I had an amazing time sharing the SMARTS Goal Setting system earlier this year with the members of my meet-up. It is such a useful tool for setting measurable (that’s M) goals and can make all of the difference in achieving what you really want.
In my article this week, I share with you how you can get “unstuck” and really start to create the business and life you desire – and deserve!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed in your business, you’re likely also procrastinating. When we feel inundated with our to-dos, it’s easy to stop, retreat and avoid doing anything all together. It’s similar to the person who is going to start exercising at a gym and sets a lofty goal of going 5 times a week. This person is setting himself or herself up for failure from the get-go. What tends to happen is that going 5 times a week is too much of an adjustment and becomes overwhelming. In turn, they won’t end up going at all. This is also what happens when we feel overwhelmed in our business. We spin our wheels and spend time on anything but revenue-generating activities. The following will help you get “un-stuck” and move forward so that you can grow your business to the level you want it to be at.
Step #1: Get clear on your priorities. What are the top 3-5 projects that you can work on now to increase your revenue? If you need help figuring out what they are, I recommend doing a fun exercise I did a little while ago. Take 30 minutes and brainstorm 50 ideas you can do that will move your business forward. Some examples are creating a telecourse, an e-book or a VIP-client day. Most people get stuck around 29, but force yourself to keep going. When you’re finished, choose the top 3-5 ideas (depending on your current schedule and availability) that are the fastest and most lucrative to implement.
Step #2: Clear out the clutter in your work & personal environments. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is. When you have things you need to complete that you haven’t done, they hang over your head and drain energy you could be putting towards something else like generating revenue. It might sound like a stretch, but it’s true. I’ve been putting off doing some routine blood work that was part of my physical. After almost 6 months, I finally had the blood work done, which enabled me to book the follow-up appointment and a dentist appointment (since I told myself I couldn’t book that until the blood work was done). It was amazing how freeing it was to have all of this complete! I felt lighter, happier and had newfound energy to put into my workday! As you can see, I, too, let life get in the way sometimes, but if you can get these things dealt with, you will be more productive. It applies to anything in your personal and business life that needs attention.
Step #3: Set Financial Goals. It’s important to know where you want to be. What are you working towards? Is it 5 new clients or maybe earning $4,000.00 a month? Writing this out and putting it somewhere you can see it is extremely helpful. It helps you stay focused on what you’re trying to achieve. It’s also helpful to spend some time visualizing the life you would like to have and how, by achieving your financial goals, your life will be different. How would it feel to be financially free? What would you do? How would your life change? By picturing and (most importantly) feeling this every day, you will attract what you need to make it happen. Pay attention to new ideas and opportunities that present themselves.
Step #4: Of equal importance is to know where you’re at financially right now. The reality is that money concerns cause stress. When you’re stressed, you operate from a fear-based mentality and your decisions are different. I found that just getting a handle on your current situation provides peace of mind. Figure out what your business expenses are per month and how much revenue you’re bringing in. You can start to make a monthly budget from there. Remember to pay yourself first! For more information on this topic, check out David Bach’s books. It’s also important to do this for your personal financial situation. A super helpful exercise is to keep track of your spending for a month. Keep all receipts and at the end of the month, you will probably be amazed at what you spend your money on. This will help you reduce spending where you can and make different choices. Being financially responsible sends a strong message to the universe that you’re ready for more!
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