Category: Goals

So, what is your WHY? And yes, I’ve capitalized it all on purpose, because it’s your big WHY and it is powerful. The WHY you do what you do.

There are two ways to answer this.

1. The most common way is look at WHY you help the people you help, why are you passionate about it?
2. The second way is more personal (yes, the first one is definitely personal too), what are the personal reasons WHY you do what you do.

The first type of answer covers why you are passionate about helping who you help. The second answer covers why it is rewarding to you or what it allows you to be/do. Coming up with generic answers to these questions isn’t working, so I’ll give you my answers:

1. Why I work with the people I do, why I am passionate about my business:
   I was stuck for almost a year with goals that I wasn’t reaching, tasks that were never done and time that just seemed to disappear without me knowing what happened. It was really, really, really frustrating. And I couldn’t figure out how to change it for quite a while. When I did look for help, I didn’t find what I was looking for. Which was even more frustrating and I wondered if working for myself was just a horrible fit. However, the thought of being an employee again made my stomach hurt and deep down I knew I could do this. After I pieced together something that worked for me, I realized that I don’t want anyone else to feel that frustration and overwhelm that I had been feeling. And that’s why I’m now the Entrepreneur’s Productivity Coach – to help others create their own systems for their time, tasks and goals.
2. Why I became an entrepreneur – and stay one:
   My husband and I want to start a family. We both wanted me to be home more than was possible as an employee. So, I started my own business (after spending several months exploring options while I was employed). Having my own business means I can set my own hours and goals (even though that wasn’t as easy as I initially thought). The biggest reason is so I can be an involved parent to my future kids. How do I know that’s my WHY? Because I tear up when I write it or think on it. That’s how important it is to me.

The first WHY is my passion for the people I work with. I know it’s my why because whenever I hear about someone struggling with these things I get it and know I can help (I can’t do the work for them, but I can help them on the path).

The second why is my really big WHY – and if you look closely, you can see the finger prints on my first answer. It’s what guided me toward entrepreneurship and keeps me here when things feel difficult. When I think on it (not just a passing thought) my eyes tear up and I really feel it.

Why is knowing the answers to these questions so important?

1. Messaging. Your WHY is what you think about when you’re coming up with new products or offers. You think about it when you’re writing sales or opt-in pages. Your WHY is at the core of everything you do and how you describe it.
2. Motivation. Your WHY is powerful and when things feel a bit scary, your WHY keeps you moving (and if your WHY doesn’t do that, it’s time to revisit and maybe revise it).

Basically, your WHYs color everything you do. Each goal you set ties back to your WHYs in one way or another. And if it doesn’t, well, that goal probably isn’t really that important to you.

Not sure what your WHY is? Ask yourself why you do what you do. When you have an answer ask yourself why again (why is that important to you)?

I’d love to know what your WHY is or any questions you have! Share in the comment section below.

Photo credit: e-magic / Foter / CC BY-ND

This week’s article is the second of three.

I’m going back to the basics for 2013 and I invite you to join me. This is what I’m doing:

• I’m creating and solidifying routines (or habits).
• I’m setting goals for myself that are supported by strategies and clear plans of action.
• I’m tracking each goal and strategy.
• I’m recognizing what does and doesn’t work for and making adjustments as needed.

Last week’s article covered routines and the next week is about recognizing what does and doesn’t work

Now, on to the details for goal setting:

Set goals that are supported by strategies and clear plans of action

So, you have a goal in mind. What strategies will you use to meet that goal? What are the steps to complete each strategy?

A goal can have many supporting goals or strategies.

For example, take a basic goal like making a certain amount of money each month. That’s the main goal right? Now, how will you do it?

By meeting people? How will you meet them and stay connected? Perhaps you’ll network a certain number of times each month and begin speaking at different events.

Well, now you have two supporting goals: networking and speaking. What are your goals for those things? How many times do you want to network each month or how many people do you want to meet? How will you prepare for speaking or how many times do you want to speak each month?

So in this example the main goal is a certain monthly income, the supporting goals/strategies are networking and speaking and the steps to complete the supporting goals are what needs to be done to meet those supporting goals.

One hint here: If you want to start something new, the initial goal might be to research how to do it. The next goal might be to do it.

Track each goal and strategy.

Goals are easy to set and even easier to lose sight of if you’re not tracking them. This means looking at where you are with each one on a weekly basis.

The easiest way to do this? Make each goal specific and give it a due date.

In the example above the main goal was to make a certain amount of money each month. So, determine how you’re going to track it. One way is to take a piece of paper, write down each day of the month and then at the end of each day write down the amount of money you made and the total for the month. Slowly you’ll see the number grow.

If your goal is have 5 sales a month, then draw five circles on a piece of paper or sticky note and fill them in as you make your sales.

And of course, there are some goals that are simply, did this get done or not.

I have each of my goals on a post it note and they’re sticking in a notebook that holds all master and weekly lists. It’s easy to find and update them at the end of the week (or daily) that way. Many people post those goal tracking sheets in a place they every day and can easily update.

What goals do you have for 2013 and how will you track them? Share in the comments below!

This week’s article is the first of three.

2013 is quickly approaching. As it does, many people set New Year resolutions. I haven’t set New Year resolutions for a few years now – preferring a word of the year instead.

However, this year I’m not doing that either.

No New Year resolutions and no word of the year? So, what am I doing?

This:

• I’m creating and solidifying routines (or habits).
• I’m setting goals for myself that are supported by strategies and clear plans of action.
• I’m tracking each goal and strategy.
• I’m recognizing what does and doesn’t work for me and making adjustments as needed.

Now, let me back up and explain a bit. Resolutions can be a wonderful thing, but I have some baggage there. Too many years of: this year I’ll change and do this or be that. Which never really turned out the way I wanted because my previous patterns (or habits) were too deeply ingrained to be changed overnight. And basically that’s what I (and probably most people) expected on some level, like January 1^st is a magical day that can instantly change people. So, I don’t set resolutions.

As for word of the year, I’ve had a lot of fun with it the past three years. Looking forward to picking it out and watching how it weaves through my year. But this year I’m not feeling it, so I’m not going to force it. As a quick aside, what things are you doing because it’s what you think you should do instead of what you really want to or feel called to do?

So, this year I’m going back to basics and I invite you to join me.

Create and solidify routines (aka habits)

Whether you realize it or not, you have morning habits. What are the things you do every morning without really even thinking about it? Personally, I can make a cup of coffee and have my breakfast half made before I’m fully awake. It’s just my routine.

What are other things you’d like to do every morning? Get up earlier? Exercise? Meditate? Read? Walk the dog? Stretch? Laugh?

Creating or adding things isn’t only for morning routines. Don’t forget about the end of your work day routine, before or after lunch routine, or before bed routine (but if you’re looking for a place to start, start with your morning routine).

Pick one thing and add it to a routine. Then, create a checklist so you can easily see your progress.

And one hint here: don’t over complicate it! Want to exercise every morning, but you’re not sure what to do? Go for a walk, go up and down the stairs, do jumping jacks. The purpose is to do something, not to do it perfectly. Don’t get sidetracked by perfection.

What’s one thing you want to add to your routine? Share in the comments!

Next week’s article is about goal setting and the following week is about recognizing what does and doesn’t work.