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I know some people who don’t bother making New Year’s Resolutions anymore because they figure they won’t stick to them. They say they just want to keep doing their best and that’s enough.
There’s wisdom in that. What more can we do than our best anyway?
Still I believe in goal setting, and while I am not making a long list of New Year’s Resolutions (ok, I do have two!), I am making a list. I think this is a great time of year for planning and figuring out the things you want to accomplish in the year that’s soon to come.
Cyclone's Sketchblog
I’ll be honest; I have not excelled at structure and list-making in the past. I tended to be the type of person who kept everything in my head to the point of overload and inactivity. Frazzled and frustrated, I’d turn to a friend or family member for advice and, invariably, they’d each tell me the same thing: “Start writing things down.”
My efficient, meticulous Capricorn Soul would agree. I know It wants me to create systems and organization in my life that will help me achieve my goals. In an effort to do so, I’ve been paying attention to other people who seem to do this naturally, and I’ll share with you what I’ve learned from them.
Be it for goals or to-do lists, I know how important it is to write things down. There is energy to putting things on paper. It makes things real, and it makes things happen.
Photo by Vicky TGAW
David Allen writes in Getting Things Done that our brains are like computers, and overloading our ‘disk space’ will slow us down and cause internal errors. He states how helpful it is to get things out of your head and onto the page.
I’ve been advised by multiple business coaches to break down big goals into small, actionable steps, and further, to plot them onto a calendar. Giving yourself a deadline boosts your chance of completion and success.
You can write down your goals for the upcoming week(s), months or even years. The vital step, again, is that you write them down. In the process of writing things down, you need to make decisions about what action steps are required to achieve your desired outcomes and when you are going to take them.
Personally, I’ve tried planning out my year, but I find it hard to see clearly past the upcoming weeks. I like the idea of writing down broad goals for the year, but when it comes to the details, I have to keep my planning to the forthcoming month and do a thorough review at the start of each week. Being realistic about what I’m capable of and the time it takes me to do things is essential. (By the way, if I’m not capable of doing something I want to do, that means I need to schedule in some learning time!)
I’ve heard about other recommendations, such as keeping track not just of social and business appointments in your calendar, but also of well-being appointments to ensure you are plenteous with your self-care!
Dieters can consider listing their daily food intake in their calendar (or in a notebook) so as not to forget that chocolate chip cookie or extra slice of bread that was eaten during the day.
With any system, results should be noted. I suggest doing a monthly review that includes an assessment of what practices/techniques are working for you and what are not. Congratulate yourself on the jobs well done and readjust where needed.
I don’t believe there is only one perfect way of achieving a system of organization, efficiency and accomplishment, but I do believe that finding a technique that works for you is a worthwhile pursuit.
After all, living a successful life is a big job. Of course it’s going to take some planning.
Rich, Happy & Hot LIVE, an event for women entrepreneurs who are running small businesses, came to a close last night and I (along with about 300 other women and men in this city) am BUZZING! I’m writing this post for the RHH B-School Babes who were unable to attend, and for anyone else whose interest has been piqued.
A line I heard many women say towards the end of the weekend was, “Words cannot describe what this weekend was like.” I am going to try to do it anyway.
In one word, I would simply say, “Amazing!” Yet I do know you need more.
I will list each speaker with a brief description of what they brought to the table, including how to learn more about them. And I do recommend doing so! Before I get to that, in case you’re curious, I’ll share that many of the speakers (including Marie) admitted to being nervous themselves about standing up in front of us. It was so nice to hear that human side of them. Even though they were afraid, they were all effin’ phenomenal.
Marie Forleo: If you think this woman’s good on video, you should see her on stage (really, you should!). The amount of dancing I did this weekend – at a business conference, no less? – is beyond words. You have to be there to experience the feeling, the music, the music videos and the sheer fun factor. I know that vibrant part of Marie’s personality is so admirable to me and to everyone else in that room; she brings an element to the experience that no one else could do.
Marie is a master marketer, she has an incredible gift for bringing stupendous people together, and the girl’s got moves. Additionally, I was pleased to discover how warm and lovable she truly is in person.
