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"Her hair is like a beam of light."

In a conversation with one of my potential clients, she said to me—

“I’m busy doing things in my business all the time.  But, I’m not sure if what I’m doing are the right things to grow my business.  My vision feels scattered and unfocused.  And, my income is really suffering.”

If you ever feel like this, and your sales and income aren’t “trending up” or are where you want them to be, there may be a culprit at work. 

This culprit is often a lack of focus and aligned action to achieve your vision.

To gain clarity and achieve a vision, we have to figure out what to do, and what steps to take. 

Most importantly, these steps have to be aligned with our vision and goals.  

I love strategy and systems. Having a plan and process is absolutely critical to success… 

…however, what good is a map, a plan, if you aren’t super-clear about what you want to accomplish, or you don’t have a passionate purpose, or know where you’re headed?

Trying to figure out how to get somewhere without having clarity of vision is what fosters self doubt, indecision about making the “right” choices, and procrastination. 

Following are two easy steps you can take immediately to gain clarity about what you want to accomplish, and how you’re going to do it:

Step 1: Align Your Actions with Your Future Memory

Put everything down for a moment.  Close your eyes.  I want you to see an image of yourself 3 years from now.  We will call this a Future Memory.  To get to this Future Memory 3 years from now, envision there is a beam of light that radiates out from your body, and this beam connects you to you 3 years from now.  This beam is an energetic connection to you, 3 years from now.

Notice where you are, where in the world are you?  Notice what you smell, feel, taste anything, and see around you.  Notice the things you can’t see, what’s going on in your life?  What are you doing?  How are you being?  What’s happening in your life?   What do you notice?  This is your orientation toward what you desire, a vision you have for yourself, sights smells, sounds, and feelings. 

To bring yourself back to the present moment, follow this beam of light back to your present self, in the room where you are now.

This was a short journey, and you may not have seen all the details.  This is okay; for the purpose of this exercise you did see something, and this is awesome.  Right now, I want you to take a moment and write down what you saw on your journey; write down the details you saw.

You can’t achieve your passionate vision unless you are energetically aligned with your future vision. {tweet it}

You can take action all day long, and not ever move closer to getting there. Visualizing your future and then mapping out the small milestone steps is the key to success.

How do you know if you are taking the right actions?  You feel it.  Once you see your Future Memory, everything you do that is aligned with your vision will pull you toward it, you’ll feel it. 

When you step off the path, you’ll intuitively know that this is not the way.  You’ll feel a resistance, you’ll feel something “isn’t right”.  When you are moving closer to what you want, when you’re taking the right actions, you will feel a sense of energetic alignment.  Step off the path, it’s hard to quantify, but you’ll feel it and know it that this way is not the right way.

Now, from what you wrote down, what is the first step you think you must take to achieve your vision?  What is the second step?  This is aligned action, and will help you gain clarity of your vision, and the steps how to accomplish it.

Step 2: Map it Out

Write down a goal, something you’d like to have or have happen. 

Next, in relation to that goal, where are you in your life now? How are you doing?  

Do you want a business that breaks through the 6-figure mark?   How are you doing with achieving that goal?  

Do you want to lose 30 pounds?  What are the simple facts of your life right now? 

Don’t dramatize, just be factual. 

Next, I want you to think about this journey to your goal, and break it down into smaller pieces. 

For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, think about some milestones along the way to losing 30 pounds:

• Milestone 1 could be starting to exercise 3x per week by week 4
• Milestone 2 could be cutting calories by 250 calories per day by week 5
• Milestone 3 is losing 8 pounds by week 8 or being down one dress size

If you want to grow your business to $100,000, break it down into milestones:

• Milestone 1 is to have 1 private clients at $5,000 in the next 4 weeks
• Milestone 2 is to get 2 private clients at $5,000 each the second month
• Milestone 3 is to get another 2 private clients at $5,000 each the third month

There are many ways you can break down big goals into smaller goals.  Building a 6-figure business may seem overwhelming, until you break it down into the smaller steps.

Right now, I invite you to think of your big goal, and start writing down a series of milestones.  Don’t make them too big or too far in the future.  Milestones can be anywhere from 1 day to 1 week to 1 month out, no more time than that.  Write down whatever feels right to you.  These milestones are landmarks along the way to let you know you are on the path.

Visualizing your future, and then mapping it out into the smaller pieces, will ensure you are taking focused, aligned action toward reaching your goals!

Let me know how this information has helped you.  Please write your comments on my blog below.

