When you think about momentum, what comes to your mind?Do you picture a car slowly taking off and getting faster and faster?What about a runner, running a race where she starts out walking, then On to jog and finally at the last part of the race takes off and breaks through the finish line!!!  As you look at your life, where do you want to build momentum?Is it your business? Your passion? Your career? Your weight? Your relationships?Right down the top three areas where you are completely static or at a standstill and where you  need a huge push, a path and a specific plan of action that will take you over that finish line! Once you right down those three areas, right down WHY they have not gone anywhere. What are the reasons? What are your fears? What could the obstacles be?

I have had to do this exercise several times and have had specific things in my life prevent me from moving forward. Is that where you are?  When you write down the reasons, step back and simply acknowledge that you are aware of WHY you haven’t moved forward. There are things in life that truly are hard core obstacles that might take you by surprise. However, there is always an opportunity to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, brush yourself off and forge ahead.

Forget about how long it has been since you started your project or goal. The IMPORTANT thing is that you GOT BACK UP. Staying down is not an option. Your life and happiness depend on what you truly want to accomplish. Why NOT go for it? Imagine yourself 20 years from now, looking back at your life saying to yourself…”If I only got back up..forged ahead…never gave up..took that turn in life…I would have been so much happier, free, independent, full of personal and financial abundance!”

Don’t let your excuses, reasons, situation stall your progress. Reach out to others or dig deep within you to begin to create a plan as to what you want to create momentum around. What is it that you NEED to do for yourself to feel accomplished, satisfied, proud and whole? In the comments below, I’d love to hear what three things you MUST create momentum around pushing you over that finish line!!

Many people go into business for themselves hoping to make a quick buck. Thinking that working for yourself is an ‘easier’ solution than working the 9-5 JOB. Although down the road, this may be true but in the beginning the reality is that being an entrepreneur takes work. A  LOT  of work!

Terri Levine, my business coach reminded me of this today as she talks about specific disciplines that all entrepreneurs must have. They completely rang true for me, so I wanted to quickly share them with you.

 For starters, entrepreneurs need a cut throat, or junk yard mentality. You must be persistent and consistent in order to have success. Giving up too quickly is a huge no-no!

 Thriving entrepreneurs devote TIME to their business and lives. Making time to get your ideas to cultivate is critical. Allocate the time to allow your ideas to actually come to life!

 Successful entrepreneurs love to work with others. Love to work with people. To serve them, to give,  to collaborate with and to work with.  Being able to adapt to all sorts of different personalities and thoughts of others is very important!

Finding the solution rather than focusing on the problem is also vital to the success of any entrepreneur. Do you find yourself pointing fingers at others? Or do you identify what needs to be changed, tweaked or looked at differently and simply do what is needed?

 Do you think out of the box? Successful entrepreneurs who thrive constantly think outside of the box. They are always looking at different ways of doing things, rather than remaining stagnant.

 What about adequate resources? Do you have money to invest? Do you have back up? A plan b?

 Successful, thriving entrepreneurs are also lifelong learners. Do you allow yourself the opportunity for professional and personal development? Have a mentor or a coach?

 Are you working for you WHY? Do you do what you do for a higher purpose? A specific cause? Something  larger than just YOU?

 Think about how you could be implementing these thoughts into your daily life and business!

Happy New Year!! It is the start of a new year…a fresh start for many who want to finally accomplish their goals and dreams. Are you sitting at home today looking at all of the goals you set for yourself and setting them into play right now? OR, are you looking at the goals you wrote down for yourself, feeling proud that you made them, but then close the notebook, the laptop telling yourself that you will start implementing them tomorrow? Believe me, I have done that soo many times in my life and after finally get sick and tired of the lack of progress I was making, and regretting not taking action, feeling horrible that I didn’t do anything, or much of anything that I finally WOKE UP!! It IS time. Time is ticking away and there is no guarantee there will be a tomorrow. I finally wanted to feel that incredible feeling of accomplishment, of significance (a human need according to Tony Robbins) and feeling that I have contributed to someone else’s life in a postive way. Have you felt this recently? There is no greater joy than to add value to someone else’s life and to help them move forward, to make a difference and to be truly HAPPY. A few questions I ask myself to help keep me motivated and on track to follow through with my goals are the following:

What will it cost me by not following through with my goals?
How will I feel when I accomplished my goal?
Who’s lives will I affect/change by keeping true to myself and my plan?
Do I want to live a stagnant life or one full of growth, movement and success?
By not following through with my goals, how is that as a good example for my son?
Who can I call or talk to help me stay on track TODAY?

Now it’s YOUR turn! Create a list of questions you can ask yourself that will help you stay on track, stay motivated. Once you do this, post them at your desk, on your computer..wherever you need to! Cheers to a super successful 2011!

I know we are in the thick of the Holiday Season and many of you are rushing around, trying to find the right gifts for all who are on your list. You might be rushing around, getting cards out, making cookies, attending parties, events and being with family. With all of this hustle and bustle, we tend to forget the most important person. OURSELF!!! What are you doing for YOU? What are you planning for in 2011? Do you want the new year to sneak up on you without a plan for your life and your business? What type of goal setting have you done recently? January will be here in a flash and I want you be READY. My assignment for you today is to carve out a minimum of 30 minutes before Friday and knock out a few questions I have for you. These questions will help you to begin to formulate your goal setting plan. There are just a few and as my aunt always has told me “inch by inch, it will be a cinch!” Take this small step right now to make huge strides in your life and business. Aren’t YOU worth it??? I certainly think so!!!!!!!

Goal-Setting Worksheet

My goal is:
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3  strategies  I know I can implement to achieve my goal:
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2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
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What are the obstacles or challenges I might face ?
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The solutions I plan on implementing to overcome these forseen challenges:

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My chosen plan is:
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The first 3 steps of my plan are:
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What might happen if my plan is changed or derailed?
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Is my goal realistic and feasible for me at this time?
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What’s my chance of achieving my goal? Scale of 0 to 10 _______________
What is my back-up plan?
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What makes me think I can attain my goal?
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What would I tell a friend or family member if she asked for advice on my goals and plans?
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Are there any people that might not want me to change?Who are the people I need to surround myself with in order to achieve this goal? Who are the people who will simply be dead weight that I need to distance myself from?
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How much energy do I have to accomplish my goal? Little medium very much

How much do I believe I will accomplish my goal now? (1 to 10) ___________

Who can I call RIGHT NOW to tell them about my goal in order to send this message out into the universe?

When will I start working on this goal?

Everyone wants to be able to attract the ideal client or prospect. If you are in business for yourself, it
pretty much is critical! If you are attracting leads that are not who you want to work with, you will begin to hate what you do! Working with people you simply do not get great energy from, who fuel you and who take what you are selling and go with it..are the leads and prospects you truly want. Below are 10 ways to get started at attracting that ideal prospect!

1)Ask existing clients for the name and email address of 5 people they feel would benefit from your product or service.

2)Send a letter to your old clients offering them a discount for working with you again! Remind them in the letter of how your work/product had worked for them!

3)Put an ad on Craigslist!

4) Advertise on Facebook using the keywords your clients would use searching for you.

5)Purchase a list of the people you want to work with and start a direct mail campaign to them.

6)Blog, blog, blog…speaking to your audience frequently

7)Use video in your auto responder, reaching out to your prospects, attracting the people who WANT to work with you or use your products.

Try these out and let me know how they work for you!