don’t know how to get started.  Take a moment to write your goals you want to achieve… make a list…. business, personal, family or financial goals.  When you have a list, prioritize your goals – more than one item can be #1.  But after you have prioritized the goals, the next step is a bit tougher.  Why are these goals so important? If you achieve these goals, what does it mean to you? To your family?  There is probably more than one answer to that question.

So, how to begin – just think “SMARTER.”

• S=Specific
• M=Measurable
• A=Action oriented
• R=Realistic
• T=Time deadline
• E=Excuses
• R= Reward 

The first step, write SPECIFIC goals – if you give clarity to your goal, you give clarity to your mind, your partner/family and know what is expected. 

Make your goals MEASUREABLE – if you don’t measure the goal, it is only an intention.  Perhaps your measure is in weight (pounds), finances (manicure or car payment), or time.

There are steps that will help your goal be ACTION oriented.  How are others energized by your goal? These others don’t need to know where you are heading; however, you need to.  I totally believe in an Accountability Partner, so if you don’t have one – get one. J This could be someone to check in with for miles walked, a meet-up at the gym, phone calls or meetings – anything, but we seem to follow-thru when we are accountable to someone other than just ourselves.

All goals are achievable. And we are a “Shoot for the Moon” family, but in all the goals we’ve created, we always make them REALISTIC.  Look at your goals, say them aloud and attain them – stating you want to make $500/month is realistic and achievable to pay for your car payment.  Your subconscious will support this statement & goal more than if you shoot for $1M this month before you hit the other realistic goals. Given the TIME deadline & your resources, are you likely to reach this – keep your goal high enough to stretch, but realistic to obtain.

Speaking of TIME deadlines, do you have a specific date to complete or earn the goal? You can also break the goal down into steps or smaller accomplishments to gauge progress.  Members of our CardsAndMohr team do this – whether than have been with us for a week or a year.  Some of our business goals are now goals for our team. We love coaching others to success.

Now for EXCUSES, get rid of them!  You are the only one standing in front of your success.

And finally, remember to REWARD yourself and your family, after-all your partner & family have been supportive in achieving these goals.

Remember just as you have the goals and action items, you must do just that…. take action every day. For those of us in SendOutCards, it is as easy as sending a heart-felt card a day, a gift a week or doing a gift-account walk-thru in person, phone or Skype session.  And while you are taking action, keep yourself accountable. As mentioned, use an accountability partner or journal about your activities or keep a scorecard.  SendOutCard has a great scorecard called the “Daily 8” and it a great reminder for my action items & keeps our eye on the prize (goal). 

Finally, with all this talk of scorecards, goals, etc… Sign Your Name… Yep, sign on the dotted line below your goals.  Make a commitment to your goal, your business, your family, and your future.  Now shoot for the moon – we are here to help along the way… consider us your Success Coach. Sincerely, Danielle & Tim

Success for Business: Three Steps

aka: Sending Out Cards in Your Business Makes a Difference

Success in your business is not about some elaborate, crazy plan, but something simple.  Did you teacher, parent or anyone else teach you the K.I.S.S. acronym – Keep It Simple Sweetie! J

This lesson is targeted to business sending cards to increase name recognition, customer retention, and increased sales by returning to the basics of card sending and showing appreciation.  Our CardsAndMohr team shoots for their initial goals in 90 days – there is a deadline for their goals, it is long enough to attain them and short enough to surpass them.  But despite your business – direct sales or small business owner, set your goals & intentions, your due date and shoot for the moon.