We all need guidance to create a vision and gain clarity about where we want to go, and how to get there.  This is where having a mentor, coach and community support helps you become clear.  Someone who has been there can shorten your learning curve, and help you from making rookie mistakes, or if you make rookie mistakes how to recover from them quickly.  Join an awesome community of women who will support and cheer you toward reaching your big goals in my Fiery, Feminine & Free Virtual Sisterhood.  Early Bird pricing disappears Friday, March 15, so hurry!  Register here.

What does a hedgehog have to do with increasing your income and profits in your business in 2013?  Everything, if you’ve ever read Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great. 

The idea behind what Collins call the Hedgehog Concept is most successful companies (big or small) focus on doing ONE thing really well.  In other words, they don’t try to be “everything to everyone.”  The result is they generate higher income and profits with the business offerings they choose to do.

Think about a cute, tiny hedgehog for a moment.  Her only defense against predators is to raise her super-sharp and pointy quills.  She outwits and ‘wins’ not being a predator’s lunch by doing one thing very well—defending herself. 

The Hedgehog Concept contains three important points.  To become successful, you must only do what you:

1) Are passionate about doing.

2) Can be the best in the world at doing

3) Can make money, increase your income and profits while doing it

Without all three factors working together, you are doomed to being a ‘non-player’ in your market, and your income and business growth will suffer.

Take a look at your own profession and single out the individuals/ companies who are very successful.  I would bet you’d find they focus their time and energy doing activities they have a natural talent for doing, and they focus on what they want to become known for in their markets. 

If you apply the principles of the Hedgehog Concept, it becomes clear this is a formula you can use to figure out where you naturally excel.  The result is you will increase your income and be more profitable in business!

Finding Your Personal Hedgehog Concept

You can identify your Hedgehog Concept by doing a Personal Hedgehog Inventory.  The great thing about doing a Personal Hedgehog Inventory is it tells you to “do” certain offerings and  activities; “stop” doing some offerings/activities; and “continue” with others.  This process helps you confront the truth about what offerings, activities, and tasks  you must do to grow your business, and which ones you must discontinue offering or hand off to others to do.

By applying the Hedgehog Concept to your business, you will identify a path to greater joy and passion in your life, as well as increase your income and business success in 2013!

I invite you to take a few moments and complete your Personal Hedgehog Inventory.  You can download the worksheet here.  Enjoy!

“If you’re tired of drifting about with no real planned direction…being reactive day-to-day in your business instead of focused and intentional…and letting your sales and income up to chance, then I know you’ll want to join me for an *all-new* FREE training event, “How to Create a ’13 Master Plan that Awakens Your Vision, Increases Clarity about What to Offer & Creates Consistent Sales, Profits & Confidence!” Reserve your seat here!

If you’re like me, you’ve invested countless hours reading, studying, and attending business, personal development, and success seminars.  Yet, many women entrepreneurs have not been successful achieving all the results they desire.  The reason is because there may be some missing pieces to the business success puzzle and blind spots sabotaging their efforts that they’re unaware about. 

Our businesses are a reflection of who we are. 

How we show up in our business is how we show up in life.  Our business is reflecting back to us our beliefs about what we think we are capable of achieving, the degree of success we will experience, what business activities we are doing well, and which ones we are neglecting. 

Our business is reflecting all of our personal strengths and brilliance, as well as what we struggle with. 

Examples of how your business is reflecting back areas of struggle are:

• Lack of income or clients may be showing a dislike of sales, fear of rejection, not being clear on who our ideal clients are
• Being short on money, no matter how much we’re making, is reflecting poor management of money, being unaware of our monthly expenses and income, lack of accounting and financial management skills—which is showing up in our personal lives, as well
• Being stuck—not making progress toward your vision, purpose and goals, a feeling of struggle, rather than ease and confidence, which may show up as frustration, confusion about what to do next or not knowing what to do, feelings of giving up
• Not stepping into your brilliance and claiming your expertise may show up by saying “no” to opportunities presented you, shying away from them, thoughts of not being good enough or experienced enough crop up—which keeps you playing small, and keeps your income small, too
• Feeling you’re constantly reacting, putting out fires, your daily ‘To Do’ list keeps getting longer, yet you’re missing having a sense of doing purposeful activities that will move your business forward

To bring the three business blind spots into view to create a profitable business you must:

• Get a sense of how to be in your business—daily actions, thoughts, and behaviors that will support you—your ENTREPRENEURIAL and POSSIBILITY MINDSET
•  Achieve BUSINESS MASTERY—skills and knowledge acquired  over months or years of actual practice which results in superior understanding of what you must do in your business to grow it and achieve success
• Create a STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN that lays out your vision, goals, objectives, and how to make it all happen

So, how do you remove the the blind spots?  An easy place to start is to review the year and assess:

• What worked last year?
• What didn’t work and your best guess as to why?