I’ve already written about the extraordinary kick-off evening on Friday night with Josh Pais. One important thing I’ll add is that it is clear how much Josh supports Marie (she said it’s like living with Yoda) and helps her to get up on that stage and rock it in the wonderful way she does.
Saturday’s line-up was as follows:
Kris Carr: This remarkable woman (and Oprah darling) woke up one day with incurable stage 4 cancer and has since started a wellness revolution, saving her own life in the process. She did not stand on stage and tell us all to drink green juice (although that would be a very good idea!), but rather she spoke of the importance of becoming a CEO of YOU. “Self-care is a rebellion,” stated Kris, “that enables you to kick ass and crush it.”
I couldn’t agree more. And I’m definitely rethinking eating animals.
Julie Cottineau, brand-creator extraordinaire (think Richard Branson’s Virgin) taught us all what brand is and does, and the importance of keeping your brand top-of-mind to influence every business decision you make. “Strong brands have focus,” says Julie. “They know what their story is and they stick to it.” Julie was terrific, and she said she is just like us now, in the early stages of starting her own business.
Ramit Sethi, New York Times bestselling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, was brilliant, abrasive, and hilarious. His style was intense and in your face, and we all loved every second of it. He gave us a simple marketing directive: go to the market and get insight straight from your peeps. His talk mainly covered how getting someone to actually change their behavior (as opposed to their attitude), makes them a student for life. Listen to Ramit speak here.
Danielle LaPorte brought women to tears. If you read her blog, you already love her. If you don’t, know that she is an entrepreneur/coach turned writer/speaker, and she has a tribe of followers who resonate with her honesty and willingness to be both completely human and completely inspiring at the same time. What touched me personally from seeing Danielle and the women’s reactions to her is that a blog really can make a difference in a person’s life. She’s sparked fires in thousands.
Russell Simmons, known as the godfather of hip hop and much more, was the only speaker who came in unprepared. He sat down in a chair on the stage with Marie and answered questions from her as well as from numerous audience members. Russell was wise, eloquent, friendly and down-to-earth. He delivered spiritual wisdom in slang, stating that the work is the prayer. “Keep your head down and do the work,” he said. “Stay on your hustle. That’s how any artist is created today. You can’t fail until you quit.” Russell said that every business idea he ever had was doubted by many, and that continues in his life today. Also, he advised us to love what you have, because if you don’t, the wanting more will simply continue, no matter how much you get. We were all given a copy of his book, Super Rich.
By the end of the first full day of speakers, I thought it could not get better. I didn’t know what we’d be in for on day two.
Simon Sinek kicked the day off by blowing us all away. You need to listen to his Tedx talk – it’s one of the most shared TED Talks at TED.com. Trust me, you want to hear what this man has to say. I can’t even explain it. He gave us all a copy of his book, Start with Why, and I don’t think anything is more important for a business owner because “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
Laura Roeder was as impressive and clear as always, encouraging us with the idea that because of the internet, we have the power to communicate with the entire world. The gatekeepers are gone. She spoke to us about the importance of online presence, content and outreach, all elements that she covers in her Creating Fame program. She recommended this article. I love how practical Laura is; it’s an important trait for a business owner!
Derek Halpern offered brilliance about how to get people to talk about you, and he generously shares his wisdom on his blog. Check it out! It’s strategic, tactical, and of course, very useful. If you only read one of his blog posts, read this one.
Regena Thomashauer (aka Mama Gena) was DIVINE!! I did not think I was going to cry at this conference, but during this performance (her talk was more like a show, she is sooo energetic!), I was bawling my eyes out, and I could hardly stop crying for the rest of the day. I know I was not alone in that. Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts teaches women how to use pleasure to find their way in the world. She is known as the Queen of Pussy and she asked us, “Do you think I grew up wanting to become the Queen of Pussy? If I can make multi-million dollars talking about pussy, you can do any fucking thing you want.” She really talks about so much more than pussy, and this is not sex therapy. It’s more about finding pleasure in life, and about women’s empowerment. It’s off the hook.
I don’t think it’s possible for me to share the emotions of this weekend in a blog post. You can learn from these speakers on your own by reading their blogs, their books, and watching their videos.
Why not get creative and make a day out of it for yourself? You can host your own RHH Live experience at home. Just be sure that about every hour or so you take a dance break.
