Reprinted with permission from C.J. Hayden’s Get Clients Now! Answer Center

Year-End Review

To set yourself up right for the new year, it’s time to celebrate your successes, acknowledge your failures, and assess where you are right now. Follow the steps below to wrap up 2008 and move into 2009 with a clear vision.

1. Make a list celebrating all your successes, breakthroughs, and revelations in 2008.
2. Make another list acknowledging all your failures, disappointments, and breakdowns for the year.
3. Score your current level of satisfaction in each wedge of the Wheel of Life.
4. With the above information in mind, choose three to five areas of your life, career, or business you would most like to make changes in over the next year. For each focus area, provide a simple heading, and a description of your desired result in that area. In describing your desired result, use the present tense. Example:
   Be more organized
   I have a system to follow up on calls and emails, I know where everything is, I plan ahead to meet deadlines, I eliminate a sense of overwhelm, I set realistic goals for myself.
5. For each of your three to five focus areas, design one goal, project, or commitment that will anchor your desired changes to a specific course of action.
   Goals are exciting and motivating all by themselves. They are targets that draw you and inspire you. State what you want, and by when, in specific terms. Examples:
   I will have 10 new clients by March 31.
   I will book a vacation in Hawaii by May 1.
   Projects are a means to an end. They may not be exciting, but need to be done to accomplish an end result that is important to you. Examples:
   I will file and pay my taxes on time, by April 15.
   I will clear the top of my desk by Feb 1.
   Commitments are activities to perform on a regular basis, in order to make significant changes. Rather than an end date, they have a frequency. Examples:
   I will go to the gym three times per week.
   I will make my marketing calls first thing every day.
6. Throughout 2009, review your goals, projects, and commitments each week to align them with what appears on your calendar. Plan to repeat steps 3-5 at the end of each quarter to reassess where you are and what needs to happen next.

Have a great year!

(Note: Password protection is removed from the Get Clients Now! Answer Center until January 4, 2009. Take advantage of it until then.)

Time to be honest with you. I’m being totally open here, which is really embarrassing… But enough is enough already. Despite repeated attempts, I just haven’t got a handle on the whole “office organization” thing on my own.

Here’s what my office looks like today:

Part of the problem is I’m running out of space (don’t ask me where we’re gonna fit a 3rd kid in this apartment!). The other part of the problem is I don’t have a system in place.

Just in time, my friend and colleague Tracey Lawton, has come to the rescue with her newest product release The Complete Office Organization System. As soon as the announcement reached my inbox, I raced to get my copy.

So here I’ve been, this past week, going through Tracey’s 5 step office organization system, and I’m already stuck — at step 1! I thought I’d take a lesson from my blog buddy, Chris, and create a little accountability for myself, right here on The Savvy Entrepreneur.

Step 1 is all about creating a filing management system. This introduces my first challenge — my 2-drawer filing cabinet and small filing drawer in my desk are packed solid; I can’t fit one more sheet of paper. So before I can even start thinking about putting the system in place, I need to prepare (my motto: “Planning to plan!”).

The second challenge is the fact that I must downsize my office to make room for baby #3. That means smaller desk, less stuff and much less storage. Making organizing my office an even more important task.

In order to complete Step 1, here’s what I need to do, with target completion dates):

1. Paper-based filing system: (Complete)
   • Purchase a 4-drawer filing cabinet. I ended up buying two 2-drawer cabinets.
   • Brainstorm paper filing system: main categories and sub categories.
   • Purchase colored file folders (one color for each Main Category).
   • Purchase a labeler. Dymo LetraTag.
   • Schedule an entire a day to tackle, sort and file. Scheduled for week of April 7th.
     
2. PC-based filing system: (Complete)
   • Brainstorm PC filing system: main folders and sub folders.
   • Create above folders on D: drive.
   • Move folders/files.
3. Organize Outlook: (Complete)
   • Aim for less than 20 Inbox messages (read or unread).
   • Brainstorm Outlook filing system.
   • Create folders and rules in Outlook.
   • Move folders/messages.
4. Backup system: (Complete)
   • Set up on site backup system (Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus 750 GB External Hard Drive).
   • Subscribe to online backup service and set up remote backup (MozyHome‘s online backup service)

WHEW! I have a lot of work ahead of me! And it sounds expensive (time to sell lots of Out of the Box Self-Coaching Workbooks). Remote backup will be put on the back burner if, by March 15th, I can’t afford it. I’ll strike out each item as it gets done, so you can check up on my progress. I’ll be posting pictures to keep me honest as well (no cleanup before the pictures, I promise).