For “what worked” list all your successes, accomplishments, behaviors, and mindsets that supported you and moved your business forward.  These are your celebrations for a job well done!

For “what didn’t work” and why, this is where you recall when things didn’t go as planned; why you didn’t hit your income goal, why you didn’t get as many people enrolled in your programs as you would have liked, why do you seem to attract clients who can’t or won’t pay?  These are the things you are not happy about.

Be honest with yourself and face reality.  If your business is not as successful as you’d like there is a reason, and that reason is always about you.  Yes, the same applies to me…and, I know this is a hard pill to swallow.  But, if you want a profitable business that rewards you with income, you must face the reality about why you fall short of achieving your goals.

Your mindset, beliefs, actions, and mastery of how well you manage the activities of your business WILL determine how much cash you create and money you make in your business.

My coach’s request of you is to answer the two questions I posed: 1) What went well for you this year in your business? and 2) What didn’t go as planned and why? 

Be truthful in your assessment.  Then, come up with a plan to fill your mindset, business mastery, and planning and implementation gaps.  If you do, you will multiply your chances of achieving your goals in 2013!

“I am excited about a brand new program I’m creating to help you plan and create your best year yet in your business, and meet your income goals.  Details to follow soon. 

One of the things that trips people up on the Road to Success is the inability commit and focus on specific actions they must take to move them closer to achieving their goals and dreams.  One of the reasons this happens is the inability to see the future.  However, another reason is not mastering the art of self-management.

Most women entrepreneurs want to be successful, but wanting and doing are worlds apart. Many began the journey to their dreams; few finish. And this is so sad! 

We all need to do put one foot in front of another… again and again and again and again. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but many more must follow.  I know this is not always easy to do. 

What is self-management? 

It is accepting the responsibility for choosing and creating the life a person wants, and then taking purposeful actions that will turn their desires into reality.

Self-management involves the daily acts of self-discipline, commitment, focus, and perseverance to achieve your desires, goals, and dreams.  It means being willing to “do what it takes,” whatever has to be done, whether you feel like it or not, until you reach your goals and dreams.

Our past actions are reflecting the results we are getting today in our business.  In fact, they are being reflected everywhere; in our personal lives, relationships, our children, how and where we live, and our financial state.

To be successful we must master self-management.  Here’s a table of how good, and poor self-management shows up in our lives and businesses:

Albert Einstein, in his famous quote said, “Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” 

To change your actions to be more successful, you must choose a behavior you want to change, and then act upon it in a disciplined manner.

My coach’s request of you this week is to identify a behavior you want to change to help you achieve your desires, and business success. 

Here’s how to do this is:

1. Identify 10 things you would like to change or improve in your life and business. 

Then, choose the top priority behavior you want to change and work on over the next 32 days.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

An excellent book you can read to get more ideas is Napoleon Hill’s classic book, Think and Grow Rich.)

2. Then, make a commitment to do the actions you identified to change the behavior you want for 32 days straight.  

Record the actions you took to support the commitment you made.

This 32-day commitment gives you an opportunity to make one SMALL change that will make a BIG impact on your progress toward your goals.  It will also you to experience a small success EVERY DAY.

You can record the actions you take on a form you create with these columns:

Day        Positive Action I Took (make notes of activities to support desired behavior change)

1

2

3

4

5

Etc…

Remember, to achieve your desires and dreams you must master “self-management,” which involves the daily acts of self-discipline, commitment, focus, and perseverance to achieve your desires, goals, and dreams. 

It means being willing to “do what it takes,” whatever has to be done, whether you feel like it or not, until you reach your goals and dreams.

During these hot days of July, I’ve found myself inspired by expansive moments of creative energy that seem to be bursting outside from me like the rays of the sun. 

Many nights, the bright energy of my ideas keeps me awake, and find myself writing down my thoughts during the tiny hours of the morning.

Having taken a brief interlude from revenue-generating activities in July, I find my creative desires, and feelings of passion for how I serve the people in my world, have magnified in intensity. 

Perhaps I needed this time to reacquaint myself and catch those precious glimpses of my innermost longings.  I am deliciously taking heed of my creative yearnings, and encouraging this active phase of expression!

Passionate Dream Projects

Transitioning this passionate and creative energy into practical terms, I’m planning and implementing projects that’ll make a huge difference in the growth and success of my business.  (You knew I was going to tie this into business at some point, didn’t you?)

