Let's Start with Statistics

Many of these statistics are from Solving Procrastination and Zippia: 

• Roughly 20% of adults are chronic procrastinators.
• 80-95% of college students procrastinate.
• The average adult spends over 3.5 hours procrastinating daily.
• 88% of employees procrastinate at least 1 hour per day. 
• 14-29 year olds are most likely to procrastinate. 
• Chronic procrastination has increased from 5% in the 1970s to over 20% today. 
• Higher levels of procrastination are linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and poor sleep according to an article in the National Library of Medicine. 

Do you feel called out yet? I know I do!

Procrastination Proof
Jon Acuff recently posted his latest book, Procrastination Proof. Jon has regularly noted his procrastinating tendencies in his many earlier books. He's become a "goal guru" as his business platform. I'm a fan of his and have noted him in earlier blog posts here, here, and here. 

Jon's current book urges readers to aim for remarkable! (I love that attitude) He suggests four processes to move forward:

• Dream: 10% of time spent
• Plan:15% of the process
• Do: 70% of your activity
• Review: 5% - important but don't get stuck here

Planning Makes It Easier
Jon focused on how his Night Me plans for Morning Me—tomorrow is made much easier by planning today. Take a few minutes to schedule and prepare for the next day before settling in for the night. This may include packing your lunch the night before, packing or setting out the work-out clothes and business items to be ready to go—no excuses.

Especially for entrepreneurs and those working from home, when your choice is everything (completely open schedule to plan), you often can't choose anything. You're overwhelmed by choices and possibility so do nothing and procrastinate.

Stress Stacking
Many procrastinate because they see the long list of items all seemingly due now. Jon suggests we dial back "right now" to make your options more manageable to take action. 

• What's due in the next hour?
• What's due today?
• What's due in a week?

Get Into the Mindset
Reflect on your goal and ask yourself

• what would a healthy person do? (if you have exercise, diet, or weight goals)
• what would a remarkable leader do?
• what would a [INSERT JOB] do? 

Get rid of the "I" reference to reduce procrastination and depersonalize. 

Additional Mindset Ideas

• Make sure your actions match your intentions.
• The person who still has to do it is me.
• Never confuse preference with requirements. (while you may prefer to work sitting in a park, it's not a requirement)
• Do it everywhere—find a new location if needed to shake things up. 
• Run toward the fear. Look at it but don't obsess about it. 

Perfection
As a procrastination tool, perfection keeps us stuck in Plan mode—always far too many items to check off to really move forward.

Try auditioning dreams—test them for a month, then 2 months, and later 4 months to reduce the feeling of commitment that may be attached and holding you back. They don't have to last forever! (think of it as a henna tattoo rather than permanent ink)

Motivation Portfolio
Jon suggests we create a Motivation Portfolio of anything and everything that motivates you so you can pull them out in the thick of Doing when you start losing energy and procrastination sneaks in. Ideas of what may motivate you:

• Music: tunes get you moving!
• New skills acquisition excites you.
• Bills are due (#reality)
• Consider how tough it is for others (someone's always a bit worse off or faces more challenges than you)
• If you don't do the thing, what would you have missed? (think of George in It's A Wonderful Life)

You don't feel motivation, you have to practice it. 

Review
Tracking progress is the only way to review. Consider focusing on one of these aspects—keep it simple. Don't get bogged down in details which will only give you more excuses to procrastinate.

• Actions
• Time
• Results

A few random ideas that struck me while reading:

• Remarkable is an infinite game with no limits!
• In the battle against procrastination, you are selling you to you - choose remarkable! Along this line, he noted we're selling to ourselves, not lying to ourselves to motivate action.
• Permission + action makes dreams come true. 
• The difference between dreams and done is action.
• Dream big/Do small - Jon suggests small activities add up to big things.
• Jon shared a story of a school that didn't give students an F but a "Not Yet," encouraging a work in progress.
• Do less of what you like and more of what you love. An example was you may like to scroll on social media, but you love holding the book you just wrote! 

Procrastination costs you Time which costs you your life. 

