It has often been said, that those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
What does this mean? How can you use this in your business?
We often hear of those who start a business and reach success very quickly...what do they know, how do they do it? Is it really the product?? Why are others in your field doing so much better while you are slowly drowning in bills for products you cannot seem to sell??
Those people are no better than you. They don't necessarily have more friends, look better, or have more knowledge. They more than likely have less education than many other people. They are not pushy, but there is something that makes them succeed, so what is it, luck?
No, it isn't luck, what these people know and have that many people don't are goals. They are acutely aware of what they are, and have them written down. They have reasonable and achievable goals!
When you have a goal, you naturally create a plan to reach it. If you keep your goals forward in your mind, you subconsciously put into motion a plan of how you are going to get what it is you need. It becomes instinct.
These people of great success put into motion the plan that enabled them to reach their goal, regardless of what the goal was. They pass out flyers, business cards, meet people, and step right out of their comfort zone, in order to reach the goal.
We all have our own goals, so my goal will not work for you, and vice versa.
Homework for today, take 4 index cards, and write the things listed below on all of them. (I learned this at a team meeting…it isn't mine, nor do I know where it originated).
- Write down why you started your business
- Write down why you love your business
- Write why your family loves your business
- Write down three things you want or need (pay off bills, new car, new home, college money, more time with kids, etc)
Then- put these cards up...one in the bathroom on the mirror, one on your car visor, one on the refrigerator, and one on your dayplanner..(you do have one don't you?)
More homework: If you have a day planner, GREAT! If you don't, shame on you!! Go out today, not tomorrow, not next week, but today and get a day planner. The next step is to use it!
Stick to everything your plan, follow through with every assignment you give yourself. Be creative and make up little helpful things as you go along. Fill that day planner!
OK, do you have those things done? Are they written in your day planner? Great!
Here is some more homework for you, to write in your day planner!
Organize your workspace! Get that desk cleaned off, the drawers cleaned out, and file every bit of paper you have. If there isn't a place to file it, create one. If you don't need it, get rid of it. You should have a place for taxes, receipts, bills, mailing material and stamps, labels, etc. Keep the family filing and personal filing in a different filing system, so you know exactly what is in front of you. You simply cannot get any work done if you don't know where anything and everything is. Trust me, I learned this at tax time and it was hell! I now do this weekly and monthly, so I can avoid that last minute effort to get it all together next tax season.
Hopefully you are off to a good start now, so keep everything the way it is, keep the filing system going, and keep your goals in front of you!!