If you, too, struggle with office organization, why don’t you take charge and join me?

For those of you who have mastered office organization, what tips, shortcuts and resources do you use to make your office organization work consistently?

It seems with February nearing the half-way point, people all over are thinking about goals and reevaluating goals they’ve set for 2008.

It’s what inspired me (and others) to write articles about goal-setting. My colleague and friend, Mark Ford, is no exception. If you’re not subscribed to his monthly newsletter, here’s what you missed yesterday:

The Top 10 Qualities of Your Next Winning Goal
by Mark Ford

No matter what you’re going for in your life, having a goal is an essential part of the process. When you have a goal, you’re more focused, you’re more motivated and you’re clearer about where you’re going.

Making decisions is easier when you have a goal, because if you’re really honest with yourself you know if one particular choice is leading you towards your goal or away from it.

When you don’t have a goal, life can be aimless, stagnant, depressing or self-destructive. Chasing the wrong goal, though, might be even worse than not having one at all.

Here are the Top 10 Qualities of Your Next Winning Goal

1. Fun. When the game is fun, the goals get done. Whatever your goal, make sure it’s something you can enjoy working towards. Find a path to the finish line that makes use of your strengths and gives you opportunities for connection, fulfillment and joy.
2. Realistic. Your goal needs to be realistic and not too lofty – a marathon runner aims to run one mile, 26 times. Use your track record of meeting or not meeting previous goals as your guide. Not meeting your goals has as much to teach you as meeting them – instead of giving up, break the goal down further.
3. Personal. Goals need to be something you want to achieve, based on your own passion and vision. If a goal is something you or someone else thinks you “should” do, it’s not your goal.
4. Concrete. Your goal needs to be tangible and definable. “I’m going to spend more time with my children,” is an admirable thought. “I’m going to spend 30-minutes reading a bedtime story to my children every night,” is a goal.
5. Revered. Achieving a goal is cause for celebration. Too often people swing from berating themselves for not working hard enough or letting themselves off the hook, to shrugging off their accomplishments because they’re too busy chasing the next goal.
6. Extraordinary. Eleanor Roosevelt implored, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Your goal should be outside of your comfort zone, outside of your job description, outside of your daily routines and rituals that you’re going to do anyway. We set a goal when we want to do MORE or do better.
7. Flexible. You may need to shift and adapt your goals if you find you’re consistently off track. How can you think outside of the box and still get where you want to go?
8. Applied. You can only turn your passions and dreams into reality by setting and reaching your goals. Decide what you want, what you’re going to do to get it, write it down and start doing it. Don’t take it lightly, live your life “on purpose.”
9. Top-of-mind. Goals need your attention, or they can be easily obliterated by daily life; other things will inevitably become more important and take over. Make your goals fit in with what you also want to do for your family, career and community, so that you’re not choosing between them.
10. Shared. Goals need to be spoken out loud, committed and shared. When someone else knows what you’re trying to accomplish, you give them the opportunity to support you. And for them, you’re a living role model of inspiration, passion and purpose.

If your previous attempts to improve yourself have failed, go back to the drawing board and make sure that you’re working towards the right goal. Once you set a winning goal for yourself, the road to change becomes clear.

ABOUT MARK FORD:
For over 15 years, Mark Ford has been assisting top level executives and business leaders increase individual and organizational performance, as well as improve communication, leadership and motivation.

As a successful coach, speaker, trainer and consultant, Mark empowers his clients to be the heroes of their own life, find their true path, define their own success, live with passion, and make this life count.

To receive Mark’s monthly newsletter, Go for it! Be the Hero of Your Own Life, sign up on his website.

Which Road Do I Take? Setting a Goal Will Show You the Way

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” was his response. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.” — Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

When your focus is on getting more clients, it’s not enough to say, “I want more clients,” or “I want to grow my business this year.” Those destinations aren’t clear enough, and you’re liable to end up wandering around your business aimlessly, until you get thoroughly lost and give up from exhaustion.

