Setting goals can be effortless. It’s not hard to think up or even write your goals down. Achieving them, on the other hand, can be a bit of a challenge. In order to reach your goals, you must maintain your focus on the end result, especially when things get rough. Here are some tips to aid you in staying focused on your goals.

1. Create a visual reminder. A wish book contains pictures, personal reflections and other notes related to the finished goal. Let’s pretend for a moment that your goal is to start a restaurant. Create a restaurant wish book full of pictures such as cutouts from magazines depicting restaurant grand openings, the type of furniture you would like in the restaurant, famous people coming to visit, or even a fake review that you have written about your impending opening night. Visual reminders are meant to encourage and keep your eye on the prize when you hit a rough spot in your plans.

2. Ask for help. This point can’t be stated enough. No man or woman is an island. Without help, everyone would fail at something. We’re not talking about help to start the business or any actual physical labor. This kind of help refers to support for you in general. Support such as weekly phone calls with a friend or mentor for encouragement, focusing sessions, or even just a sounding board for you when things get a bit off course.

3. Reassess the game plan. A goal is only as good as the plan behind it. Looking at that plan every three to six months, let’s you see what can be tweaked or omitted all together. As things change, so do the steps in that plan. If one step involved starting a website business by the end of the year, a major move to another state can put that on hold. Instead, maybe selling items on eBay or similar auction site would help keep you in the loop, without the pressure of reaching your original goal until the move is over.

4. Reward yourself. For every step along the way that brings you closer to your goal, celebrate. It can be a night on the town with friends, a new outfit, or a quiet weekend alone. If the goal involves saving money, then the quiet weekend alone would not dip into your coffers. For weight loss goals, a new outfit or trip to the movies won’t ruin all of the work you have done up to that point.

5. Learn how to deal with setbacks. One reason people lose focus on their goals is a temporary delay or two. They call them failures, when in all honesty, they are anything but. Setbacks can signal that the goal needs a new direction or you need to rededicate yourself to the task at hand. Put it into perspective, deal with the hindrance and move on.

Staying focused on a goal can be tricky and even hazy at times. To correct your vision and stay focused on the final result, use the five tips above as often as needed throughout the process of completing your goal.

If you’ve ever been stuck in a rut of inertia in business or in life before, you probably know the sense of helpless futility that seems to take over. You want your business or life to change, but you feel powerless to do anything about it yourself. You may find yourself constantly making plans to improve these areas, but never quite get around to taking action because it seems so intimidating.

Though taking action can intimidate and frighten you, it can also empower you and make you fierce! If you learn to use it effectively, it can provide the fuel to keep you moving forward toward more fulfilling circumstances. When you do this, you realize that there was never anything to fear in the first place, and you’ll quite possibly never get stuck again.

Below are three simple steps that show you how to get started:

1. First, be sure you understand that your business and life is the way it is right now because of your hesitation in taking action. This is important, because you’ll understand the importance of moving forward no matter how anxious it makes you feel at first.

Then, decide on one action to take to get the ball rolling. Think about your business or life right now, and ask yourself which situations you want to change first. You might choose your relationships, health, financial situation, business networking, or anything else that makes you feel powerless and stuck. Then think about one simple action you can take to inspire some positive change. It doesn’t have to be a huge action, just SOMETHING to start building momentum. It’s time to become fierce!

2. Once you’ve decided on your action step, you’ll have to push yourself to take it no matter what. This may seem incredibly difficult or even scary, but remember that most often the things you fear are not going to happen. In fact, you may not even have a clear reason for feeling scared – you’re just afraid of the “unknown”. Give yourself a pep talk or push yourself in any way you have to in order to move forward at least a little bit. After you take that first step, be sure to let go of any expectations of the things that will happen because of it, and allow yourself to feel great simply because you did something about it.

3. Repeat with the same step, and/or others. Once you’ve taken one step forward, you’ll need to keep pushing yourself to take others. Consider this…even if you take a hundred small steps in a month, you’ll be putting forth positive effort to make changes in your business and life, which cannot help but bring about better circumstances.

The good news is that taking action quickly begins to build momentum. Just as chronic non-action can create a cycle of negativity and stagnation over time, being proactive can create a positive cycle that continues to grow. It gets easier the more you do it, which eventually makes it seem almost effortless.