What are some projects you’ve been putting off completing in your business that you know will make all the difference? 

The types of projects I’m talking about are such things as:

• Writing your first book
• Launching a 30-day plan to double your  revenues/ double your list
• Optimizing your website (SEO)
• Committing to 30 days of social media activities, blogging about your business
• Hiring a coach
• Creating your first (or a new) ‘Iresistible Free Offer’ or manifesto
• Updating your website copy
• Creating a client-attractive brand identity (or updating the one you have)
• Leading your first retreat / teleseminar / webinar / live video stream project
• Creating your first (or second) Information Product
• Creating a new money-making program you will launch in the fall
• Designing your revenue plan to 12/31
• Leading your first mini workshop
• And more…

You know these projects will move your business forward.  Yet, you haven’t been able to get to do them.  I invite you to commit to make time to do them now.  Don’t wait any longer.

My coachs’ request of you is to decide on a project that excites you and energizes your passion and creative fire!  This is a project you’d like to complete in the next 30 days. 

Write down the steps needed to achieve that goal, and get to it!  Be sure to schedule some time in your calendar to nurture your creativity.

The more enthusiasm, emotional energy, and focus and attention you put into what you desire, your creative life energy will pour into you.  And, it feels so juicy to allow this to happen!  Expressing your passion and creativity in your business will infuse it with energy, and propel you forward toward your goals.

Imagine what you could create in your business…with the help of a powerful, focused, connection-filled and creativity-infused 30 days!  More details to come very soon!

Only 2 seats left!  To register visit http://www.BonitaRichter.com/rediscoverretreat

‘Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier.  The way it actually works is the reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want. ~Margaret Young

By guest author, Ken Carlson

So…I’m a recovering achiever. You know the type. The kid that sits in the front row in every class in high school and college. The adult that goes shopping for the perfect shirts and ties for work so the boss is impressed. The never miss a deadline type—even if it means staying up until 3am and getting up at 4am to get back to work. Some of you might have called me a kiss up. Whatever—I got A’s and I got promoted.

I still think sitting in the front row is a good idea.  I’ve got a kid in high school and a kid in college and I would definitely encourage them to sit as close to the front as possible. Why?  Because when you sit in the front row you A) have to pay attention and B) you get a much better idea of what is most important to the teacher; we all know that only part of doing well in school is knowing the material—to get A’s, you have to know what matters to the teacher.

Somewhere along the way though—I decided that sitting in the front row wasn’t giving me everything I wanted in life. It certainly gave me nice paychecks. I got to drive a nice car, live in a nice neighborhood, have nice friends, go to a nice health club. All so very NICE.

The new question. The one that kept me up at night was this: What was it all costing?

I could clearly see what I was getting. Stuff. Lots of good stuff. Travel. Fun. Some financial security. A great lifestyle for my wife and kids. The ability to retire at a reasonable age. I was also getting accolades from bosses, my family, and my friends. All good things.

It was costing me a lot more though. Mostly, it was costing me my days. I was spending at least 250 of 365 days per year inside and I absolutely adore being outside. It was costing me sometimes three hours a day behind the wheel of a car. I was helping corporations make money and making very little tangible difference in anyone’s life. I certainly wasn’t passionate about the work that my company did.

So, I decided to get in the front row again. This time though—I wasn’t in a college classroom or a corporate boardroom—I got in the front row of my own life.   I started going
to therapy. I started reading all sorts of books. I hired a coach. I started talking to my best friends regularly about what was next in my life. I wanted to figure out me. I wanted to take charge of my own life and my own future. So I did.

Right now, it’s several years later and sitting in the front row of my own life is the best decision I ever made. There is definitely a cost to living my dream. A cost to doing what I most love. A cost associated with leaving the corporate world and starting my own business. However, for me, the cost is worth it to have the things that I most want for my own life. I want to make an impact on people every day. I want to spend time outside every day. I want to be creative. I want to be present for my children.

Here is my challenge to you: What is it that you want for your life? What cost are you willing to pay to have what you want? I have yet to meet anyone that has regretted the choice to get in the front row of their own life and do the work.

Ken Carlson is a life coach, father, business owner, athlete, and 40-year old from Geneva, IL with clients all over the world. He specializes in working with individuals that are successful in their lives and career and are looking to fully follow their dreams. He named his company Authentic Development because he believes that entering into our true selves is really the only way to fully come alive! Website: www.authenticdevelopment.com

I see a lot of women entrepreneurs who are busy ’doing’ a lot of different activities to grow their businesses.  On the surface this seems all good because they’re investing energy and time. 