Your Turn!
I don't think I'm making too large a claim to say we all procrastinate to some degree in various circumstances. 

How do you battle procrastination? Any tips or tricks for what's worked to motivate yourself?

Love to hear about it - Let's Chat or message me on LinkedIn or Substack! 

How Do You AUDITION Goals?

Full credit for the concept to Jon Acuff! He's a man on a mission about goals! He's written numerous books on the topic. I've mentioned him before on this blog here, here, and here. Jon has a new 30-day program beginning February 1, 2026 if you're reading this before it starts.

(I receive no affiliate bonuses or anything for shouting out his resources. He's just an awesome resource that may interest you.)

Try Out 1-3 Goal Ideas - Audition Them!
That's all - test out your goal ideas for 30 days to see if they're solid enough and whether you can commit to them. This can be done anytime in the year. Here we are after Quitters Day and talking about starting goals for the year!

Choose ONLY 1-3. More than that increases your chance of giving up as "too much" or burning out. You likely already have some habits or goals to maintain. Control the overwhelm.

Dream, Plan, Do, Review
These are Jon's basic steps to goal setting with my take on them. 

• Dream
  • Create a Brag Table: What are your wins from last year? Make a list or get tangible—put items on a table to see your accomplishments. (a race medal, a granola bar, completed project)
  • Create a Lessons Table: What would you consider doing differently and lessons learned? These are not necessarily negative (what could have been better), but literally what did you learn - take any classes or read an inspiring book?
  • Envision you in a year or at the end of this year: Really get into it - how will you feel, think, or look? Get all the senses into it to really put yourself in that place. How do you feel 65 pounds lighter or after you ran that 5k or got that dream job?
  • Consider what (or who) to remove to achieve this dream. Too many projects on your list? Time to get firm with yourself so you can be firm with others. Every "yes" is a "no" to something later if your plate is too full. Toxic relationships in your life? This is where you prioritize your needs - self-care. Get off the hamster wheel of "too much."
  • Do this with a kind and curious eye, not a critical one. Just examine yourself and your schedule, your hopes and dreams. Dare to dream what could be! No judgements. 
• Plan
  • Who inspires you? Consider a vision board. Who is a role model? Anyone who can be an active mentor in your journey? Maybe a podcast or audiobook to have in your ears regularly?
  • What are you trying to accomplish? Make it measurable. How will you know DID IT!
  • Where do you envision yourself working on this goal? Mentally put yourself there, then make it happen. Have a comfy chair with a cup of hot tea? Gym vs mall walking or the local park for exercise?
  • When will you work on this goal? Make a calendar appointment with yourself and keep it - no shifting for a better offer. You are worth the time commitment! 
  • How? What action will you take and steps to make progress? 
• Villains impacting goals
  • Too vague: "Lose weight." "Do this better." Hard as it is, the specificity is the anchor. 
  • Too big: "Run a half-marathon" when you've never run a mile is tough to stick with.
  • Wrong season of life: You can only accomplish so much when you have multiple wee ones to raise for now. This season doesn't last long, but you can realistically do only so much beyond raising humans. Same if you're caring for parents or are a caregiver.
  • Lone Wolf syndrome: There is strength in community. It doesn't need to be Jon's group. Build your own accountability group or system! Share your progress on your socials. Find a few others with similar goals for regular check-ins and cheering.
    • A group of even a couple of others holds you accountable.
    • They see things you can't see clearly. (they tried to tell you that guy was a jerk, but you were too deep in the moment)
    • Per Jon, sharing "doubles the wins and divides the losses." The group magnifies and shares the wins while commiserating and reassuring about the losses. 
    • "Archive progress and hold the wins for you." The group will remind you you're doing better than you realize. 
    • "Hope, discipline, and joy are contagious."

Back to Basics
What will you be doing next year with your goal achieved? Attach a reward to it! 

• You've written that long-promised book: Indulge in a get-away with your spouse or family!
• You've lost the equivalent of a football player in weight: Plan on a swanky spa day when you reach your goal! 
• Focus on something FUN rather than a number on a chart or in your bank account!