How can you build momentum in your business and life? Let’s talk about it here.

Did you know that you talk to yourself all day long? No, not the mental chatter about activities and chores that you need to remember throughout the day. That’s a form of self-talk too, but I’m referring more to the things you say to yourself on a regular basis and more importantly, the tone in which you say them.

When you make a mistake, do you berate yourself angrily? Do you put yourself down or call yourself names? When you have a hard time making positive changes in your life, do you lament what a worthless person you are and tell yourself that you never do anything right?

Negative self-talk can be incredibly damaging to your self-esteem, especially if it’s a big part of your daily life. When you keep saying things like that to yourself, eventually you begin to believe them.

Most often these messages begin as statements uttered by the adults in your life when you were a child. They may have said something negative about you when your actions displeased them, or perhaps they had a habit of saying unkind things even when you didn’t deserve it. As painful as these experiences can be, even worse is when you pick up where they left off and keep repeating the same negative messages to yourself over and over.

The good news is that you can change your self-talk any time you want. You just have to know how to become aware of the tone of your messages and consciously replace them with more encouraging ones.

Try these simple steps for starters:

Develop awareness of your self-talk. It may take practice, but if you keep listening to your inner voice, you’ll begin to notice when you talk negatively to yourself.

Challenge the negative messages. When you notice yourself saying something negative such as, “You can’t do anything right” – stop yourself and challenge that belief. Is that really true? Maybe you mess up sometimes, but does this ALWAYS happen? Probably not.

Replace the negative messages with positive messages. When you realize you’re saying unkind and untrue things to yourself, simply turn it around in your mind. Using the above example, you might say, “Wow, that’s not true at all! I do plenty of things right. It’s true I make mistakes, but so does everyone. I’m a good person and I try my best.”

Over time, your efforts will pay off in the form of stronger self-esteem and respect for yourself and your capabilities. It probably won’t happen overnight, but the more you work at turning your self-talk in a more positive direction, the better you’ll feel about yourself.

Do you struggle with productivity? Are you always striving to get your task list accomplished but end up constantly moving tasks to the next day? If this describes you, here are a few tips for making your day more productive.

Create a To-Do List the Night Before

Instead of waking up in the morning to make your to-do list, make your list the night before. This way you can go to bed relaxed and confident for the next day. You also wake up in the morning knowing exactly what you have planned for the day. You might also consider planning on Sunday night for the upcoming week. Then when you wake on Monday you have a plan in place.

Prioritize

Take a look at the tasks on your list. What tasks offer the largest return? What tasks offer the most value and achievement? For example, answering email or paying bills isn’t a task that offers a large return. However, making a sale or meeting with a client is a very productive task. Put your most profitable or results-oriented tasks first on your list.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The quality of your sleep is important to sustain your energy levels throughout your day. Good sleep means you’ll be fresh and energetic all day long. Creating a to-do list is a good way to help you get a good night’s sleep because you can put the day’s stresses to rest.

Also consider adding soothing night-time rituals to your routine. For example, meditate, stretch or read before you go to bed. Keep a gratitude journal and write before you sleep. Go to bed and wake at the same time to help your body know what to expect.

Eat Healthy

The food you eat has a direct correlation to how energetic and productive you are. Junk food will make you sluggish. Healthy food will help you stay energized all day long. Feed your body well and it will respond by keeping you alert and energetic.

Get Organized

If you spend half your time searching for files, names and numbers, you are wasting time. Make sure any items that you use on a regular basis are easy to grab from your desk chair. They should be easy to find and use.

Take breaks

Productivity doesn’t mean working from sun-up to sundown. In fact, if you work without stopping you’re likely to burn out. Instead, commit to taking a break every hour. Walk around or get some air to get the blood moving throughout your body.

Focus

Do you multi-task hoping it’ll make you more productive? Do you manage one task while your mind is already onto the next task? Both habits are unproductive. When you focus on what you’re doing, not only is the task more enjoyable, it also gets done faster and better.

Productivity is possible. With a little planning, attention and self-care you can get more done in half the time. These tools are simple but effective. Try just one of these steps and watch your own personal productivity improve.