The problem is too many times they’re not getting the results they desire for all their expended energy.  This keeps their business and income stuck at the same levels, or they experience small amounts of growth.

How can you tell if you’re not getting adequate results for your invested efforts?  Here’s a list of two ways to tell:

1. Your income in 2011, compared to 2010, either decreased, stayed the same, or grew less than 20%.  (no whining about the economy)

2. Your hourly fee rate decreased or did not increase (annual revenues ÷ total hours worked)

The bottom line is if you are working harder, and not gaining significant forward movement toward your goals, you probably need to change what you’re doing.  

Here are 3 ways you can “change up” your activities to ensure you reach your 2012 goals:

1. Review 2011 and determine 1) what went well and CELEBRATE!, 2) what didn’t go as planned, and 3) why things didn’t go as planned. 

Were you lacking support or some skills and know-how?  Or, did you simply not invest the time into certain activities you could have?  Diagnose the reasons so you can course correct in 2012.

2. Create your 2012 vision and goals – what do you want your business and personal life to look like 12/31/12?  What personal mastery skills do you need to develop?

Be very specific.  Without specifics, you may be wasting time and energy doing activities that will not move you closer to your vision and goals.  Example: Are you part of a networking group that has few of your ideal clients?  This time may be better invested doing something else.

3. Create your plan to make it all happen!

Your business plan needs to include an income goal and key strategies you must implement to make it all happen. 

For example, this year my income goal is $300K.  Key strategies I will implement to make it happen are:

1. Become more visible to my ideal clients

2. Increase traffic to my website and subscriber opt-ins

3. Increase marketing activities

Then, for each of the above three strategies I will create objectives, identify activities to do, and put a timeframe to reaching the objective.

For example, to become more visible to my ideal clients I could, 1) lead one teleseminar every week, 2) be a guest on someone else’s teleseminar every 2 weeks, 3) speak to live groups one time per week, and 4) attend two networking meetings per week.

Then, I will keep track to make sure I am investing the required time and energy to get the results I’m seeking.  In my case, I am tracking achievment of my $300K income goal.

Now is the time to evaluate and review what you’re doing so you can be proactive about making necessary course corrections to achieve your 2012 goals!

Prefer to listen to this week’s article?  Click the link below.

Every year I create a “Dream Theme” for my business. This theme keeps me focused and on track, propelling me forward to achieve my vision and goals for my business. This year, my Dream Theme is “Leverage.”

Every decision I make about the services and products I offer are measured against this theme, and if they are in alignment with my brand. If a decision I am about to make is not in alignment with my theme, I make the necessary adjustments, make a different decision, or discard the idea.

An example of how I put my theme of leverage into action is, I already have a lot of knowledge and intellectual property developed around the topics of marketing, branding, and business growth. So, am I fully leveraging assets I already have? Or am I spinning my wheels creating new material over and over again? The intent here is to maximize and leverage what I already have, rather than creating more busy work for myself.

The results aren’t just good, they are spectacular! I’m making lots more money as a coach, and I don’t feel the overwhelm I used to, because I was constantly creating something new, when what I already had was great.

Having a dream theme keeps you focused, motivated, and increases your confidence because you know you are on a path of achieving the results you desire in your business.

Know it is also common to feel a certain attachment to every idea and dream you create. Instead, I invite you to say “thank you” to the Universe for the idea, then decide if the dream is worth putting any more energy into. You can do this by comparing each idea and opportunity to the “Business Return on Investment.”

How do you decide which ideas and opportunities are the right ones? Your Business Return on Investment is five or six criteria that must be true in order for you to say “yes” to a new idea or opportunity. Here is an example of how to use your Business Return on Investment criteria:

• Does the opportunity perfectly align with your PASSION, and unique talents, skills, and knowledge you already have to offer?
• Will it pay $200 per hour (or more) within six months?
• Will it be profitable in six months?
• Is it in alignment with your 1-2-3 year vision?
• Will it be fun to do?

Each of these questions must have a “yes” answer in order for an opportunity or idea to qualify. If not, drop the idea. Express your gratitude to your creative self for the idea to keep creative channels open, and to know that you are open to receiving future creative inspirations!

So what is YOUR dream theme? What word or phrase embraces the direction you want to immerse yourself in this year? Remember, “first thought, best thought!” so don’t second-guess yourself.

Your dream theme will keep you and your small business growth plans on track, keep you from getting distracted, and propel you effortlessly forward into a successful 2011 and beyond.

Have a beautiful and prosperous week,

Bonita