Have you written them down yet?

Until you write down your goals they are just wishes and fantasies.
Stewart Cruse

So are your goals written down yet?


Download your 2008 goals form here.

Thursday 13 - things on my to-do list

It occurred to me yesterday that I'd got out of the blogging habit since I've been back from my holiday!

Technically, I haven't blogged for about 5 weeks although this one and the Organising queen blog have been active due to blogger's scheduling feature :)

Anyway, so since I do have some things on my to-do list, I thought I'd share them with you:

1. get roots of hair done
2. go for skin treatment (that's happening in one hour's time)
3. write down some topics to blog on this blog
4. write down some more topics to blog on the organising queen blog
5. figure out how to make money from my Organising queen blog (any ideas - please email me or leave comments)
6. write down my goals for June
7. figure out what I want from my life...seriously! the thought of going to work in another country is just SO appealing right now
8. get my big butt to gym (I'm rounding off the month of May by totally not going and will start fresh in June)
9. start blogging on the travel blog
10. select photos for printing
11. finish planning my Next Big Business Project
12. clean freezer and then do a proper grocery shop
and last but not least...
13. go on date night with Dion (tomorrow)


What's on YOUR to-do list?

Just be YOU!

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think about being yourself, authentically, in every situation.

Wouldn't that be great?

Think about where you're not being yourself and how you can be more authentic in your life and your business.

Do this ONE thing and you're halfway to your goals

You think I'm exaggerating, don't you?

I'm not!

Before I explain more about the ONE THING, let me give you 3 quick goal-setting success stories:

1. Yvette
Yvette, an admin consultant, approached me at the end of last year and started chatting about her goals. I suggested my how to set and achieve goals e-book which she bought and started working through.

At the end of February this year, I ran into her and she was SO EXCITED because she'd already achieved her TWO major goals - buying a house and getting her driver's licence. Yvette did the ONE thing.

2. Glen
Glen is a personal trainer (a life coach for bodies ;)) who set a couple of goals to improve his body stats.

A few months later, he sent me his before and after stats AND pictures. He'd reached every single goal!

He also told me what his physical goal for 2008 is, and I have absolutely NO DOUBT he'll achieve it because he did the ONE thing.

3. Fiona
Fiona is a very busy work-at-home mom who set a goal in August last year (see, you can set goals anytime) to make herself over - lose some weight and be a better, more put-together her.

At the end of November, she sent me an email, absolutely excited because she'd just about achieved her goals. She also did the ONE thing.

So what is the ONE thing?

They all wrote down their goals and kept them in clear view each and every day.

Yvette, Glen and Fiona did a goals review every single week and tracked their progress.

Just writing down your goals takes you halfway there.

There is a connection that happens in the brain when we put pen to paper and actually write down our goals.

If you also want to achieve your goals, download your 2008 goals form and write them down today.

P.S. You're reading this while I'm living one of my goals for 2008 - I'm in Ireland!!!

Do you have goals?

Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk.
JC Penney

I've always loved this quote. Of course, I do love goal-setting but that's because I know it works.

I'm a living, breathing example of setting and achieving goals, and so are many, many of my clients ;)

If you haven't previously heard my free, 7-part series on goals, please listen to them here. They are short snippets of 3 - 4 minutes each.

Just long enough to give you a nugget and a coaching challenge :)

By the way, as you read this, I'm on holiday in Ireland, living one of MY goals ;)

Is it time to get out of your rut?

view from my office window

I mentioned a few weeks ago how stressed I was after driving home one day.

Having that experience made me realise how I'd been stuck in the rut of driving home that EXACT same way every single day. It was the quickest way but because I'd gotten used to that way, I didn't even think about going home another way.

Until that day!

Well, the next day I drove home my "old" way and it was just heaven. I got home without stress 10 minutes earlier.

And so I've been in a new rut ever since :)

So, are you in a rut in an aspect of your life? What are you going to do to get out of it?

What are you supposed to do with your life?

You may think that real work is doing your job, but the real work is finding what you're supposed to do with your life!
Oprah Winfrey

Do you know your life mission? Do you know what you're supposed to be doing with your life?

If you need help, part of the Dream Life Kit includes a find your life mission worksheet which you can get at my store under e-books.

Let's talk about money

When you read that, what happened inside?

Did you cringe or say “oh no?? Did your stomach knot up? Or are you still smiling happily?

