Evolution Magazine December 2013 8 | Page 11

Tip #2 – Rediscover Your Why As you move down the road toward your goals, it can be easy to forget your motivation for initiating the process. Challenges, obstacles, and negative attitudes can begin to crowd out the reason why you felt the need to achieve the goal in the first place. Make it a point to stop and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” What’s my expected end result? Why do I feel compelled to spend that most scarce of resources - the time I have on this planet - on what I’m doing? Why is what I’m doing important to me? What inspires me about it? How will I feel when I accomplish my goal? What effect will it have on my life? What effect will it have on the world around me? Goals are great, but they can also start to ring hollow when separated from the real motivation. Asking yourself, “Why am I doing this?” on a regular basis can help ensure that you stay connected to the rewards - financial, emotional, or otherwise - of achieving those goals. Tip #3– Have an Action Plan Success doesn’t happen without a plan. Once you have a plan, you can make informed, conscious choices about your life and business because you’re able to see the entire picture. As you evaluate your 2013 plan and find that things aren’t quite where you had hoped they would be by third quarter, don’t get discouraged. The main point is not whether or not you have achieved all your goals up to this point, but what actions you are willing to take moving forward. Commit to taking a set of specific steps within a certain time frame (e.g., the next week, or two weeks, or month). Understand that you can still make an impact in your business with just 3 months left in 2013. It all starts with making a decision to get focused and start implementing today! Michelle Brown-Dawson, President of Catalyst Enterprises International and the Catalyst Success Institute, is a Business Strategist specializing in process implementation for organizations and small businesses. For more information about Catalyst Enterprises International, visit Tip #4 – Don’t try to do it alone www.catalystenterprise.com or www.catalystsuccess. When you move in isolation, it’s easy to let com. things slide if you get too busy, or the steps you need to take are too uncomfortable, or when you just procrastinate. On the other hand, when you commit to doing something and you have a witness you know will be holding you accountable for doing it, it’s a lot harder to be a slacker. Like the proverb states, “Iron sharpens iron.” If you want to make sure you keep taking consistent, persistent action for the long-term, make yourself accountable. Building that accountability into your own journey is a great way to make sure you stay engaged and on track. It could be as simple as telling a friend what you intend to do in the coming week, and asking them to check in to see how it went. Or you might find someone else who is on a similar journey toward their dreams and act as accountability partners. www.evomag.co 11