Small Business Success | Small Business Mentoring

Are you excited about business? Your life? What you do day to day? If you bound out of bed each day looking forward to the day ahead, congratulations! If not, this article is for you.

While I believe that life is a patch quilt of all kinds of experiences and emotions, I do also believe we can feel fulfilled and thrilled about each and every day – no matter what it brings.

A couple of months ago, I talked with a client and my recommendation was to dream big – bigger than what might even be considered possible. My reasoning is that by stretching a vision, a person automatically stretches possibility. You might not hit the moon, but when you hit the stars, you likely will hit a goal much bigger than you would have through making a ‘reasonable’ goal.

Lots of gurus have differing views on how to set goals. Some of them recommend setting goals that are easily achieved so you can be inspired and stay motivated. To me, this is playing games with yourself. We all know what we are capable of. We all know when we feel we could be doing more. Why not take the honest Abe route, stop playing silly mind games, and go big?

For those of you who are tired of playing small, are yearning to stretch and play bigger, here are a few ways to do just that:

1. Expand Your Beliefs – Take a look at your goal and be honest. Where does it fall? Is it less than you know you are capable of achieving? Is it more than you really believe you can achieve? Is it somewhere in between? Whether it is a revenue goal or an actual accomplishment, get clear about what you believe. Try this. Write down what you know you can achieve with a little bit of effort. This will be easy although it might be a bit more than you are doing right now. This is your baseline. Next, write down what you believe you could accomplish if you really put the pedal to the metal. This will be your realistic goal – it’s the goal that will feel good when you get there. It may feel a bit scary, but somewhere you still believe (and know) it is possible. Next, write down a goal that is beyond your comprehension of how you would ever achieve it. The mere mention of it will evoke fear in your body. This is your Shoot for the Moon (SFTM) goal.

2. Spend Some Time with Possibility – Once you have your SFTM goal, carry it around with you for a few days, perhaps even a week. Imagine what it would be like to achieve this. What would happen? How would it impact your life? What would change? Remember, whether your Shoot for the Moon goal is a certain revenue amount, writing a book or some other huge accomplishment, there’s a part of you that yearns to do it. Spend some time there this week! When you have a moment, allow your mind to drift there – to open to the idea of doing the seemingly impossible.

3. Make a Date with Destiny – After spending some time with possibility, look at your goals again. Which one will you commit to? Will your psyche really crumble if you shoot for the moon and land among the stars? What do you have to lose by going bigger? Make a date with destiny and ink your goals on paper and commit to them.

4. Plan for Success – Once you have committed to your goal, plan for success by outlining the simple steps to achieve it. If it is a revenue figure, break the amount down by new client, by time period or by niche. If it is another type of goal such as writing a book, break the writing process into easy to implement steps. Focus on your vision of this goal completed. When you have moments when you feel stressed pull out your vision to renew your spirits.

5. Build Your Dream Team – No one succeeds alone. Choose at least one person who can support you in your vision. This person might be a coach, a life partner, or a close friend. This person will not judge your abilities – this person is someone who believes completely in you as a person and can hold your vision with you. Be sure to identify key areas where there are others who can help you fulfill your plan and achieve your goals. Don’t set yourself up for failure by going it alone. Commit to pulling in the very best people to work with you.

Make 2008 your biggest, best year ever. Bigger and better may not necessarily mean more – keep in mind that your vision is what you decide it will be!

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