What Goals Will You Audition?
I'd love to hear what you're working on! I'd also be honored to be your accountability buddy as we cheer for each other!

Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn!

Word of the Year as a Goal

How did the Word of the Year trend start? Turns out this is credited to English professor Allan Metcalf in 1990, then Executive Secretary of the American Dialect Society, eager to capture the spirit of the year with language, inspired by Time magazine's Person of the Year. Merriam-Webster began its lists in 2003 and the College English Dictionary in 2013. 

Over time, it evolved into a self-improvement goal concept. The Bright Balloon shares an extensive article about the concept. #oneword became a trend beginning in the 2010s.

The Power of One Word
It's not a bad idea. Goals are hard to come up with let alone to stick with. Quitter's Day is now a recognized thing - 2nd Friday of January. For the concept of New Year's Resolutions beginning 4,000 years ago, Strava conducted research in 2019 leading them to predict the 2nd Friday of January as when goal motivation begins to seriously drop. More recent research indicates about 2/3 abandon resolutions in the first month. 

Maybe a single word is easier to sustain than one or more goals! 

• One word can be a broad reference covering multiple aspects of your life. (for the skeptics in the house, admittedly something generic like a horoscope)
• Goals are more structured typically - think SMART goals which have Specificity and Time involved.
• Less pressure to achieve specific items which may lead to guilt and a sense of failure. 

Intention
I'll admit, I do struggle with the rigidity of goals, numbers, and specificity. I resonate more with the flexibility of an overarching word covering many aspects for my year.

Intention feels right for me this year.

• I'm beginning my 4th year in business as a solopreneur. I've explored a variety of paths, keeping myself open to clients and jobs that suit me, and sort of going where the wind blew me—my version of "vibe marketing." 
• It's time to be a bit more directed in my business, making a point to be where my ideal clients are, whether that's online or in person. 
• It's easy to be too flexible in a work-from-home solopreneur's schedule, especially when I have a family to tend to. Intention will help me prioritize client work and set specific daily minimum plans while allowing plenty of flexibility. 
• I do aim to set a few business goals - no more than 2-3 - in short time spans that are achievable (monthly/quarterly), where I can see the reference point and can keep moving the goal posts forward. 

Your Word of the Year
If you do Word of the Year, what's your word? I'd love to cheer for you to stick with it!

While Intention may not be your word this year, as a small nonprofit, solopreneur, or nonfiction author, do you approach your business with Intention? How do you hold yourself accountable and stay on track? Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn!

Where Do I Begin?

For solopreneurs and authors—if you're going to create a business for yourself—there are a few key legal steps to put into place to start. Needs for nonprofits are a bit more involved but certainly critical before jumping into your mission of service. These suggestions are based on business and tax structure in the United States - your country may vary.


Special thanks to Julia Taylor, Founder of Geek Pack, for an email newsletter reminding me of the value of these basics that are by no means intuitive. 

Choose Your Business Structure
LegalZoom would love to have you hire them to set your business up. There are a variety of services out there happy to do so. For many, the steps are basic enough you can really handle them yourself. 

Basic options to choose from. Click on the tabs of each type on the LegalZoom website for a quick reference of what may suit you. 

• LLC (Limited Liability Company): For many solopreneurs or authors, an LLC is sufficient.
• Corporation: Those with employees, hiring subcontractors, or generating sufficient income to want tax breaks, paying yourself a salary, and funds available for retirement savings, a Corporation or S-Corp may be beneficial. 
• DBA (Doing Business As): DBA may be useful if you may create a few businesses under the umbrella of an LLC. 
• Nonprofit: Organization based in giving to society much of what is taken in; eligible for grants and funding resources not available to others. Tax breaks and even tax exemption are available but there are many strict administrative regulations to be compliant. 

Register with the State
Once you select your business style, it's time to research legal requirements and where/how to file for that business structure. For an LLC, the fees are fairly small with possibly a bit of additional small cost if you decide to also register a DBA. You may benefit from hiring assistance for a Corporation or Nonprofit. 