Your reaction is a very good indicator of what your money situation is like. But to get a TRUE reflection, let’s do a quick financial check-up.

It’s exactly like your annual check-up with your doctor, dentist and gynae. You do have annual check-ups, right? :)

Read through the following statements and note down how many yes answers you have.

1. I balance my bank statement every month
2. I am currently debt-free or have a plan to get there
3. I contribute to a savings plan every month
4. I pay more than the minimum on my bond every month
5. I don’t dream about or depend on winning the lottery to fund my financial future
6. I know exactly where my money goes
7. I never buy food on credit
8. I have a long-term financial plan that supports my present and future goals
9. I live well within my means
10. I am financially secure and don’t worry about money
11. I pay my credit cards in full every month
12. I review my insurance needs every year

Most people score between 2 and 4. Of course, the more you get, the better your prognosis will be.


Download your full financial check-up form.

If you did really well, then great! But if you didn’t do so well, DON’T DESPAIR.

I will help you.

I have an e-course, 10 Steps to your Financial Freedom, which I invite you to check out. You get one lesson every week for 10 weeks and of course, you can email me any questions while you're on the course.

What we can learn from Flylady about time management

If you haven't yet met the Flylady, do yourself a favor and go on over to check her out.

I love Flylady because of these great time management principles:

1. Make it a habit
When you start the Flylady system, you start working with one habit. When that habit is routine, you add another and then another, until your home cleans itself and you have your life back.

2. "You can do anything for 15 minutes"
This is so true and a great technique for procrastinators! After 15 minutes, you can stop if you want or you can choose to continue. Usually once those first 15 minutes are done, you've built up momentum and you want to carry on with the task.

3. You're not behind
Flylady is such an encourager. She tells you just to jump in wherever you are. Sometimes, we beat ourselves up because we've let something slide so badly (organising papers is an easy and very common problem) and we don't know where to start.

For instance, when I help someone with an overflowing email inbox, and it's really bad, we make a folder called Reference - today's date and put everything in there, and then we start making new rules which are now manageable from today going forward.

4. Check your Control Journal
I love control journals. I have one for my home and one for my business. They really do put your home or business on auto-pilot.When I check my control journal, I don't forget the little things like putting my library books in the car or changing the date on my weekly tips ezine. I like the idea of having a system that I can customize to my needs. I have routines, checklists, projects, etc.

Now remember, you're not behind!

Success

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

To have a successful business, just as when you're baking a cake, you need a number of ingredients.

One of those ingredients is to continually do the small actions. I often say that small things done continually product huge results.

I have a checklist so I don't forget to do my small efforts. Do you?

My top 10 travel tips

Only ONE more day before we leave for our UK holiday!!!!

1. Start making lists ahead of time. These can include lists of things to pack, things to do, see, eat, etc. Download my travel checklist.

2. Always take extra plastic bags for dirty laundry, shoes, etc.

3. You don't have to plan out each and every day but at least if you have a rainy day, you can look on your list and choose an indoor activity.

4. Count on buying things while you're on holiday so plan for this and take less with you. For this trip to the UK, our baggage allowance is 23 kg (hold & hand luggage) and I'm planning to take 18kg or less!

5. Decide on a colour scheme and stick to it… well, mostly. When we went to Thailand, I chose autumn (fall) colours like brown, yellow and orange, and I also took some clothes in military green.

6. Count the number of days you'll be away and plan just enough sets of clothes, remembering that you need more tops than bottoms. You won't use all so make a note of what you didn't use so that you don't overpack next time.

7. Pack travel size toiletries or if you have some old hotel toiletries, use those. I actually keep my toiletry bag permanently packed with a second set of toiletries. Whether we're away for a long weekend or a long holiday, all I have to do is grab my bag and I'm ready.

8. Take a backpack. There is a reason why these are so popular with tourists - your hands are free to eat, browse, carry your water (okay, that's for me), etc.

9. If you read the Bible, next time you go away, don't take the whole Bible. Simply go to a free online Bible site and print out a chapter for each day you'll be away. You can try a different version of the Bible you usually use for added variety. The added convenience is that you don't have to bring these pages back with you.

10. Whether you're flying or driving, take any magazines or ebooks that have piled up around your house. You can catch up on your reading and again, leave the magazine or ebook in the airport lounge. I have about 4 Shape magazines to catch up on and yes, they're already packed.

What are some of YOUR favourite travel tips? Please share - I'd love to hear what works for you!