Set Your Intentions – You may wonder why I said “Intentions” and not “Goals.”  The two are very similar, and yet they are different because Intentions are all about what you can control. If you will set your intentions around action steps that you commit to taking, you will get results!  For our SOC team (and you personalize, revise the following for your business), here are some ideas of intentions you might set:

• Call X number of people each day to introduce your business – you don’t need to ask them to buy or try, just let them know you have a business in case they might know of anyone who could use your service/products or who might be looking for a second income. Then as they desire more, find out how to best get information to them. For SOC distributors, allow your contact to send a card - walk them through sending a card. (Did you know 1 in every 4 people who send a card sign up? What if you showed the card system to 10 people a week?
• Follow up with those who you introduced your business to, and get some feedback. Send them a thank you card for trying the service.  As their gift accounts expire, follow-up to let them know and see where they are with using the system; offer to extend the gift account’s life.
• I go back & forth whether to tell you to do the following… And I’m writing it, so it is important.  Attend one Networking event each week or every other week.  Networking is great and has it role, but don’t over-due it.  Networking is about the relationships! I’m going to do business or refer business when I have trust with the other party.  You do NOT need to network to have a successful Send Out Cards business – look at how many people you already know that may not know about your new business.  Share the service with other business owners who need to keep in touch with their customers. Send Out Cards IS appreciation marketing! 

Do you know your WHY? Make it clear and review it – As SOC’s CEO Kody Bateman asks, “What is your WHY that makes you cry?”  Your WHY (reason(s) you are doing the business) must be your motivator so you follow through on your set intentions… especially if the last few people you talked to told you “no.” We’ve have heard “no” many times regarding our business and it doesn’t matter; it doesn’t knock us down because we are focused on our WHY.

Take action! Rome was not built in a day – and the only difference between you and the leaders in your business is time… and it is probably a difference in years.  We loved reading Adam Packard’s book, Stay the Course and recommend it to each of our new distributors.  Adam’s lessons may seems basic and things that we *should* know, but just needed to be reminded.  You’ll have to read it (or I’ll try & do a review another time), but one take away lesson is to take some kind of action in your business daily.  It needs to be a “pay” event (I know another blog entry). A “pay” event is an income producing action – it is not making copies. Share SOC’s service for sending cards & gifts; talk to new customers and introduce your opportunity and products/services.  SOC has action steps and plan – it’s called our Daily 8. J I use it and Jordan, Adam, Jules, David, and all the distributors climbing the ladder follow it.  If you give me a plan, AND give me something I can duplicate, I will be successful. 

DeMarr Zimmerman talked about it best when he share that (I’m paraphrasing) ‘Obstacles are sure to show up along your journey, and these are only there to make you stronger and separate the serious from the tire kickers. Which are you?”  Or we shared that nobody crossed the mountain without stepping over the stones.

Shoot for the moon – we are your biggest cheerleader.  --Danielle

Believe it. Achieve it!

What does the following quote mean to you?  “Every single life only becomes great when the individual sets upon a goal or goals which they really believe in, which they can really commit themselves to, which they can put their whole heart and soul into.” – Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

There are many individual answers for such a question, but hopefully it made you stop and think.  For me, I know my answer… it’s my mantra.  I say (& forgive me I don’t know who said it), “if it’s to be, it’s up to me.”  I know this and my family has set goals to make things happen.  And now I want you to set goals too.

Yep, time to set goals.  Maybe it’s a goal for advancement in your business; maybe there is a goal with an increase in commission - to pay for manicure/pedicure, or your child’s extra-curricular activity, or cleaning fairies; maybe it’s to lose weight, read more, or volunteer.  Goal writing is personal based on your desire & dreams.  When you know your goal, put in writing (or on your Vision Board) and tweak it.

There is a lot more to talk (blog) about for Goal Writing & Vision Boards, but here are four steps to get you started with the current goal(s) you’ve already stated. 

• Step 1) Write out a Clear Statement of the Goal
• Step 2) Write out an Outline of the Plan to attain the Goal – Perhaps it is the hours/days you’ll exercise or the number of products you need to sell or… the list is unlimited.
• Step 3) Set Time Limits – How long until you acquire/meet the goal?  Do you need to break down you Outline into smaller time chunks. (I.e.: x recruits, x $sales for the week, x pounds loss, x days going to the gym...)
• Step 4) Review what you have written daily, repeat the goal, and remind yourself of the *why* you are setting out for that goal in the first place.  (I.e.: Being Healthy, More Family Time, Allowing Child to do Sport, Vacation...

Whatever your goal, keep your eye on the prize. You will achieve it.  I believe in  you and you know, I'm always cheering you on!  --Danielle