I was able to do an easy search for what agency in my state handles these matters and follow pretty straightforward prompts to create an LLC and DBA. My LLC is LMA Services and DBA is Read. Write. Engage. This gives me the option in the future to create a different business under my LLC. All of this information becomes public record. 

Get an EIN
For those of us in the U.S., an EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a number unique to your business for tax purposes and separate from your personal information. You are able to use this number to refer to your business rather than your social security number for a bit of privacy and separation. You will typically be filing separate tax documents annually for your business. The business structure creates a little liability buffer from your personal finances. This process is through the IRS.

Open a Business Bank Account
This further creates a buffer between your personal family finances and your business finances. You are better able to track purely business income and expenses. It legitimizes your business practice. There are some tax deductions available under the business umbrella. This gives you a way to bill for your services, deposit income, and make purchases that are strictly for your business. The U.S.'s IRS has deemed 3-5 years as reasonable for your business to be seen as a business endeavor making a profit vs a "hobby." They also want to make sure your business isn't being used as a way to deduct loss for years, encouraging you to make an effort.

Job vs Business
Lowell Rex, Founder of Epic Business Mentors, has defined a "job" as something one person does where the business is entirely reliant on the effort put in by that one person. If work is not done, there is no income. This typically is something most will never sell to a different business or pass to a family member in inheritance as a complete business or at least client list.

A "business" grows larger to hire others and can support itself or grow without the owner being the one to necessarily do the daily work. 

How is Your Progress?
If you're considering creating a business for yourself, hopefully these basic points get you started. If you created a business some time ago, any suggestions to add for those starting out? 

I look forward to answering questions or walking through the process if useful - Let's Chat or message me on LinkedIn!

2026 Approaches!

Do you create goals for yourself or your business? This can become a surprisingly heated debate with folks firmly "yay" or "nay" on goals.

When Is A Good Time?
Short answer--any time! No need to wait for January 1. If you're feeling inspired, it's the perfect time to heed the call. It doesn't need to be the first of the week, month, quarter, or year. Those are handy markers, but any time is good. 


How to Approach Goal Setting
There is a "goal guru" wherever you look. There are different approaches and styles to test out to see what resonates with you. A few ideas have been covered on this blog here, here, here, and here. 

A Different Way of Thinking
A Content Inc podcast by Joe Pulizzi, episode 521, talks about approaching 2026 with intention. Identify what really matters as we approach the new year. Per his show notes--"It's not about doing more...it's about doing less but with intention." 

Mic drop. 

Doing Less
Before we imagine all the new things we'd like to do going forward, let's consider a time or calendar audit or even gut check on what to do less of. Note: all of these "what" questions can just as easily be "who" questions.

• What's dragging you down?
• What stresses you out or frustrates you?
• What is not moving you toward your goals or plan?

Every "Yes" Is A "No" to Something
This is a tough one. Life is just so exciting and full of possibility, It's so easy to want to do all the things! But there are only so many hours in a day in a lifetime. The book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman does a great job of bringing this point home. This may be why the concept of removing tasks, people, meetings, and activities resonates with me. 

"Focus on What Truly Lights You Up"
Now that we've asked some hard questions and realized what we need to say "no" to, we can think hard about what we wish to say "yes" to. 

• What will help you meet your life goals or work/life balance?
• What will move you forward in your work?
• What activities—or people—do you truly enjoy? 

Life is short—be happy! It's also far better for your health and wellness. 

How Long for Goals?
Everyone has a different goal tolerance for how long to set your goal or your goal approach. The second Friday in January has become known as Quitters Day. Seriously. For those that focus on January 1 for resolutions, there is a large majority who don't stick with them longer than two weeks!

If you're reading this, you've likely been on and off the goal wagon many times. You know yourself about goals. Joe Pulizzi has recently discovered Misogi goals--one powerful but meaningful challenge for 90 days. The approach is to keep that one goal in mind with a daily plan of how to achieve it in  90 days, pushing all else to the side. 

For business folks, quarterly goals may work, breaking down an annual goal into four pieces. OKR's (Optimal Key Results) may work for you with steps built on the path to the goal. Julia Taylor of GeekPack has a fabulous analogy about this approach. Think of a cross-country road trip with plenty of curves along the path—never a straight line—and identify key stops (mini-goals or check points) along the way. 

