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Excessive planner?

We all know that having a game plan and specific goals is a crucial part to being able to move closer to where we need and want to be at in life and or business. There is this question though that sometimes has to be asked… “Are we planning and constantly tweaking, changing, rethinking everything so much that we end up never achieving or completing anything?”

TAKE ACTION
If you want to move forward and achieve what you actually have set out for then you need to take action. It is incredibly easy to be in the IDEA STAGE! Just think how many times have you and your friends or people who have been together in some type of social setting and started to throw around a GREAT idea. Now, how many of those great ideas were actually followed up on by someone? Yes, probably none! Why not… because nobody decided to take action!

What we need to be is careful of getting stuck in that idea stage and turning into the puppy chasing its tail syndrome. Talking about or planning out an idea is the real easy part but taking action is the most difficult!

FEAR
Why do we get stuck or never follow through on great ideas? We get stuck because of the single probably most powerful emotion known to us… FEAR! We have the fear mostly because we are afraid to FAIL! The thought of failure in most minds stops many of us from achieving what we truly desire. We all worry what other people think of us.

Some of us really don’t care what others think BUT still never take that most important step after conquering fear and that is taking massive action. When you start to execute your plan (massive action) you will discover that you will have energy and momentum! Once at that level of energy and momentum you will have achieved the sense of NO FEAR!

DON’T QUIT
So now we have decided to take this awesome idea and act on it! We have thought it through, a plan on what we are going to do is put together with goals and milestones included. We overcame the our fears and followed through with massive action. The only thing in mind is to move forward one day at a time using our plan as a guide. Energy, momentum and the excitement has us all fueled up for certain success!

Now, time passes by and things are progressing well but not as fast as we thought. The pace starts to create some boredom and dissatisfaction. Now we are thinking twice about what we have gotten into. STOP!!!

This is a normal chain of events and mindset that occurs with everyone and this is when you DON’T QUIT! What most Entrepreneurs forget is that a plan is just that “a plan” and a plan is meant to be changed like rules are meant to be broken! A plan is meant to be a base to what you plan to do but not a final course of action. It is important to know that being flexible and by knowing your business and your clients that is what will guide you into the changes that may be necessary for steady positive growth.

Power Of The Mind!

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him.
If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought,
happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. “
-Lord Buddha

The Cost Of “Doing It”?

Over the years I have had the opportunity of meeting lots of good and smart people who decide to venture into home remodeling projects and even major projects like full additions to complete homes! Unfortunately, in my experience alone I can firmly say that 80%+ of them end up getting into trouble with either the building of the project or even worse a sub-contractor that they hired.

Our beloved friends Mrs. Lowes and Mr. Home Depot have the artful ability to instill what I call that “false sense of security” when it comes to building. Even before all who walk through their doors that little jingle rings through their minds… You can do it, we can help! or Let’s build something together!

I get a real chuckle at some of the situations people get into but in some cases I get real scared! Now I am not saying people are stupid and can’t do home repairs or things alike what I am talking about is there are times that you can get in over your head. In those situations not only can you possibly get hurt you can end up wasting tons of money by destroying the building supplies , wasting time due to delays in the building process and huge money by hiring bad sub-contractors!

With my blog and website I hope to help all of those very people who enjoy taking on home remodeling and building challenges by my blogging and “one-on-one” coaching!

Success in all your endeavors!

Money Matters!

During the last two years the USA economy has presented some incredible challenges for many of us. From Job loses to the massive Home Foreclosure debacle millions of Americans are suffering greatly and there seems to be little opportunity to look forward to.

The unemployment rate in our country has remained over 9.5% and recently graduated up to 9.8% and the experts say it will climb well over the 10% mark within the next few months.

Now if it hasn’t been bad enough we are now starting to witness that beginnings of Inflation. The most obvious sign in the last 4 to 6 weeks has been the rising cost of the price of gas… nearing and some places over $3.00 per gallon!
Also, the experts are saying that starting approximately in the spring of next year we will see an increase in the cost of clothing by 30%!

Food will rise by the same margin and beyond for certain products!