There are some days when it feels impossible to get motivated. Yet in order to achieve your goals, motivation is essential. Without it, nothing is accomplished. Responsibilities and tasks pile up. Life becomes overwhelming. Motivation is even harder to find. However, with a few simple strategies you can motivate yourself every day.

What are you motivated by? Some people are motivated by a sense of accomplishment. Other people are motivated by praise. Still others are motivated by money. It’s even possible that you’re motivated by something else. What motivates you? Understanding what you’re motivated by will help. When you’re feeling unmotivated you can tap into that desire and get the kick start you need.

For example, if you’re motivated by money you might kick-start your day by doing something that earns a profit. Or you might look at the task you’re facing differently if you realize that it generates income.

Create a morning routine. Routines help set the mood for the day. If your morning routine doesn’t support you to be motivated, it needs to be changed. A morning routine that supports motivation and energy might include:

• Exercise – Walking or stretching.
• Meditation – Five to ten minutes is all you need.
• A healthy breakfast – Healthy carbs, whole grains and lean protein. Skip the refined sugars, flours and saturated fats.

Start each work day doing something you enjoy and are inspired by. What do you enjoy doing? What part of your business do you feel passionate about? Start your day focusing on those tasks and responsibilities. If you start your day doing something you dislike it’s really difficult to feel motivated. Conversely, if you start each day doing what you love, the rest of the day is much easier to manage. And it’s much easier to get out of bed feeling upbeat and motivated.

Take time away from work. Owning your own business can be a round-the-clock job. You go to bed thinking about your business. You wake up thinking about it. This kind of non-stop attention can be draining. It’s easy to lose motivation. Take time away from your business every day. Create working hours and stick to them. Take time during your day to get some fresh air and exercise too.

Take time off for vacations. Enjoy time with friends and family. And take time for yourself. When you are able to separate from your work-related responsibilities it’s much easier to come back to them with energy and a smile.

Get help. You don’t have to do everything. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. There are some tasks that are best handled by others. It saves you time, energy and money. Additionally, you’re able to focus on the tasks you enjoy and the tasks that bring in money. Consider outsourcing or hiring employees to manage some tasks. For example, administrative tasks are often easy and inexpensive to outsource.

Finally, consider finding a few motivation triggers. For example, is there a song that helps you feel energetic? Does working in a different environment help motivate you? Is there an affirmation or happy thought that makes you smile and feel motivated? These are simple strategies but they work. You can wake every morning feeling motivated and raring to go.

When it comes to your quality of life, attitude is everything! In fact, it could even be said that whatever you focus on the most, you tend to bring into your life, whether by choice or circumstance. Have you ever known someone who had a terrible attitude? Perhaps they were extremely negative and pessimistic and not much fun to be around or they complained non-stop about how terrible their life was. Did you find it draining to be in their presence?

A negative attitude will not only make you miserable, but everyone around you too!

A positive attitude, on the other hand, turns you into a person that everyone wants to be with, a person that constantly experiences great things, and a person who loves their life! Do you want to be that kind of person? If so, read on for some easy ways to develop a positive attitude.

Do what you love. This applies to hobbies and fun activities, but it also pertains to one of the biggest parts of your life – your work! Do you enjoy your job? Are you spending most of your time on something that makes you feel purposeful and fulfilled? If not, consider exploring other career options and moving toward a job you’ll love. When you regularly do things that make you happy, you can’t help but feel better about yourself and your life, which fosters a positive attitude.

Expect the best, always. It’s easy to get into the habit of seeing doom and gloom in every situation, but doing so keeps you forever focused on the negative. Instead, make a conscious decision to expect the best, even if your first impulse is to think negatively. Affirm as often as you can, “This is going to work out great! Wonderful things are going to happen today!” The more you do it the more you’ll begin to believe it, and the more you’ll begin to experience just that.

Build yourself up. Think and speak positively to and about yourself every day. Most of us are in the habit of talking down to ourselves, which leaves us feeling hopeless, frustrated and pessimistic. Get into the habit of building yourself up with positive self-talk and positive thoughts. Affirm your good qualities and downplay your negative qualities. Affirm that you are a work in progress, not perfect but great nonetheless!