Others of us may need far shorter than year-long goals. Focusing on just one quarter with 30-day check points may be more effective for you. A month with weekly goals may be even better so you can feel successful with how your brain and focus work best. 

Block the Calendar
Yup. You heard me. Make time for the thing you want to focus on to make it happen.

• You've done a calendar review or time audit for a few days.
• You've identified what (or who) to say "no" to, clearing your plate to focus on select "yes" items. 
• You've identified that one thing, or no more than a couple of goals, to maximize your focus and success. 
• Now make it important enough to put it on your calendar as a high priority item, avoiding shifts or rescheduling where possible. 
  • Looking for exercise time? Set the clock earlier than usual or schedule it after work before distractions of home.
  • Aiming for journaling time to focus your thoughts and add clarity? Find your best rhythm in the day for it—maybe before the house wakes up or before bed to clear your mind.
  • Focusing on your business and need strategic thinking time? Calendar a couple of hours on Friday, maybe end of day when the rest of the world checks out early for the weekend. Make it a no meeting time. 

What Is  Your Goal Strategy?
​Are you a Goal Master and regularly move yourself and your goal posts further? Or do you struggle with goals and aren't quite sure what model suits you? 

I really like the remove items first approach. I'll be adding that twist to my plans this year! I'm a big fan of "start goals any time," but now does feel like a great time to prepare before January 1.

Love to hear your approach! Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn!

Is It Really a Big Deal?
The short answer is YES. It really is a big deal to have made it to 3 years in business!

Generally, one should be able to at least begin to see profit within 3 years of starting a business. This allows time for growth, firming up your business plan and market, and being able to differentiate yourself as a business rather than a hobby. This does apply to nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and authors as a "business." 


IRS Tax Deductions
TurboTax refers to an IRS "safe harbor rule" that suggests a business should be able to turn a profit in 3 of 5 consecutive years. Keeping records of your business plan, receipts, expenses, and income are critical. Every business owner has their own comfort in what deductions to attribute to a business. A tax professional is always advisable.

Mindset - From Startup to Growth
The 3-year mark is a transition reference for different challenges in a business. The first 3 years tend to have a lot of adaptations to make to find a solid path forward. Once you get past the 3rd year, you approach your business differently. You feel more in the drivers seat and ready to take on different challenges, seeking more opportunities to expand your client base, consider hiring assistance, or simply feel more confident in what you're doing.

Common Challenges - First 3 Years
There are some pretty big factors that need figured out in those first 3 years. I do a deeper dive on the first 3 years on ​this blog post. 

• Business plan: Your business needs at least a rough structure to succeed. What do you hope to achieve with your business? 
• Market fit: This will likely take some adaptations along the way to find your ideal audience and product fit. Is there a demand? What's the competition like? How can you differentiate?
• Cash flow: Do you have a sufficient reserve or plan for the lean start and initial investment? If your plan is big enough to have staff, you're able to pay salaries and stay afloat? Have you addressed the basics - can you handle the back-shop bank book/invoicing or do you have someone skilled to do so?

Small Business Survival in First 3-5 Years
A search of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shares 65-70% of small businesses succeed within their first 3 years. I did find a note that number does continue to drop over time, so survival past the 3rd year is no guarantee, simply an indicator a business has promise to succeed.

The 1st year is often driven by excitement and drive. The 2nd year shows the weak spots in cash flow, market, and business plan. The 3rd year is that golden year typically where you've sorted through the obstacles to being viable. At this point you have systems in place for your business, a customer base, and a proven concept!

You've Made It - Now What?
What does the future hold for your business past the 3rd year? You begin to look at long-term strategy.

• Scaling: What's your growth plan? Will you be expanding services, locations, or staff or you're comfortable where you're at?
• Strategic plan update: It's time to sit down to map out your next few years. You've survived the initial test! Are you in it for the long haul?
• Check your financial plan: Are you solid in your back-shop processes and accounting? You know your numbers to break even, sustain growth, and begin investing in the business or your retirement?
• Brand awareness: This is a good time to consider updating your brand visibility. Consider different marketing and outreach options. Anchor your primary supporters to become your biggest cheerleaders to draw others into the tribe! 

