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Month: January 2023

Keeping the End in Mind

Posted on by M Miller

     Hopefully, you have enjoyed the month of January blog posts.  They have been designed to provide you with information and steps to assist in positioning you and your business for success as we begin this new year.

Revisit and Reestablish Goals

     In my opinion, the need to revisit and reestablish personal and business goals is important to having a successful year.When used correctly it serves as the navigation system for your life and business.  Use everything we have worked on for the past few weeks and tie them neatly together.

     If you need to refer to any of the steps please refer to my recent (January) blog posts.  During the course of the year we will revisit goals and determine next steps but for now get ready for the harvest!!

     You might say that was all great but now what.  Now the real work begins. 

The work of putting your plans (goals) into action. How do I do that, you may ask. You do that by organizing yourself daily and weekly.  If you need a daily to do list or set calendar reminders, please do so.  Try and use whatever methods that work best for you to keep you and your business on track.

     The benefit of setting goals is that you are in control.  The drawback is that you are in control. Which means that your dedication to achieving great results are largely based on your actions or inactions.  

     So that is why this blog is titled, Begin with the End in Mind.  It is that focus of seeing the end that will keep you going when you don’t see results.  When things don’t seem to be turning around as quickly as you like.  Keeping the end in mind provides the needed motivation to keep you anchored to your goals and determined to push through to try your best to meet them.  

Be Realistic

     Does that mean that you are guaranteed to succeed because you have set very clear personal and business goals. Absolutely not, there are always roadblocks you will encounter.  People and things will let you down.  Heck you will let yourself down but be encouraged that you have set a firm foundation for yourself and your business that you believe is in your best interest to personally and professionally lead you in the direction that you wish to go.  

     Also remember that nothing is a hard fast rule.  You set the pace and the tone.  If the goals you have set for yourself and your business seems to not be working after you have given it some time, know that you can adjust them.  Change is a necessary part of life.  So adjust when necessary. Celebrate the small victories along the way and remember to not compare your progress or journey to anyone else.  I can not over emphasize this final point. We seem to live in a time where everyone is competing with each other in an unhealthy way.  Cheer yourself on along the way and seek assistance when needed. Try and avoid the naysayers and the negativity and check in periodically on your progress.  

     It has been my great pleasure to share this information at the start of the new year with my readers and may your personal and professional goal setting journey lead you and your business to your most successful year ever.  

     Until next week my readers……Continue

Living Your Dreams out Loud

Entrepreneurs, Do You Know Your Purpose?

Posted on by M Miller
PURPOSE

     The month of January, I have dedicated to the topic of  how to create successful personal and business goals.  We have discussed the importance of why it is necessary and covered the steps necessary to being able to write these goals for yourself and your business.  

The Value of Purpose to the Entrepreneur

     In this blog we will cover the topic of purpose.  As an Entrepreneur it is important to know what your purpose is and how it plays into drafting your goals.  In larger companies they refer to this as their mission statement.  In its simplest form a mission statement is the reason why a company exits.  You may ask how this relates to what I am doing.  Great question (lol), many people become Entrepreneurs for different reasons.  The many reasons vary.  I will give you a few examples.  Some people just need additional income and so this serves as an additional source of income.   Others are employed full time but would like to build their own company to the point where they can become self employed.  There are also some people that want to start a business with the goal in mind to grow that business to eventually take on additional staff and expand over time. For this group the sky is the limit.

These are all great ways to start as an Entrepreneur but the end goal for each is very different.  This is where knowing your purpose comes in. If you know what you are specifically trying to accomplish as an Entrepreneur then your goals must compliment that process.  

     The first step in this process of knowing your purpose is what was mentioned earlier, knowing exactly what you are setting out to do (your mission).  Once you have firmly identified your mission then you can carefully outline your goals.  The next step in the process is to take the goals that you have written and map out a strategy of how to reach those goals.  If you need some additional help in this step, please refer to my blog post titled, How to Make Business Goals.  There you will find additional information on how to make successful business goals.  

     Once you have your mission and your goals carefully crafted, you are then in a better position to reach success.  You are not trying to figure it out as you go along.  You have prepared well.  This preparation is more likely to lead you to success and the intended goal of reaching and fulfilling your reason for becoming an Entrepreneur in the first place. 

The Advantage of Being Unique

I have said this before but it is worth repeating, your reason(s) and goals should be unique to you and your specific business.  It also should be specific to what your mission is.  There are many similar businesses out there but what separates them from the next is that it is not yours.  That is what is referred to in business as a brand.  To further illustrate this, when I go into the supermarket and get ketchup there are many different types of ketchup but there is only one brand that I use. It is what my family and I seem to like best. This is how you position your company for success.

  Over the last few weeks I have covered topics from brainstorming, personal and business success and the importance of carefully planning them.  Purpose is the foundation that all of this is built from.  If you are solid in your purpose then you know the direction that you need to go in in order to reach them.  Your goals then serve as a pathway to lead you to that success.  