Having a sales and marketing goal gives you a destination for your journey, which makes it all that much easier to choose a road.

Notice I’ve used the word goal in the singular sense? That’s because I want you to stick to ONE goal – and an action plan to achieve it – for the next month. We entrepreneurs are often bombarded with messages, information, opportunities and potential projects, and we (myself included) often suffer from the Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.

These Bright Shiny Objects distract us, tear us away from our goals, dilute our efforts and pull us in many directions at once. Having ONE goal keeps you from being overwhelmed and frustrated, and will give you:

1. Focus: You know what you have to do each day so that stays in the forefront of your mind. Knowing you only have 28 days to achieve your goal will narrow your focus on marketing and help you ignore distractions.
2. Evidence: By regularly measuring your level of effort and comparing it to the results you create, you’ll get a constant reality check on your progress. You’ll know right away if you’re not working hard enough or if you’re spending marketing time on busy-work. You’ll also be able to gauge when you’ve done enough and can take a guilt-free day off.
3. Direction: For the next 28 days, you don’t need to ask yourself what you should be doing to get more clients – you already know, because you created an action plan to reach your goal. When you’re unsure of what you should do next, simply ask yourself “Which action or decision is most likely to lead me in the direction of my goal?“
4. Motivation: By posting your action plan in plain view, you’ll be motivated to challenge yourself: “How early can I complete my marketing tasks today?” Set up small rewards for finishing a project, for beating the previous day’s record or for reaching a certain percentage of your goal. Invent your own game – the more fun it is, the easier the next 28 days will be.

So are you ready for a tough question? What ONE goal would you like to achieve within the next 28 days? Make it a S.M.A.R.T. one – that means it’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed. Come up with one of your own, or choose ONE of the following:

In 28 days, I would like to have:

• _____ new clients
• _____ dollars in new earnings
• _____ listings
• _____ training courses scheduled
• _____ appointments booked
• _____ products sold

Based on the number you wrote, you can easily update and track your progress. And please don’t worry about getting it right. There’s no rule against changing your goal mid-month if it becomes unrealistic or was not enough of a stretch.

Now, choose a reward – not just for results, but for your efforts. If you worked towards your goal, you deserve a reward, even if you come up short.

My reward will be: ___________________________________

Great work! You have a goal and you even have a reward lined up for when you reach it. All that’s left is your action plan. Simply break down your goal into the small steps you’ll need to take in order to reach it.

So before you head down the road to build your business and attract new clients, make sure you’re clear about where you’re going. Set a goal for the next 28 days and take a break from distraction, overwhelm and frustration.

Copyright. Cristina Favreau. All rights reserved.

ABOUT CRISTINA
Cristina Favreau specializes in teaching independent service professionals who struggle with marketing, so they get more visibility, build their credibility and increase their self-confidence. Get her complimentary “12 Mistakes To Avoid in Your 30-Second Intro” ecourse at http://www.cristinafavreau.com/index.htm

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered, including the “ABOUT CRISTINA” info above. Please send a copy of your reprint to web (at) cristinafavreau (dot) com.

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. — Lily Tomlin

If you like this quote, don’t miss this month’s newsletter, coming out on Wednesday. It’s all about asking for what you want and creating a plan to achieve it.

You can subscribe to my monthly newsletter, The Journey is the Point, by filling out the form below (plus you’ll get my free guidebook, Designing a Compelling 30-second Intro):

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Remember that song…? Now I’ll have it in my head all day. Anyways, here’s this week’s quote:

The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it — as long as you really believe 100 percent. — Arnold Schwarzenegger

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I don’t mean to be cliché, but where did 2007 go?? It feels weird knowing tomorrow (and probably when you’ll read this) will be 2008.

Have you taken the time to look back on your accomplishments in 2007? I like to review my agenda to see what I’ve done.