Where are you in your business as a nonprofit, entrepreneur, or author - first 3 years or beyond? Have you noticed a difference between the two time periods? Any advice to share?

​Love to hear from you - Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn! 

Simon Sinek - Start with Why

Book review time! I've only recently paid attention to the work of Simon Sinek. One of his earliest books, Start with Why, is hailed as a keystone sort of book, especially for business owners. Now that I've read it, I can see why.

An Oldie but a Goodie!
You can find the book on Amazon, published 2011. An Audible version was posted May 2025 as a 15th anniversary item, narrated by Sinek. He has a smooth, entertaining voice. Anything read by an author tends to get higher on my list! I was able to enjoy it for free through Libby, an audio app connected to many libraries. 

Generally About Start with Why
The book is filled with corporate examples to illustrate his point for individuals and businesses to start with their "why." He highlights a few companies repeatedly as they simply exemplify his message. I'll admit, I got a little bogged down in the middle, but it picked up for me as he got closer to the end with chapters 10-14 noteworthy beyond the first couple of chapters describing the concept. 

The Golden Circle

This was really the core concept of the book and most easily describes Start with Why. Business owners, small or large, don't necessarily begin with a clear "why," but you have to develop one you can articulate if you have any hope of continuing beyond year three as a business. 

Why 3 Years?
Three Years is considered a key transition time for businesses to mark surviving start-up and transitioning to a sustainable business. Refer to this blog post reviewing the general 3 year business lifecycle. 

Understanding The Golden Circle
Let's define the pieces of The Golden Circle.

• Why: This is really the crux of why you do what you do—WHY are you even in business? This is asking beyond the surface level of "To make money." Why THIS? Why NOW? As Simon calls it, "WHY is a purpose, cause, or belief. It's the very reason your organization exists."
• How: This is what makes you special or sets you apart from competitors—your process.
• What: Many start with What - this is the product or service you aim to sell or provide. This is the most easily identifiable aspect of your business. 

Is Why REALLY That Important?
You betcha. Simon offered many examples in his book about corporations rising to success - big ones like Walmart, Apple, Southwest Airlines, and Starbucks - who "got fuzzy" about their Why as founding leaders and corporations faced transitions. It seemed a company remained viable as long as the founder and the corporate WHY was (literally) alive and connected with the business. Once a "What" or "How" style leader became the corporate head, often where money became the object or most visible metric of success, that's where corporations faced challenges to even remain viable, typically with reputations taking a severe hit. 

This Applies to Small Businesses
Yes, my nonprofits, fellow entrepreneurs, and authors—this applies to us "little guys" as well. If we have any hope of lasting past Year 3 and becoming sustainable, we must create that Why if we didn't begin with one clearly in mind. 

Focusing on What and How
Sometimes, you identify a need or a benefit you can offer and you simply start running, figuring things out as you go. That's fine to start. You typically have SOME Why in mind as you go, but it may be fuzzy to start, needs shaped, or adapts a bit in those three years to become viable and suit market interest. 

However, for your business to sustain, you must formalize your Why and be able to say it clearly to others. This becomes your rock or "North Star" to weigh decisions that arise.

Staying True to Your Why
Sure, it may still flex as you continue, but likely only a limited amount unless you decide to change businesses, which happens. What and How will regularly adapt as your business grows and evolves. But your Why should remain your core.

What About You?
Do you have your Why in mind? If not, are you working on fleshing it out?

I'm working on the words to update my About page to focus more on my Why. Love to hear your Why and your journey to discover it! Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn!

Are You Struggling to Move Forward?

Sometimes, we're our own worst enemy—standing in our own way! 

Maybe you're thinking of starting a business or book or blog or anything, but you're stuck in the "some day" or "thinking about it" stage. 

