Attainable Goals or Lotfy Ideas - Start 2009 with a Plan
As the year begins, most have given thought to what you want to accomplish in 2009. Sitting down with pen and tablet, you begin to list all the goals that you want to achieve in the coming year. After a bit, you have a long laundry list. With list in hand, what is the next step? Have you developed a plan to implement your goals? Are there tools in place to measure the achievement of your goals? Or, after a period time is the goal list shoved into a desk drawer until it is discovered months later when it’s time to set goals for the new approaching year?
Setting goals is more than making a list of items to accomplish. It’s laying out an attainable plan with guidelines, action steps and milestones. Goals should be set at a measure that is above your average performance level in order to heighten your skill set. They should not be based on your best performance nor should they be easily attained.
Process and Plan
As you think through the goals you want to achieve, ask yourself following questions so that you focus not only on the end result of the goal but the path needed to accomplish the goal.
• What do I specifically want to achieve?
• What resources are needed?
• Do I have the skill set needed or is there a learning curve to factor?
• Do I have the data and knowledge needed?
• Do I need assistance or collaboration with a colleague?
• What obstacles could block progress?
• What contributing factors are beyond my control?
• Is there more than one way of accomplishing goal?
• What does the desired outcome of the goal look like?
• Why do I want to achieve this goal?
• What is a realistic timeline for achievement?
Record and Review
After you have developed your goals and the action steps necessary to achieve them, write them down in a notebook and review them regularly. Jack Canfield suggests reviewing your goals daily and visualizing what accomplished goals look like.
The Point
Goals should be more than a laundry list of lofty ideas. Developing a plan to accomplish your goals lends itself as a huge contributing factor to successfully accomplishing them. Schedule quiet time to plan your path for the 2009 and achieve your dreams.
Photo by krisgriffon
Free Web Authoring Tool - Are you a KompoZer?
Photo by chrysti
Creating a website for your business can seem like a daunting task for those with little or no experience in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) or CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). For a small business business, the cost of hiring a web designer or purchasing an HTML/CSS editing program can put a heavy strain on most budgets. There are alternatives that work for not only for the experienced but for the beginner as well. I discovered a great resource - KompoZer. I used this program to create the website for my business and the big bang for your buck is ……it is free!
Effective Productivity - 7 Tips to Designing a Productive Day
Working from my home office, I find at times that my day can sometimes overlap into my home life and visa versa. By setting goals and designing a plan for my day, I accomplish more and feel good about the results at the close of the day.
Here are seven tips to assist in designing your productive day:
1) Early to bed – early to rise. Just like your momma said – it makes a man healthier, wealthier & wise. Get the amount of rest that is right for you. We all vary in what is the proper amount of rest and when we need it. If your business is structured that you do not have to be available during standard office hours and you’re a night owl then by all means, take advantage of it. Just get the rest that your body needs.
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Going Up! Free Resource to Create an Elevator Speech
Photo by annia316
As an entrepreneur, getting your name out there and making new connections is the name of the game. So how many times have you stumbled through introducing yourself and your business to a potential client? Have you walked away knowing you didn’t get your message across? Do you find yourself wanting another chance to make a better impression? I would venture to guess that you haven’t perfected your elevator speech.
Then it’s time to get in the game! It’s not as painful as you might guess. I have discovered a free resource to assist with developing your elevator speech and they’ve made getting started easy!
The 15SecondPitch describes itself as:
“n. An introduction that is concise, compelling and conversational. No elevator required!”
Looking in the mirror. What does your blog say to potential clients?
Photo by oceanflynn
I might as well state the obvious - - I am new at blogging, at least as it relates to business. I know I know, it’s the number of posts that gave it away. I said it was obvious. I’m also anal – I like to do things right the first time out of the gate. But there are so many ins and outs to blogging that it’s hard to get it right from the get go. There’s no standard blogging handbook that says Thou Shalt [just fill in the blank]. Everyone has a different opinion of what you should and shouldn’t do.
So my classroom is the window of observation. I observe those that appear to be successful, those I follow due to great content, and those that I stumble upon when doing research. Which brings me to today’s subject – how often do you blog and how does that reflect on your business?
What’s under your hood? Free Tool to Audit Your Computer
Photo by sandcastlematt
Whether you’re an entrepreneur who loves to get under the hood of a computer or one that breaks out in a cold sweat when you see a Windows pop-up error message, I have a great tool for you.
Belarc Advisor is a free tool that performs an extensive audit of your pc or laptop. In just minutes an audit profile is compiled and a complete report will be generated into your web-browser.
This comprehensive audit report includes:
- List of installed hardware from processor to circuit board and memory modules to external peripherals
- List of installed software including version number, license number, installation date, location on your hard drive and even key codes
- Status of Anti-Virus Software with last known update, revision number, and date of last scan
- Installation status of Microsoft Service Packs, Upgrades and Hotfixes and includes links to those yet to be installed
- Internet Security Status Benchmark Score and Report that includes Service Packs and Hotfixes, Account and Audit Policies, Security Settings
Gone are the days of not being prepared when calling a customer support desk to troubleshoot equipment or software issues. No more searching for versions numbers and updates installed. You will have vital information needed at your fingertips to answer questions and quicken the process.
The Point
Download Belarc Advisor. It’s a comprehensive tool that provides you with a wealth of information about your computer. You will be able to see where the weak points are in your computer system and how to address them. And best of all, it’s free!
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