Why Purpose Matters

     When you know what your purpose/mission is, it becomes the fuel to push you higher and push you through to reach success. Knowing your purpose allows you to have a place to revisit and refocus your efforts, knowing that there is something more to what you are doing.

So yes, you may not have reached there yet but you know what it is that you are trying to reach.  That is why purpose is so important. Until next week my readers……Continue to….

Live your Dreams out Loud 

How to Make Business Goals

Posted on by M Miller
SMART Goals

Setting Business Goals

     The start of a new year is a great time to position yourself and your company for success by setting goals.  If you have been an Entrepreneur for some time, then you should have some goals already in place.  You can use your existing goals as a foundation to compare and decide what is working and what needs improvement.

     For those who are new to setting goals, I will begin at the foundation of setting successful business goals.

     As an Entrepreneur you determine the purpose of your business.  Once you determine what your purpose is you then need to map out a pathway to lead you to fulfilling that purpose.  That is why setting SMART business goals are very important . 

     In business, goals should be defined using the acronym SMART.  Smart goals refer to a process where  each letter in the word smart has a specific meaning and we will walk through each letter and give meaning and explanation to how to develop a goal behind each letter.

   The first letter S means that your goals should be Specific.  This means that your goals should not be kinda, sorta maybe.  It has to be clear so that you know what it is that you are setting out to do.  The next  letter is M which means how will you measure your progress.  Is there a process you have or plan to put in place in order to measure outcomes during the course of the week, month or  each quarter of the year.

     The next letter is A which stands for achievable.  This means that when setting your business goals is it something you think that you can reach.  The next letter is R which stands for it in line with what the purpose of your business is all about.  The last but not least T which stands for timely are you able to take the goals that you set over a period of time 

     Once you have identified your target areas of focus through your SMART goals. The next step is to organize a plan of how you plan to go about achieving each goal.  I would advise you to customize your SMART goals to your business.   Many times what works for someone else in their business may not necessarily work for you.  

     Smart Business Goals should serve as the launching pad and foundation of your business.  If you take  the time to carefully and strategically set your business goals then they should lead you to a successful outcome.  As an entrepreneur you have the power to set those goals and experience the personal satisfaction of watching your business grow.  

     That in my opinion is priceless.  It also is very powerful. There is no magic formula: you do what works for you and your business and adjust when necessary. As an Entrepreneur you are in a unique position to direct your company towards success and hopefully the information that I have outlined in this blog will lead you to creating business goals that will aid in that success.

Position your Business for Success

     The start of a new year is a great time to position yourself and your company for success by setting goals.  If you have been an entrepreneur for some time then you should have some goals already in place.  You can use your existing goals as a foundation to compare and decide what is working and what needs improvement.

     For those who are new to setting goals, I will begin at the foundation of  setting successful business goals.

     As a Entrepreneur you determine the purpose of your business.  Once you determine what your purpose is you then need to map out a pathway to lead you to fulfilling that purpose.  That is why setting SMART business goals is very important. 

SMART Business Goals Defined

     In business, goals should be defined using the acronym SMART.  Smart goals refer to a process where  each letter in the word smart has a specific meaning and we will walk through each letter and give meaning and explanation to how to develop a goal behind the letter.

   The first letter S means that your goals should be specific.  This means that your goals should not be kinda, sorta maybe.  It has to be clear so that you know what it is that you are setting out to do.  The next  letter is M which means how will you measure your progress.  Is there a process you have or plan to put in place in order to measure outcomes during the course of the week, month or each quarter of the year.

     The next letter is A which stands for achievable.  This means that when setting your business goals is it something you think that you can reach.  The next letter is R which stands for relevant which basically means is it in line with what the purpose of your business is all about.  Last but not least T which stands for timely are you able to take the goals that you set over a period of time. The emphasis is on the word time.

     Once you have identified your target areas of focus through your SMART goals. The next step is to organize a plan of how you plan to go about achieving each goal.  I would advise you to customize your SMART goals to your business.   Many times what works for someone else in their business may not necessarily work for yours.  

     Smart Business Goals should serve as the launching pad and foundation of your business.  If you take the time to carefully and strategically set your business goals, then they should lead you to a successful outcome.  As an entrepreneur you have the power to set those goals and experience the personal satisfaction of watching your business grow.  

     That in my opinion is priceless.  It also is very powerful. There is no magic formula, you do what works for you and your business and adjust when necessary. As an Entrepreneur you are in a unique position to direct your company towards success and hopefully the information that I have outlined in this blog will assist you in creating successful business goals. Until next week my readers…. Continue

Living Your Dreams out Loud

How to Set Personal Goals

Posted on by M Miller

     In my last blog post, we outlined steps that are needed to be able to set personal goals. We did this through brainstorming and organizing our thoughts.  Traditional goals involve making a list of things that seem more like just a wish list.  We will not do that, instead we will focus on what is manageable and attainable. We want to keep it realistic. We all know people who kick off the New Year with these crazy goals that they already know are just too much and then set themselves up for failure. That is not what we are doing. 