Maybe you started that thing but it's stalled and isn't really moving forward. The day-to-day is happening but the excitement and fire are gone. You've gotten bogged down in survival mode or simply doing all the steps—wash, rinse, repeat. 

How to Move On
A recent podcast episode from Joe Pulizzi inspired today's post with some suggestions that may energize you. The suggestions noted here were listed in his podcast as excerpts from his new book, Burn the Playbook. It is definitely on my buy list after listening to the podcast. Purchasing from Joe directly gives you a ton of extra resources. As he notes in his podcast, there's no need to implement all of his mindset ideas at once—that's a perfect recipe for failure. Instead, pick one. Start there.

6 Mindset Shifts - Joe Pulizzi

• From drifting to goal driven
• Lean into your crazy
• From tilt to mastery of repetition
• Create before you consume
• Get better friends
• Sell every day

From Drifting to Goal Driven
Goals are anchors. Write them. Speak them. Track them. You'll get further than if you have none and float along. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there" as the Cheshire Cat effectively told Alice in Wonderland. 

Joe suggests reviewing your BIG goal weekly, if not morning and night, to really ingrain it. Weigh every decision against that goal. Does your action serve to get closer to your goal? 

• Write like you've achieved your goal: "I PUBLISHED my book," "I RECORDED 52 podcasts" (reflects weekly podcast schedule), "I LOST 30 pounds" - you get the idea. Joe shares Billy Joel's goal was to "Play music every day and pay the bills." It doesn't need to be fancy.
• Misogi Challenge: This is a method for goal setting based on an ancient Japanese ritual explained well on this blog post. The idea is to choose one big audacious goal that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Make it so big that there's a 50/50 chance you won't achieve it, while focusing on growth, not competition. 
• 60/60/1 Goal Challenge: The idea is for the first 60 minutes of every day x 60 days, focus on ONE big high-priority goal. No surfing social media. No diversions - those can wait. If your focus is on health, it may be when you get your walk, run, or exercise accomplished. 

Lean into Your Crazy
Identify your "tilt" as Joe calls it. Find your unique set of skills, quirks, and passions. "I help (who) with (what) so they can benefit (how)."

From Tilt to Mastery of Repetition
"Repetition is branding, not redundancy" - Joe Pulizzi. We've all heard various numbers of how often you need to say something before someone actually hears it, anywhere from 7-20x!

Create Before You Consume
This is along the 60/60/1 goal idea. Even if you don't follow that philosophy, focus on your goal before you indulge in social media or surfing the news or random entertainment. Focus for your first hour on what you aim to achieve. Consider a time audit for a week to see where you have opportunities to be more focused, capturing those mindless surfing times or how frequently you're checking email. 

Get Better Friends
This one cracks me up, but he has a point! You are who you surround yourself with. Be inspired by being with inspiring people who challenge you to do more or be better. Joe flips this and suggests your crew determines your ceiling - I like that. Build your core group of friends intentionally. Joe suggests a few types:

• Truth Teller​: someone who can and will be brutally honest with you
• Super Fan: we all need a cheerleader in our corner!
• Expert: a mentor, someone a bit further ahead than you are
• Peer: someone in the thick of it as you are, someone to commiserate with
• Connector: a networker, someone who knows a lot of people and can get you introduced

Sell Every Day!
Somewhere along the line, we grew up thinking sales is icky. "Sales" is no more than sharing your opportunity with others! Why wouldn't just the right person want and need to work with you! If you're in business for yourself, you're obligated to share the news. Don't think of it as selling if you're getting hung up on that word. 

How Is Your Year Going?
We're starting Q4 - fourth quarter of the year. No one says you need to start goals on January 1. You can start them any time—including now—or take this opportunity to update what you may have going. 

I'd love to hear how you're doing on your goals! I'd be thrilled to be someone you can run some ideas by if you're looking to bounce some ideas off of someone. Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn! 

Where Are You in Your Goal Plans?


June 1 is the perfect mid-year point for a goal check! We're a tad past that and on the downhill slide of the year, but any time is a good time to check on goal progress—take stock and reset as needed.

