Inspiration for Your Best Year Yet
Have you ever found yourself in an endless loop of always setting the same goals and resolutions and never getting anywhere?
You know that you need to be writing down your goals and tracking them.
You know that there are things that you need to be doing on a regular basis to actually hit those goals.
And yet it always seems like life gets in the way. Things happen. You find yourself taking stock in December and asking, “Where did the time go?”
It’s depressing to look back on the year and see that you haven’t quite accomplished all that you had hoped.
I know because I’ve been there! I’ve found that the only way to hit those goals and build those necessary success habits is to be specific about what you want, decide what you need to do to get there, and track your progress relentlessly.
Life is full of distractions
But it’s not easy! Life is full of distractions, both good and bad. Good distractions are things like new babies (in my case grandchildren), another awesome business idea, moving, getting married, etc.
Bad distractions are things like illness, accidents, bereavement, stress, etc. And it seems we all have our fair share of these! I could write my list here, and so could you, I’m sure.
The ups and downs of life can knock you off track and leave you sitting in the dust wondering what happened.
So how can you stay positive and focused when things just aren’t going the way you want them to?
I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks that work for me and I’ve been offering help to those who need training and encouragement getting through the rough patches of life and business.
I’ve made it my mission in my business to be an inspiration to all those I encounter, and to provide the training as well as the tools needed to help others get past their distractions and have the success they dream of.
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want.
One of the most important factors in your success is clarity. You can’t hit your target if you can’t find it. You need to know exactly what you want.
So the first important step on your journey towards success is to:
Define your Destination
You need to know exactly what your goal is. You wouldn’t plan a trip without having a destination in mind. It’s the same with your life. You can let yourself be tossed around like a ship without a rudder, or you can take charge and steer yourself to where you want to go.
So where exactly are you headed? Paris? Dublin? Cincinnati?
Think of it as climbing a mountain. You want your goal to be big and challenging. You want your goal to be life-changing. You want your goal to be a mountain that will take you to the top of the world.
But here’s the thing. You can only climb one mountain at a time. So make your decision. What exactly is it that you hope to accomplish? What exactly is that big goal that will change your life? This is something you need to decide before you even get started.
Jim Collins, best-selling author of business books Good to Great and Built to Last calls this a BHAG – a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal. And we all need one.
Why? Your goal needs to be big enough to motivate you through the tough times. It needs to be something you aren’t willing to give up on.
Can I tell you a secret? One of my biggest goals in life isn’t to be rich, or famous, or influential… though I’d be happy with any one of those.
One of the things that motivates me the most is to live my life in such a way that my children and my grandchildren would be proud of me.
Inspiring them is a top priority in my life. Being a positive role model is one of those things that gets me out of bed in the morning.
And I’ve extended this to you, too, and to the rest of the world. This is what it means to be a leader… to be the kind of person who’s worth following. That’s my big goal.
So where are you going?
If you’re setting yourself up as an expert, you need to choose the field where you’re best qualified, and where there is an obvious need.
Then define exactly how you can meet that need.
If you’ve got a few things in mind, that’s okay. It’s a wonderful gift to be creative and have lots of ideas.
But pick one! You can always come back to the others, but keep in mind, you can only climb one mountain at a time!
Decide on Your Route
Once you’ve defined your destination, you need to decide on your route. No matter where you want to go, you can always find more than one way to get there.
This is where you choose the action steps that will lead to the accomplishments you hope to one day celebrate.
What will you need to be doing regularly? Blogging? Emailing? Writing? Making videos?
What habits will you need to cultivate? Self-discipline? Time management?
What milestones will mark your progress? Assign a date to each one.
What sort of timeline will it take to get you there? Be as specific as you can.
What tools will you need? Web hosting? Autoresponders?
The more specific you can be here, the better for your planning purposes. As noted above, however, these can be subject to change and revision. Life happens.
To continue the mountain analogy, I’m going to add the question, who will be your Guide? Who will direct you along the best paths as you climb to the summit?
We all need a little instruction and guidance along the way. Or maybe we need a lot! Do you have an idea who your role models are for your own personal success journey?
Who will be guiding you along the way?
If all this seems a bit overwhelming, don’t worry! It all still unfolds just one step at a time.
In fact, it’s best to tackle just one habit at a time, and master one skill at a time, in the same way that it’s best to decide on one goal at a time.
This is a journey of at least a thousand miles. There is no such thing as teleportation to success.
Defer Your Distractions
I’ve already mentioned the fact that life is full of distractions. Some of these are unavoidable. It’s the avoidable distractions that you need to watch out for.
Some people call this “shiny object syndrome,” where you are continually distracted by the next, newest, shiny idea or gadget or bandwagon that comes along.
Or to use a canine analogy – Squirrel!
So what are the squirrels in your life? For some, online distractions like email, web surfing and Facebook and other social media sites can drain an inordinate amount of time out of the day.
These are the types of distractions that are easily deferred. Use a timer to limit your time on these things, and set up regular, designated times to accomplish your work tasks.
Determine that You Will Succeed
Your determination is what will keep you going. I know that it’s tough to stay motivated through the difficulties that life throws your way.
I’ve faced my own times of discouragement. I’ve faced health issues that have threatened to shut me down completely.
I’m sure you’ve been there, too.
At times like that, having a support network can make all the difference. We all need encouragement from time to time.
That’s why I’ve been loading up my autoresponder. It’s full of inspirational quotes and stories that can help you keep going. Stories of Success. Stories of Failure. Stories of Perseverance.
I’m putting together an email a day as a way to inspire you to keep on working toward your dream.
It’s also why my Twitter feed, Instagram account, and Pinterest boards are full of motivational quotes and photos as an inspiration to myself and others.
Nothing is more important to success than perseverance. You won’t make it to the top of the mountain unless you keep moving.
Your Action Steps
So to summarize, here are your next steps:
• Define your destination.
• Decide on your route.
• Defer your distractions.
• Determine you will succeed.
Remember, I’m here to help you along the way. The list of action steps above is just a brief summary to get you thinking.
My Inspired Year Weekly Planner is the product that can change your life this very year.
It contains everything you need to track your progress and achieve the life you want. Want to eat better? Drink more water? Finally hit your business goals? I thought of that. Check it out at the link below.
As you progress through the planner, the mini-course, and the full training you’ll receive more practical information on how exactly to implement these steps and others to have your most inspired year ever!
Learn more about My Inspired Year Weekly Planner and Mini-Course here.
A Message from Norma... In case you're curious, I started working online in 1997 - in the dinosaur days of the internet. My purpose here at HomeFreeMedia is to help YOU build the business of your dreams by developing and recommending top quality products and tools. This will also result in profit and affiliate commissions for me, so we both win!
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