I’m taking a little break today to get caught up on some work, so I asked my good friends and business coaches, Jennifer Lee & Leah Turner of Creating Your Masterpiece to sit in today and share some words of wisdom about getting prepared for 2010. Enjoy!
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Have you ever been working on something – a project or goal – and for some reason you get to a point where you just feel STUCK? You don’t know what to do next, your enthusiasm for the project wanes, or you feel overwhelmed by it all?
Well, if you have….you are not alone! This happens to most of us! The key is realizing why you are stuck, and then making the necessary adjustments to Get Unstuck and Out of that Rut!
The first step is to identify WHY you are stuck. We have found that with most clients, there are typically three primary reasons we get stuck.
- Fear – It can stop you dead in your tracks! Is there a fear that is holding you back from achieving your goals? Ladies – you might be surprised to hear this, but one of the biggest fears that many women have is the fear of success…..not failure, but success! Or, maybe you are afraid of confrontation, getting rejected, being assertive, making cold calls, new technology, public speaking….the list goes on and on. The important thing to do is identify the fear. Because unless you identify the fear, you won’t be able to work through it.
- Not having the right Strategies to meet your goal. A goal without a strategy is just a wish. Strategies are the invisible tools in your tool box! Do you have the tools you need to achieve your goals? It is your Action Plan! Start by determining what you want that end result to look like, and then come up with the steps needed to get there.
- Obstacles – these obstacles can be physical (like trying to start your own business from home and not having adequate office space) or emotional (not having a supportive husband or partner who understands how important your goal is).
A final word on goal setting- often times we get stuck because our goals are unclear or too vague. We are big fans of using the SMART Goals system, which is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding and Timely. For example, let’s say your goal is to grow your business this year…..now let’s make it a SMART goal!
Specific – Instead of being vague, get specific. I want to increase my gross sales by $12,000 this year.
Measurable – Will you be able to tell when you have met the goal?
Attainable – Is it realistic to make $12,000 more this year? That equates to increasing your income by $1,000 per month, or $250 per week.
Rewarding – How will you reward yourself for meeting the goal? Write it down! You have to have an incentive for meeting the goal.
Timely – Do you have adequate time to achieve this goal? If this is the year you are going through a divorce, selling your home, sending your child off to college, and caring for an elderly parent, your goal may not be timely.
Leah Turner and Jennifer Lee, Creating Your Masterpiece http://www.creatingyourmasterpiece.com
love your work 😀