First Question - Are You Even a Goal Setter?
Not everyone is! I do my best to come up with a few (and only a few!) focused goals for a given new year, but I invariably fall off the rigorous bandwagon. My independent "roll with the punches" nature struggles to maintain daily goal tracking. I've tried. Multiple times.

A more fluid quarterly (at most) check works better for me to ensure I'm at least flowing in the right direction. So let it be said - no shame for not being a goal setter!



No Time Like the Present!
There's also no calendar you need to be tied to. So it's not January 1. You can start any time in the year that suits you, even if it's completely random such as July 31! Simply start with today, whatever day that is. 

NOW What?
There are a thousand-and-one Goal Gurus who will be happy to sell you their philosophy on how to best achieve your goals. You've likely tried a few of those! 

I'm a big fan of the KISS principle - Keep It Simple, Stupid! You know best how your brain works for how to create and monitor goals and keep yourself on track. 

• Jon Acuff is a "goal guru" I follow who has some great ideas about goals. I fell off the daily tracking wagon after a few months last year, but his basic categories are a useful framework for reference.
• April Perry of Learn. Do. Become. suggests no more than 8 goals at any one time (too many for me) and bases hers on Me, Family, and Beyond. (I think my speed is more like no more than one in each category!)
• I've even caught recent podcasts advocating for only one "big, hairy, audacious goal" (thank you, Jim Collins) and all other smaller goals work toward that one. 
• You may prefer a few categories for your goals such as Personal, Finance, Health, Work, Volunteer, or Family for how your goals resonate for you. I need more focus to make any progress in this regard!

What's Next?
You've got your goals, either from earlier this year or just created. Now comes the tracking piece. 

• ​Spreadsheets - numbers across the top (calendar/date reference, new tab by month), simple yes/no one/zero number sum at the end of a month. How often did you put in time toward your goal?
• Journaling - leave yourself notes on your progress
• Win Jar - this is more for visual folks where you drop a penny, bead, or something in a jar to show "did something" toward your goal to reward yourself with a treat once full or see how successful you've been. Think "swear jar" as a reference point. It can be as mason jar simple or fancy as you'd like! Pinterest and Amazon are your friends here. 

How's It Going!
Those ideas help get you started if you haven't tackled goals for the year yet but would like to. 

For those who have set goals, how's progress! Are you making gains in work/life balance? Health? Financial? Family focus? Social or even Spiritual? 

Personal Report
My goals this year have been more about maintaining what's working to stay consistent with a few new ones thrown into the mix. 

• Maintaining consistency
  • Health - daily walk: generally on track with only slight modifications in distance and timing to accommodate local conditions. (* I'm writing this in July in Phoenix, AZ - it's 110 degrees this week so walks have shifted to extra early, in the dark, and occasionally slightly less if needed for sleep + work timing)
  • Work/life balance - nightly cross-stitch: helps me unwind before bed. Aiming to improve on this one, tough for me to maintain as I work later than I should many nights.
  • Work - weekly blog posts: this has finally become real this year thanks to committing a time to go to a co-working session at a local library. Added bonus: social + networking opportunity! 
• New this year
  • Work - monthly business newsletter: in process but hasn't happened yet. I'm fighting procrastination and perfectionism on this one and need to just get started, heeding the advice I give clients! Time is also a factor - maybe I need another locked in the calendar co-working session to make steady regular progress rather than hold myself to one long marathon session. Working on a business rebrand with a client load is holding up newsletter production as well. In process with lots of thoughts!
  • Health - add weight training or balance work to daily walks: not happening at all at this time. Likely time to admit defeat and move on for now—try again in the future. Layering more exercise on top of the daily walks I enjoy is too much.
  • Family/Home - transition a craft room into a sitting room for my college kids: after a year of not touching this project, Daughter #2 poked me at just the right time to take action on this. Pleased with the progress made over one weekend. Now to find ways to continue to inspire myself to keep going.

Status Check - Your Turn!
Love to hear how your year is going, with or without goals! Are you making progress toward reaching your dreams in personal or work life? Let's Chat by email or connect on LinkedIn to message! I'm here to cheer for you!