FOCUS = SUCCESS
In my last post I talked about giving your business a tuneup and some of the areas for you to focus on to accomplish and meet success -Learning, Social Media, Networking, Connecting with Clients, and Having a Marketing Plan.
At the end of that post I talked about how to make these tasks work by Programming your Brain (many of you picked up on and suggested in your comments that they be step 6) with a focus on Positive Attitude and being a catalyst for change.
In this post, I am carrying through on that theme and positive message to yet again illustrate the need to make having a positive attitude a focus of your business.
Let me ask you - Do you still remember your 2009 resolutions and goals that you set? Are you still following them? Resolutions and Goals should not simply be typed up on a piece of paper or blog, they should be a living, breathing commitment by you to you with the intention of making them a part of every day and every interaction you have with your clients.
Sure you can have tools - and use them and you can have goals - and focus on them but if you don't have the right attitude and the focus to keep these tools and goals a part of your every day business and every transaction they won't help you for long. Here are what I consider easy ways to keep inspired and having a positive attitude when it comes to your business goals:
1. Set a Daily Plan - Have goals that are well defined. 
We all want and desire to have a thriving business but unless your goals are clearly defined you'll most likely find yourself taking on too much and not truly accomplishing the things you want and need to. Imagine, take chances and take action to achieve them. Look at your goals and resolutions that you set for yourself - now, break them down into "workable"lists. Having time frames attached to your goals will help to keep you more focused and you are more likely to stick with them and achieve them. Have you ever tried to lose weight - did you think or actually lose all the weight at once? No, you set a plan, followed it each day and took one step at a time to get there. Look at these mini plans (that are a part of your BIG plan) and think to yourself each day - what daily actions will I take that will lead me closer to achieving these goals.
2. Get organized.
Part of having a good plan is being organized and removing the clutter from your work space and life. Have you ever noticed that the more cluttered your space is the more unproductive and more overwhelmed you feel? Set aside some time to go through all the papers on your desk and in your office. I learned early on that if I set up folders immediately that are clearly marked it did wonders for having a clear mind and vision to achieve my goals and complete my daily tasks. I recommend either ending your day or starting your day with 20 minutes of organization time - create your to do list, file things away and have the things you are "currently" working on within reach. This simple step will do wonders for your focus each day and I know you will be feeling more productive than you would with a cluttered work space.
Speaking of your "to do" list - does it have too much on it? Do you find yourself working crazy hours and feeling like you got nothing done at the end of your day? You my friend need to prioritize your list and ask yourself what "must" get done and work within reasonable deadlines. If your work is assisting others then be sure to set reasonable deadlines and do not take on too much - speak up about what you can do and when you can do it - it will speak volumes to your clients and will build your credibility and trust with them.
3. 
Work with passion and work with your strengths
Sometimes we are doing work that we don't truly love and that creates a lot of frustration and wasted time. We can find ourselves spinning our wheels and procrastinating because we have too much of the stuff we don't enjoy doing. This is the perfect opportunity to delegate and/or hire someoneto do those tasks that will allow you to focus on what you truly love doing and feeling more productive and satisfied, not to mention successful. This is also a perfect opportunity to realize strengths of your associates and colleagues. Perhaps you can have them assist you with something they specialize in for an exchange of services, or you can team up with them to deliver services to clients. I know this is an area that is a major focus of my business for 2009. 
4. Associate with like minded (positive) people
You've heard me talk about this enough to know that this is an absolute MUST in any business. Why would you choose to spend your valuable time with someone that is not supporting you, encouraging you and rejoicing in your triumphs? Having a great attitude and working with like minded people will elevate your business to new heights and you and your clients will feel it - just think about how that can attract more opportunity.
5. Constantly reinvent and re-energize yourself
We all can become stuck at times and find ourselves accepting things the way they are instead of changing things up - we become comfortable and because we are not truly focused on our goals and to do tasks, we are overwhelmed. Ask yourself what do I need to change to feel better about things? Is it simply getting organized? Changing the look, feel or message of your website or blog? Setting a schedule for yourself to write, network, or make phone calls? Take some time to exercise, read a good book or do something outside of work that will re-energize us which will ultimately bring a new vision and energy to our work.
We all have that feeling of "I have so much to do and I have to do it all" but we have to accept that we 
can't get it ALL done unless of course you're some kind of superhero. We have families, friends, and events that also pull at our time which is why it's so important to identify those important tasks so that we are feeling we are accomplishing and moving our businesses forward.
I'm a huge fan of technology and use it in every aspect of my life but I also realize that I have to use them wisely so that I am accomplishing my daily tasks. I have gone as far as establishing times in my day to check in on my social networks, write my blogs, read and comment on AR posts so that I also have designated time to accomplish the tasks I have from my clients as well as the tasks I have established for focusing on my business.
We get great results when we are positive in attitude and action and have a clear vision of what we want to achieve by using our time, money, resources, energy and technology to get us there.
What are you doing to stay focused so that you achieve success with the goals you set for yourself?
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