Build others up. As often as you can, make an effort to encourage, support and compliment the people you encounter each day. That goes for people you know as well as strangers you meet in your daily travels. The more you focus on emphasizing the positive in others the more likeable you’re going to be, and the better you’re going to feel about yourself too!

Think strength. The more you worry about your weaknesses and “failures” the more pessimistic and negative you’re going to feel. Instead, consistently affirm your strengths, talents and capabilities. You’ll end up feeling empowered and in control of your circumstances, which cannot help but improve your attitude!

When your life seems out of control and you’ve got endless demands tugging at you from all directions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, fatigued and just plain stressed!

Believe it or not, balancing your life does not require massive changes. You don’t have to quit your job, abandon your family and escape to a remote retreat in order to feel peaceful and happy. In fact, true balance is something that starts within you first no matter what else is happening in your life circumstances.

Below you’ll find three simple ways to begin building a greater sense of inner peace and harmony:

Quiet time.

One of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we’re busy is our personal time. Instead we devote all of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities.

To live a more balanced life, quiet time to yourself is crucial. You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently make time. Soon you’ll find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves and you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation or reading a book can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.

Self-care.

Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start, as well as eating nutritious food, exercising daily and speaking kindly to yourself.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On the other hand, when you’re feeling well-rested and centered, you’re much better able to handle upsets. Caring for yourself is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace and joy – which means you’ll have the strength to handle whatever comes your way.

Flexibility.

Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time. We get a mental picture of how our lives “should be” and get really annoyed when our circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.

When you have a flexible mind-set, you’re able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. You’re able to tap into your creative problem-solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the tree that bends with the breeze and you’ll be less likely to break.

These inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your life circumstances and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support you overall.

For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you. Just because you agreed to host weekly mastermind meetings or a support group three years ago doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it forever, especially if it’s become a drain on your time and energy.

Be willing to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle you desire, and you’ll create a space for greater fulfillment, joy and peace.

Solopreneur.biz has been honored this week to be a partner in the launch of the new bestselling book, Align, Expand and Succeed.  This amazing book shot to the top and is #1 on four of Amazon Best sellers lists including the Small Business and Entrepreneur category.  The book gives 40 inspirational stories of the power and financial success that comes from basing your business on your values.  Today’s blog post is from one of the authors of the book who tells us about the importance of our growth curve as entrepreneurs.  Please add your comments about YOUR experiences after the post.

Live your life on purpose.
Don’t wait another day to create the life you were meant to live.
A life aligned with your highest values allows you to do more of your life’s work,
reach more people, and feel a greater sense of fulfillment.

Recently I was in Monterey, California taking a few days to recharge with my family.  We were driving along the coastline and pulled up to a viewing point overlooking the ocean.  As we pulled in to the parking area I realized there wasn’t a rail to stop us from going over the edge.  Suddenly, I felt fear rise up in me.  From where I sat, it looked like we were going right over the edge.  It felt so real that I couldn’t wait to get out of the car.  When I did get out it was obvious we weren’t even close to the edge.  It was only my vantage point that gave me that perspective.

As a conscious business leader, sometimes that’s how it can feel when you’re in the process of aligning your life with you values, priorities and passion – whether it’s for a company or as an individual.  When you start living “on purpose” you may feel a call or pull to something higher and so you take a few steps towards it.  But in order to get to this higher ground you’ll have to step out beyond your comfort zone, which can leave you feeling like you’ve just stepped off the cliff and there’s nothing but the crashing waves below.

Take the step anyway – you’re in the learning curve.  You’re not yet used to what this new level of alignment feels like for you.  As you keep moving forward that feeling of uncertainty will be soon replaced with new abilities and a certainty of what it is you are going to do.

Here are three key questions to ask yourself as you start the process of moving to this higher ground:

• What shifts do you need to make?
• What new habits do you need to implement?
• What fears do you need to confront?

Addressing these upfront will help to remove barriers that might keep you from moving fully into your purpose.  Even addressing one of these could be the momentum you need to springboard you to the success you know is calling to you.