2007 was a very busy and productive year:

• I helped a handful of entrepreneurs kick-start their marketing with my Get Clients Now! program (funny I had more one-on-one clients as opposed to groups).
• I participated in more online presentations, workshops and teleclasses.
• I tried my hand at podcasting (well, not really podcasting, but almost). Now I want to start a podcast of my own!!
• I was interviewed on the radio and in the newspaper.
• I gave birth to our gorgeous daughter, Katya, on the bathroom floor all alone.
• I created a weekly inspirational blog posting, The Savvy Snippet (with your help for the name).
• I instituted the first annual Anti-Procrastination Month.
• I grew out of my old newsletter provider and transitioned to a newer one.
• I stood up for myself by turning down clients, business “opportunities” and partnerships that were not beneficial for me (as opposed to always being the “yes” person).
• I was nominated Successful and Outstanding Blogger.
• Mary Bast and I finally finished our Out of the Box Self-Coaching Workbook (stay tuned for details).
• I gave my very first in-person presentation at WENS, the local women’s networking group I belong to.
• I finished the Blog For A Year contest in 9th place (thanks for your votes!)

And I’m sure I’m forgetting some other stuff.

All that and I managed to take 6 months maternity leave — which, as you can see from the list above, just means I didn’t take as many paying clients… it doesn’t mean I didn’t work!

What’s in store for 2008? Since October, I’ve known 2008 was going to be my year.

Then I got hit by a curve ball.

A month ago I found out I’m pregnant… again… I subconsciously knew it for weeks, but when I finally took ‘the test’ and it was positive, I became totally unhinged. My world came to a screeching halt. I’m still a little unsettled (mostly because I’m just so tired), but I’ve finally accepted the situation for what it is; I’m bound and determined not to let this turn into more of a drama than it needs to be.

This means I can’t work as much as I originally planned, and that’s OK (good news for my hubby). 2008 will still be an awesome year for me and my business.

A long story to get back to my original question: What’s in store for 2008? I’m not quite sure what I’m going put on the back burner just yet. I think I’ll go with the flow this year. It’s what I did for 2007 and I can’t complain.

Here’s what you can expect from The Savvy Entrepreneur in 2008:

• The Savvy Snippet consistently posted Monday mornings.
• Something special for International Coaching Week in February.
• More virtual presentations.
• Details on the self-coaching workbook I co-authored.
• A more structured and organized Anti-Procrastination Month in October.
• Local Get Clients Now! programs.
• At least one new info product.
• MAYBE a new logo and revamped website (this may turn into a back burner project for 2009).

What do you have planned for 2008? Only a few specific goals will suffice. Is it a sum of money you’d like to earn? A number of accounts or clients you’d like to get? An amount of bookings, presentations or listings?

No matter what it is, write it down and put it some place visible where it’ll be in your face. Share it with someone (like yours truly) to make it more real, to put gears of the Law of Attraction in motion and to help keep you accountable!

If you’re having trouble getting clear on what it is you really want, let’s schedule some time to talk. Let me help you make the picture a whole lot clearer.

Make this year the best one ever! Go get ‘em!

Oh yeah! See you next year! (sorry, I couldn’t help it ).

Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal. — E. Joseph Cossman

Here are a 2 interesting figures I dug up as I was researching today’s Anti-Procrastination Month post.

Most people agree that goals are important, but less than five percent of people write down goals or have action plans for attaining them. — Source: Business Edge, Set Goals For Your Business

A popular Harvard Business School study once found that only 3% of the population records their goals in writing. Another 14% have goals but don’t write them down, whereas 83% do not even have clearly defined goals. More interesting is that this 3% earned an astounding ten times that of the 83% group! — Source: Writer’s Break, 5 Steps to Goal Setting by Jennifer Minar

While I can’t vouch for the validity or accuracy of these statements, I find them impressive and highly motivating.

I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to be part of the 3% club!!

After going through my hundreds of emails upon my return last week, I ran into the kitchen and said to my husband “I should go on vacation more often!”

Here’s why:

• First was my weekly newsletter report — 12 new people had subscribed in one week! It may not sound like a lot to you, but for me it’s a record.
• Then I received email messages from 2 different Canadian organizations (1 locally in Montreal) offering me a regular contract to coach their members.

These are just 3 small little things, but to me it’s undeniable proof that the Law of Attraction is at work for me in my business!!

I plan on keeping my word (going on vacation more often, that is). During the summer months I’ll be taking one week off each month with my kids to spend with our family in the Eastern Townships.

My even bigger plan is to create a virtual team so that I can concentrate on doing what I love best (coaching, teaching, public speaking) and have someone else take care of the rest.

Do you have a virtual team? Share with us the successes you enjoy. What goals have you set for your business? Are you manifesting what you want? How has taking time off helped you in your business?

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