The issues are long and depressing but inevitable! The good thing is by embracing the facts NOW we ALL have the opportunity to prepare ourselves and our families. But many will ignore all the signs and basically do nothing but the ones who stay informed and create ” A Plan ” will be the ones who weather the storm with the least amount of pain!

Exercise For Great Success!

When you are in “Hot Pursuit” of your dreams it is best to think of it as a major athletic event . So the most important thing you have to do is “Train For It”! As you prepare and “Exercise” you will get stronger – Mentally, Emotionally and Physically!

Just like in athletic events like Martial Arts, Weight Lifting or Bicycling in order to reach your set goals, you need to keep improving your skills!

The best way to do this…

* Get and Keep your body fit.

* Keep your heart flexable

* Keep your mind open.

* Keep your “comfort zone” expanding.

Why You Need an Education in Wealth Management Strategies

With the right education in wealth management strategies you can chart your course through many complex alternatives out there today. You’ll have the knowledge you need to create the right action plan. Finally, the right wealth management strategies will give you a method of evaluating how you’re doing.  In short, an education in wealth management strategies is a must today for everyone regardless of income level.

A Complex Landscape

In your parents’ day, wealth management strategies were simple: company retirement for long-term needs, bank savings for short-term needs, insurance for crisis. Today, wealth management is much more complex.   Insurance can be both insurance and investment. Investments can be insured or uninsured. Retirement accounts can be directed by you. Some have tax advantages now. Some have tax advantages in the future.   Today’s wealth management strategies must cover all these aspects and many more.  Education about various wealth management strategies will break down the wide number of choices. You can see which management strategies apply to your age group, your income bracket, and your goals.

Planning to Succeed

Strategies come from plans. Only you know your financial goals. You must define them clearly. Then you must have strategies to achieve them. But without a solid understanding of the various wealth management options available, your goals are really wishful thinking.  Once you grasp the wealth management strategies that make the most sense for you, you can apply them to your particular situation and your particular goals. In a nutshell, that is wealth management.  Planning is great, but you must have a strategy to put your plan in action, or it’s really of little use.

The Benefits of Experience

Education is simply one person passing on the benefits of their experience to another. As a student of wealth management, you will benefit from the trial and error and experience of those more financially knowledgeable than you.  The greatest athletes in the world all have coaches. Learning about various wealth management strategies is like having a financial coach. To succeed in achieving your financial goals today, you must take advantage of every benefit available to you. Education in wealth management is a big one.

Measuring Your Success

The right wealth management strategies will help you know if you are on track to meet your goals.  The best financial plan in the world won’t matter if you don’t put it into action. And then you need to have an effective way to measure the results of your work.  By learning about wealth management strategies, you will know how to review your activities. You’ll see if the steps you’re taking are actually moving you toward your goals. And you’ll know if they are moving you fast enough.  A thorough education in wealth management strategies is crucial to the success of your business. The cost of failing to implement the right plan is high. So invest in a good book, class, or business coach. You’ll thank yourself sooner than you think.

A Meowing Cat Catches No Mice

Talk! Talk! Talk!

Sometimes we spend more of our time talking about what we want to do than actually doing it. Maybe we may need reassurance that we are on the right track, Or maybe we are hoping for someone to give us their advice, Or even maybe we just find it easier to talk rather than to actually take action?

Being sure you are actually DOING things, rather than just talking about them! It will simply AMAZE you of what you are able to accomplish!

Time Management Strategies for the Home Business Owner

When starting out as a home business owner, time is your most important asset. The following time management strategies will help you make the most of the time you’ve got.

This Is Work
A key factor separating the home business owner who succeeds from the home business owner who struggles is this: how they treat their business.

Many home business owners make the mistake of thinking that their home business is different from any other business. Yes, it’s different in that it’s a home business instead of a brick-and-mortar operation. But they still both have this in common: it takes a lot of hard work to be successful.

The home business owner who knows this at the outset will understand the need to prioritize his or her time. This is particularly true as many home business owners begin part-time, working around a full-time job.

Have a Plan
When you became a home business owner, you develop a plan for the long-term and short-term goals of your home business. You need a plan for each day’s work as well.

The smart home business owner will distribute required tasks against available time and work the plan hour by hour.