Anastasia Montejano, ACC, PMP, is a contributing author to Align, Expand and Succeed; Shifting the Paradigm of Entrepreneurial Success. This “just released” book is based on the premise that the world is changing at a very rapid pace. We are starting to see that cooperation brings better results than old style competition. It’s a new era and we need to work together to create success for everyone, not just for a few.

This book is designed to raise the vibration of the planet like never before. Get your copy of Align, Expand and Succeed today! http://www.aesbook.com

What’s a Conscious Entrepreneur?

As a business owner, you may not put enough effort into making your business reflect your personal values.  One of the secrets of success is that those entrepreneurs who run their businesses in alignment with what is most important to them are the most successful.  That’s a Conscious Entrepreneur.

There’s a direct connection between operating from conscious principles and profitability.

That’s why I am so excited to be hosting the The Truth about Being a Conscious Entrepreneur teleseminar with my friend, Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer. Kathleen is one of the BEST and TOP internet marketers today and clearly stands for her values and beliefs! She impressed me immensely from the moment I met her.

How do you describe Conscious Entrepreneurship?  Ethics, integrity, honesty, compassion, trust, intuition, and faith are a good start. One of Kathleen Gage’s commitments in business is to teach people to live their truth in such a way as to build a successful business. A business that is rewarding, profitable, a source of contribution and an expression of their spiritual path.

During our teleseminar, The Truth about Being a Conscious Entrepreneur, you will:

•  Discover how anyone can run a conscious business.

•  Learn what the new model of doing business is.

•  Find out how to attract business to you rather than chase after it.

•  Incorporate  what is truly important in your life  into your business offerings.

•  Learn one thing you can do on a daily basis to increase abundant energy in your business.

•  Find out what you can do to release the grip of fear that so many people are experiencing. Fear that limits possibility as a conscious entrepreneur.

•  Discover a simple formula to tapping into your intuition and creativity in order to grow your business.

Details:
Date: Monday, October 11, 2010
Time: 6:00 to 7:00pm ET (New York USA)
Cost: Free!
Recording: Available to all registrants.

About Kathleen Gage

Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer, is the CEO and founder of Turning Point Inc. Since the inception of her business in the early 90’s, Kathleen has become recognized as one of the top Internet marketers in her field. Kathleen teaches that business can (and must) be run on spiritual principles while maintaining a “keep your feet on the ground” mindset.

What are some of the values that you try to follow as you run your business?  Leave a comment here and let us know what matters most in what you do. Then be sure to join us on the call to get great tips to keep those values in the forefront of your business!  Register here.

How do you overcome frustration in business? That can be very difficult, especially when your business isn’t making money as fast as you think it should.

Many entrepreneurs give up before they reap the rewards from their efforts. The reality is, everybody goes through discouragement from time to time. How you get through will determine your success.

So how do you overcome discouragement? Here are five strategies you can try:

Step back

Taking a break will enable you to look at the situation with a clear head. This will make you less attached to the outcome, and will probably help you see things about your company you couldn’t before.

How do you “unattach” yourself? One method is to get some exercise every day, particularly outdoors. Often times this is great for getting your mind off the situation. Also consider taking up a sport you’ve always wanted to do.

Taking breaks on a consistent basis is very important, because it helps revitalize you. If you go full throttle from morning to night, you will not be able to look at your business with a clear head.

Think positively

Stop imagining the worst case scenario. Instead, focus on the result you want. Keeping your vision even when you don’t see progress is one of the most critical elements to achieving your goal.

Stay focused

Try not to set too many different goals at once. Instead, have one main goal you work towards, and don’t stop until you’ve achieved it.

Trying to achieve too many things at once is a sure formula for discouragement because you will spread yourself thin. Therefore, you won’t be able to focus all your energy on that one task.

Be accountable

Having a coach specializing in solopreneurs is a very powerful way to help you push through the hard times. Also, being surrounded by other people achieving results will help motivate you to push through the hard times and see your own breakthrough.

Set a different plan

At some point, you might have to accept that your goal is a good one, but the method of getting there isn’t. At this point, try going in a different direction.

Perseverance doesn’t mean just blindly following a strategy. Sometimes discouragement is a sign that your plan isn’t working, and you need a new course.

The bottom line is, frustration is inevitable from time to time. However, don’t give in to it. Instead, implement these five tips, and you will be able to push through the discouraging times.