This is the time of year many professionals set goals and resolutions for the coming year in hopes of making the coming year better than the year before.
Unfortunately, most goals are forgotten within a short period of time.
Often this is due to trying to do too much with too little.
Here are a few tips that will allow you to free up time and energy.
1. Evaluate online subscriptions to determine if you need to continue receiving them. If you don’t need them, unsubscribe. This one action will save you lots of time by eliminating unneeded emails and clutter in your inbox.
2. Use the first hour of your day to monetize your business. Most people dive right into emails first thing in the morning. This may likely be one of the greatest time wasters in that emails tend to get us sidetracked very quickly, sucking up valuable time and energy.
3. Write a “to do” list at the end of each workday for your priorities for the next day. Here is a short video that will show you how to fully prioritize your “to do” tasks as well as big projects
4. Think about the next 12 months. Commit to one project per month that will generate revenue for your business. I personally like to develop at least one new information product per month. It can be a report, a homestudy course, a teleseminar, a webinar or an MP3. By committing to one project per month you will be amazed at the momentum you will gain as well as the revenue you can generate.
5. Commit to investing a minimum of 3 – 5% of your revenues to your learning and studies. I personally invest about 10%. You cannot possibly be at the top of your game unless you are at the top of your knowledge base.
6. Join a mastermind group that will stretch you personally and professionally. Mastermind groups are an essential part of your business growth.
7. Determine all the tasks that must be accomplished to run your business. Once you have a list compiled determine what you can outsource and what you absolutely must do yourself. Make a commitment to outsource those tasks that are time suckers and would be much more cost effective for a virtual assistant to do than for you to take your time to accomplish. This will free up your time to do what is most valuable for you, your business and your customers and clients.
8. Commit time for family and friends. So often we get caught up in growing our businesses to the detriment of our personal relationships. Granted, growing our business is important but the growth need not prevent us from enjoying family and friends. After all, when all is said and done it is our family and friends who are with us through thick and thin.
9. Take personal care time. This is an area many entrepreneurs fail miserably. If you don’t take care of yourself you won’t be much good for very long.
10. Give thanks. Give thanks for all your blessings, both personal and professional. Give thanks for the opportunity to express who you are by way of your business. What an amazing blessing it is for us to be able to create an incredible life as a result of a successful business. Not only can we live an extremely comfortable life, we are able to contribute time and money to our communities and organizations we believe in, we are also given the opportunity to leave our legacy.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
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Thanks for this Kathleen. I am just now working on writing a business plan and setting goals for 2012. Just joined your VIP club and am looking forward to really getting ahead next year. Thanks.
Great to have you involved in the VIP Club. You will find the lessons designed to move your business to the next level.
Thank you Kathleen for this fabulous post. Just what I needed to hear. Several of your suggestions here will make all the difference in 2012. Thank you and I’m excited to continue with you in the VIP Club.
Thanks Donna. Great to have you in the VIP Club.
Thanks, Kathleen! I am looking forward to mastering #2. My time available for new projects is very limited – it is my most valuable resource, and key to my success in the coming year.
I was going to choose one or two of these tips as my favorites, but I actually use each one of these to build my online business and create a happy and balanced life for myself and my family. Thanks, Kathleen, for sharing each tip so succinctly. This is indeed a robust list.
Connie Ragen Green
A list from which to learn and adapt. For me there is one tip that I move to the first position, the one that you have at # 10
Great list, Kathleen. I’m usually pretty good about this stuff…but it’s great to see a reminder to get me back on track. Here’s hoping you have a terrific 2012!
Kathleen, a great balanced list. Many people have given up on planning because things never work out but how do they know things aren’t working unless they had some kind of plan?
Have a great Christmas and yes 2012 will be wonderful because each and every day we get to have the opportunity to experience infinite love and gratitude
Nice list of tips! Thanks for sharing. I love tip 4! what a great idea. A new product a month is a great, achievable goal. I will be thinking in those terms in 2012.
Thanks again,
Victoria
Kathleen,
Thanks for these tips – they are great guidelines to start the new year – especially #10.
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and Prosperous New Year to all.
I do like #10 a lot. It’s such a blessing.
Thanks for the tips and reminders. I already have #4 as part of my 2012 marketing strategy. I try to do #5, it’s another important one. Actually, all 10 are important.
Have a wonderful holiday season and healthy and prosperous New Year.
Thanks Kathleen for each valuable tip. Although I’ve been working on these all along, I’m recommitting to them in the new year.
Thanks Kathleen! #8,9,10 are my faves! Merry Christmas to you! Blessings throughout the New Year!
Deni
Hey Kathleen,
Love your list — this is exactly how I run my business and, to ensure I *remember* to fit the self-care in, I schedule it on my calendar like a client appointment.
I tend to schedule most things and do them in different colors so that a look at my calendar tells me if I’ve balanced self care, client service, product development, etc. based on the overall “rainbow look”. If I don’t see enough of a color, it’s a sign that something needs balancing.
Happy New Year,
Sandra Martini
Hi Kathleen, the idea of working on a project a month is a great
Idea. I like to do the Julia Cameron “Morning Pages” in the morning which gets me focused for the day. I accomplish more and get the creative juices flowing! Merry Holiday!
The “morning Pages” are fabulous. I have read her book several times and about 10 years ago took a class that opened up some wonderful “artist” insights.
Great tips. I specifically like the one about focusing on one revenue producing product per month. Momentum Momentum Momentum!!!!
Thank you, Kathleen! Not only is New Year’s Day a great time to implement change and growth – on both personal and professional levels – by setting goals that we want to achieve throughout the upcoming year, but these great tips you so generously shared with us in this blog post will help us do just that!
Just what I needed! Thank you so much Kathleen for sharing such great tips. Implementing them right away starting with the productivity model. One step at a time..and we’ll get there 🙂 Bonne et Heureuse Année!