But there’s more. You must also prioritize these activities. The successful home business owner will understand not only what must be done, but what must be done first.

Minimize Distractions
For the home business owner, the opportunities for distraction are greatly increased precisely because your business is at home. Your family is there. Many feel they can interrupt you because you can’t be at “work” when you’re at home.

As important as it is to plan your workday schedule, you also need to focus on eliminating distractions.

And don’t forget, not all distractions for the home business owner are caused by others. Are you turning on the TV every other hour? Taking excessive breaks? Doing household chores instead of home business work? These won’t help your home business excel.

Constant Evaluation
Let’s assume you know the work required of a home business owner. You plan out the hours available to you. And you don’t waste time. Now, at the end of each day, or at least at the end of every week, look back over what you intended to do. Compare that to what you actually did do.

For the home business owner, the difference between great success and marginal success can be measured right there. This assumes you are working on the right things. But if you are doing that, how you use your time will determine the success of your home business.

When you work for someone else, you’ll be paid if you actually work eight of eight hours a day or not. As a home business owner, you might accomplish more in four hours, but you might only have three hours.

Effective time management strategies for the home business owner will help you to accomplish what you must in the limited time you have!

Critical Choices!

For many of us with our tough financial situations and today’s economy we are all facing real critical choices! These choices which directly affect not only us personally but for some our families as well.

Rising prices on everything imaginable is making us reassess the very simple and basic things we do on a daily basis and for some of us we are actually eliminating some of those basic things. It is a scary time for ALL and the important thing to remember is that you are NOT alone!

If you can… do something incredibly nice for someone soon knowing that there is no possible way they will ever be able to repay you! It will become a better world because of it! Peace!

Four Key Principles of the Entrepreneurial Mindset

There’s more to succeeding with your own business than setting up shop and starting work. You need to make these four key principles of the entrepreneurial mindset a part of your life: Focus, Concern, Excellence and Openness .

Why is having the entrepreneurial mindset so important? You must have a good concept for your business. You must work hard to see it grow. But what ultimately sets the successful entrepreneur apart from the competition is mindset.

Let’s look at each principle and how they add up to developing that critical entrepreneurial mindset for you.

Focus
Running your own business seems like an invitation to distractions. Without the entrepreneurial mindset, you focus on things that have little to do with your actual work. For many years, I built premium custom homes and loved the work. But personnel issues, weather, and suppliers could distract me from focusing on the most important part of my business: building a good home.

The entrepreneurial mindset means that your focus stays on the very short list of activities crucial to your success.

Concern
If you don’t care, you won’t succeed. It’s as simple as that. The mindset of the successful entrepreneur is not only focused on key activities, but there is concern about customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction as well.

No one succeeds alone. As an entrepreneur, you’re still required to cultivate a strong, healthy relationship with those who work for you, those who supply to you, and those who buy from you. A win-win attitude is a must.

Excellence
The entrepreneurial habit of doing excellent work cannot be stressed enough. A satisfied customer will tell a friend. A dissatisfied customer will tell 10 friends.

After years working for someone else, you might have let a concern for excellence slip. If you worked for a company with the mindset “good enough is good enough” then that can easily rub off on you.

But developing habits that lead to the entrepreneurial mindset is much like exercise. Start the process, stick with it, then watch it go from something you make yourself do to something you want to do. The entrepreneurial mindset becomes part of you.

Excellence is like that, too. The more you pursue it and achieve it, the more you will want to continue. Make the pursuit of excellence a part of your mindset.

Openness
This principle of the entrepreneurial mindset might seem to conflict with the principle of focus. It’s not “either/or,” it’s “both/and.” You must focus and be open to new ideas.

If your mindset is, “I know everything I need to succeed,” you are cruising toward entrepreneurial failure.

Think about this: McDonald’s, originally an entrepreneurial venture, was founded in 1940.But its top-selling Big Mac hamburger wasn’t introduced until 1967. A franchisee, also with the entrepreneurial mindset, came up with it and the company was open to it.

The four key principles of the entrepreneurial mindset—Focus, Concern, Excellence and Openness—can give your business the edge it needs.