Organizing Your List

     While we are organizing our list, it can include something from last year that you have yet to complete.  Simply carry it over as a new year personal goal.  Try to keep this list short and realistic.  This week we are only focusing on personal goals because if you are not your best, anything you have set up outside of personal goals will simply not be successful. We are starting with the most important thing “You”.

     If you are having a hard time with coming up with some personal goals. Try thinking about some things that are directly tied to (you) as a person. A few good examples are having more quality personal time and taking better care of yourself.  These examples are simple.  They are realistic and they are attainable. 

Keeping it Short and Sweet

     If you keep your personal goals list short and sweet, you will be happier with the results. If we use the example that was just given, take better care of yourself. You can map out a plan to do just that by increasing or adding exercise to your weekly routine, healthier meal planning and drinking more water.  These steps are all something you have control over, and it doesn’t add a lot of pressure to you. It can be managed and adjusted to suit your personal lifestyle, 

     Hopefully, you are now getting the idea that successfully and carefully choosing your personal goals will lead to better success and that is what the intended outcome should be.

     Next week the focus will be on setting Business and Career goals.  For this week just work on completing your personal goals which should also include ways/steps that you can take in order to achieve those goals.   Again, I would recommend keeping your personal goals list as short as possible.

Two to three goals in my opinion are perfect for a great start to the New Year. You will see that you can add to the list, if need be, as the year progresses and adjust as you see fit but for the benefit of being successful and having a strong start, I would begin with the most important.

Setting Priorities

     Again, remember to keep your personal goals list short and sweet.  They should be realistic and attainable and if you need to use the examples in this blog feel free to add this to your personal list. Remember your personal goals are about you and there is no better time than a New Year to refocus and make yourself a priority.  It sets the tone for the year ahead and your ability to drive the focus of the New Year towards meeting those personal goals.

     This is a side note but one worth adding as we are entering a new year and setting our personal goals.  This week a well known athlete Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills Safety suffered a heart attack on the field.  It was an accident. We were all devastated when we heard and saw what happened but through much prayer and an excellent team of medical staff on and off the field, we all witnessed a miracle!  This is what hope looks like and it makes you know that anything is possible!!!    

     So as you plan your personal goals know that anything is possible ….. until next week my readers 

….Continue to live your dreams out loud

Repositioning Yourself for a Great Year

Posted on by M Miller

     Welcome to 2023,  We are here and so grateful to be here!  We have arrived and hopefully you are ready to look forward to what this New Year holds for you. We have said so long to the past year and yes to the New Year.  

     There is no better time than the New Year to set the tone for the year ahead. I have a close friend who had some major career challenges during the year and was fortunate to be able to get a new job and will be starting today. I was so happy for her because if there was ever a time to start anything new, the New Year in my opinion is the best time for transition. Secretly, we were believing that the change would take place in the New Year, but it worked out that it happened just as the year was closing out and the next one began. Hooray……

A Fresh Page

     I tend to look at the New Year as a clean sheet of paper. You get to write and plan for the year ahead. Over the next few weeks I will  focus on just that. So take the time to get that clean sheet of paper and a pen and begin to gather your thoughts.

Planning

     As you plan out your year, begin to envision the type of year that you would like to have. Try and be as specific as you can.   Write down steps that you may have to take to achieve those goals. Then begin to outline what steps you may need to take to achieve this. I will use the example of my friend and her job to further illustrate this.  Sometimes you need to remain in a position to be able to continue to pay the bills but that should not limit your options. Begin to post internally within the company if you are able to do so or look outside of the company for other opportunities. While you are doing this, seek to redefine what type of position you are interested in. It may be the case that you need a career change entirely.  

Goal Setting Example

     This is just one example of how to go about goal setting for the beginning of the New Year.  Remember this is not something that is meant to stress you out.  It does not have to be as extreme as changing jobs or career or even moving to another location but if need be add that to your goals. For some it can be as simple as drinking more water or  cooking more at home and scaling back on take out food.  

     While I have brought up scaling back in spending on eating out it may help to reel it in a little if your goal this year includes ways to save money  or save in one area in order to have enough to  spend in another, such as hiring someone to come and clean your home once or twice a month. This small step would leave you with some extra time and energy to invest in other areas of your life.

  Brainstorming

  I have put together some ideas to  help you as you begin to plan your goals for the New Year.  I would recommend that your goals include both personal and professional goals.  Next week’s blog will cover more information on setting goals, so if you are struggling in this beginning process of just brainstorming do not lose heart.

     As you begin the process of brainstorming to organize your goals, journaling is a wonderful way of putting your thoughts down on paper.  It is a great way of capturing your thoughts, working through things and expressing yourself in a nonjudgmental way.  So, begin the process of goal setting and for the month of January we will focus on how to set ourselves up for a great year. Until next week my readers…. Continue to ……..

Live Your Dreams Out Loud