“When can I quit my day-job and do this thing full-time?” I have been chomping at the bit to get the running room to really focus on my business. I mean…imagine what my business could be if I could put the same time and energy into it as I do into my full-time job?!?!?! He pushed me on about 5 questions to ask yourself before becoming a full-time business owner.
In my life I’ve had the opportunity to watch a lot of successful women do their thing. From the sidelines I could witness their journey to success unfold. As a writer and coach, I’ve had the honor of interviewing some great women and I’ve noticed there are some similar trends they each share… traits that are common among them all.
It’s beginning to look a lot like that time of year when we check out of our goals and coast through to the new year. January 1st we will make resolutions and promises to ourselves to make 2019 the year we hit our goals and make each part of the new year count.
I’ve been there….I know exactly how that conversation goes in your head.
It’s that time of year again. Back to school season. Summer is over and a new academic year means getting back in the swing of things. For some, the shift out of summer and into the school year means buttoning up goals and dialing in to-do lists.
But whether you face the new academic year with a renewed sense of opportunity, or you dread another season that's come and gone without your goals achieved, you can make a change to be the best you can be at any time. A fresh start awaits you every single day. There’s no reason to limit yourself to the feeling or belief that you need a new year, new month, or new season to rejuvenate your goals. Instead of waiting for the perfect time of year, day of the week or date on the calendar, what if you just hit the reset button and gave it another, smarter go right now?
I love the weekends. Time with family, time to catch up with my hubby, time to catch a movie and take it easy. But after a relaxing weekend, I find Sunday nights to be the best time to prepare for the week at hand. It helps to keep the Monday stress at bay when I've taken time to plan and outline my to-dos so I can hit the ground running with efficiency and effectiveness.
"I don't lack for great ideas ... I lack in ways to implement those ideas!"
Can anybody else relate to this comment? While having a discussion with a businesswoman, she made it clear that she has an abundance of ideas and dreams bigger than the sky. However, boiling down those dreams and creating a plan to implement those ideas is where she struggled most.
I love new ideas. I have a new idea just about every five minutes. Some of these ideas fizzle out, but sometimes the ideas are good ones and I don't want to lose track of them. However, the timing may not be right to act on those ideas. Or better yet... sometimes the ideas just come and keep coming to the point that I just stay stuck in idea mode with no action or implementation at all! Those good ideas, that bring life to my creative self, can choke out my most basic motivation to get anything done.
**Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from Christie's book, "Kick The Clock"
When we talk about getting control of our time and working to achieve harmony, it is important to consider what you can manage. If time can't be changed, we need to focus on what can be adapted to our goals, lifestyles, and choices. Let me introduce to you the “Three E Concept,” – three categories that will help you attack your time in a controlled, focused and efficient manner.
The great part of starting a business is the creative aspects of taking your ideas and putting life into them to form a company. From colors to graphics to the name you pick -- it all shapes and defines your business and ultimately impacts your success.
But beyond the pretty, creative stuff that sometimes seems more important and might be more visual, the behind-the-scenes facets of your business can make or break your success. What are these exactly? I am so glad you asked!
Whether you have employees that work for you, have team members who have joined you, or have people you mentor who lean on you, sometimes we have to face the facts... fear happens!
In business and in our personal lives we might run into the situation where someone is paralyzed by fear and you want to say the right thing to encourage them to move ahead... but what exactly do or do you not say???
Social media is the highway business owners are merging onto full speed ahead. Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or the next latest and greatest platform, posts are where it's at. However, in the quest to post a lot of content, there's a lot getting posted, but is any of it any good? After all, what do you get from posts if they are crummy? More crummy posts!
I love business. I love the fun creative ideas that flow when the inspiration strikes for a business. It's so much fun to start dreaming of logos, product ideas and all the customers you can reach! But there are some really important steps we have to remember along the way... steps that mean success for your business. Unfortunately, a lot of small businesses blow past these steps and jump right into the "making money" part of the business. While it is awesome to make money ( and I get it... that's the goal!), it is near impossible to sustain those sales if you don't have a strong enough foundation to build on.
Looking for some ideas to fill up your newsfeed and social media platforms? Take some inspiration from these observances!