A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish

"A goal without a plan is just a wish," is something Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said a long time ago. But, goals and plans were top of mind this past weekend.

When 2013 started, I set a goal of running in 30 5K races during the year. Because of good weather on most weekends, minimal injury setbacks, and a lot of races to select from in the Kansas City area each weekend, I reached my goal in October of that year.

I would not have reached my goal without also having a plan in place of how I would train, schedule runs, and adjust for setbacks and unforeseen challenges.


Also last year,, my then 49-year-old sister-in-law set a goal to run her first-ever 10K race. She embarked on an even more specific plan by following a strict, time-tested, eight-week training plan to take her from couch to fully prepared to run her first 10K. She reached her goal and then ran a second 10K a few weeks afterward. I am so proud of her.

The same day I finished my 30th 5K race, a proud fellow racer shared with me that he had just completed his first-ever 5K, having spent the past year losing 40 pounds and setting a goal to complete a 5K by the fall of 2013. He was on cloud nine, and rightly so.

These three experiences reminded me of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's wise statement about the importance of plans to reach goals.

Too often, businesses don't have clearly defined goals and even less often specific plans to reach those goals.

When you set a goal for your business, be sure it is:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-related

Share that goal with your employees, so they understand all of the five attributes of the goal.

And then for your plan (sometimes called "program"), keep these tips in mind:

Realistically assess the obstacles and resources involved and then create a strategy for navigating that reality. For me this year, that meant adjusting my race schedule this summer to accommodate a nagging hamstring injury.
Plan for more than just willpower. Instead, plan by taking into consideration your business environment, your employees' schedules and workload, and everyone's accountability so that all these factors will work together to support you to achieve your goal.

Source: http://ericjacobsononmanagement.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-goal-without-plan-is-just-wish.html

Network marketing 101: How much time does it take to build a successful business?

When I started my network marketing business in 2009, I had hardly any “extra time” left in my schedule. I was working 40+ hours per week in a cubicle for my public relations job and I was also engaged to be married, so we were planning our wedding. The last thing I thought I had time for was a side business.

What I realized, however, was that most successful network marketers started their networking careers alongside another full-time gig. The beauty of network marketing is that it’s a very social business. You might also call it “lifestyle marketing” because a lot of the “work” takes place throughout your normal day – as you strike up a conversation in line at the bank, as you’re reconnecting with a former co-worker over lunch, while you’re speaking with another parent at your child’s soccer game.

If you can find 5-10 hours or so per week of social time in your schedule, then you absolutely have time to build a successful network marketing business. It’s not so much about the hours of time you put towards it, but how you spend that time. For example, you will have WAY more success spending 5 hours per week meeting people over lunch or reconnecting over the phone than you would spending 10 hours per week organizing your office or replying to emails.

The core of success in the network marketing industry is engaging in conversation with people and sharing about your business/product. You get paid for presenting and sharing, NOT for racking up hours on a timesheet.

If you’re new to network marketing, focus on the windows of time you have in your schedule and maximize those with revenue producing activity. And also keep in mind, this is NOT an overnight success business. Just like the athletes you see competing in the Olympics, there’s a TON of behind the scenes preparation (and often failure) that takes place!

Taking on any new skill set or career path is going to require learning. Most people don’t achieve success in network marketing because they quit too soon. Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad) says to give your network marketing business a minimum of 5 years before you quit. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some network marketers will skyrocket within 1-2 years and others it may take 6-8 years…the key is consistency and remembering that everyone’s journey is different.

Network marketing has positively impacted my life in so many ways. It’s allowed me to pursue a calling that I’m crazy passionate about and not be “stuck in a job”.

Success will be defined differently by each person you speak with. Some desire an extra $200 per month alongside another career they love. Others desire $3,500 per month to replace a job that no longer fulfills them. Others are seeking $20,000 per month so they can give generously and change the lives of those around them.

Whatever your definition of success is…you can find it in network marketing.

Whatever your schedule looks like…you can find the time to be successful in this industry. Decide, do and don’t quit.  

Source: http://kristadial.com/2014/07/network-marketing-101-much-time-take-build-successful-business

How to Become a Millionaire by Age 30

Getting rich and becoming a millionaire is a taboo topic. Saying it can be done by the age of 30 seems like a fantasy.

It shouldn’t be taboo and it is possible. At the age of 21, I got out of college, broke and in debt, and by the time I was 30, I was a millionaire.

Here are the 10 steps that will guarantee you will become a millionaire by 30.

1. Follow the money. 

In today’s economic environment you cannot save your way to millionaire status. The first step is to focus on increasing your income in increments and repeating that. My income was $3,000 a month and nine years later it was $20,000 a month. Start following the money and it will force you to control revenue and see opportunities.

2. Don’t show off -- show up! 

I didn’t buy my first luxury watch or car until my businesses and investments were producing multiple secure flows of income. I was still driving a Toyota Camry when I had become a millionaire. Be known for your work ethic, not the trinkets that you buy.

3. Save to invest, don’t save to save. 

The only reason to save money is to invest it.  Put your saved money into secured, sacred (untouchable) accounts. Never use these accounts for anything, not even an emergency. This will force you to continue to follow step one (increase income). To this day, at least twice a year, I am broke because I always invest my surpluses into ventures I cannot access.

4. Avoid debt that doesn’t pay you. 

Make it a rule that you never use debt that won’t make you money. I borrowed money for a car only because I knew it could increase my income. Rich people use debt to leverage investments and grow cash flows. Poor people use debt to buy things that make rich people richer.

5. Treat money like a jealous lover.

Millions wish for financial freedom, but only those that make it a priority have millions. To get rich and stay rich you will have to make it a priority. Money is like a jealous lover. Ignore it and it will ignore you, or worse, it will leave you for someone who makes it a priority.

6. Money doesn’t sleep. 

Money doesn’t know about clocks, schedules or holidays, and you shouldn’t either. Money loves people that have a great work ethic. When I was 26 years old, I was in retail and the store I worked at closed at 7 p.m. Most times you could find me there at 11 p.m. making an extra sale. Never try to be the smartest or luckiest person -- just make sure you outwork everyone.

7. Poor makes no sense.

I have been poor, and it sucks. I have had just enough and that sucks almost as bad. Eliminate any and all ideas that being poor is somehow OK. Bill Gates has said, "If you’re born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor, it is your mistake."

8. Get a millionaire mentor. 

Most of us were brought up middle class or poor and then hold ourselves to the limits and ideas of that group. I have been studying millionaires to duplicate what they did. Get your own personal millionaire mentor and study them. Most rich people are extremely generous with their knowledge and their resources.

9. Get your money to do the heavy lifting. 

Investing is the Holy Grail in becoming a millionaire and you should make more money off your investments than your work. If you don’t have surplus money you won’t make investments. The second company I started required a $50,000 investment. That company has paid me back that $50,000 every month for the last 10 years. My third investment was in real estate, where I started with $350,000, a large part of my net worth at the time. I still own that property today and it continues to provide me with income. Investing is the only reason to do the other steps, and your money must work for you and do your heavy lifting.

10. Shoot for $10 million, not $1 million. 

The single biggest financial mistake I’ve made was not thinking big enough. I encourage you to go for more than a million. There is no shortage of money on this planet, only a shortage of people thinking big enough.

Apply these 10 steps and they will make you rich. Steer clear of people that suggest your financial dreams are born of greed. Avoid get-rich-quick schemes, be ethical, never give up, and once you make it, be willing to help others get there too.

 

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234454

What is your reason for waking up in the morning?