| 20 #Handmade Business Resolutions For 2012 Posted: 31 Dec 2011 10:56 AM PST These are present tense “resolutions.” Read them a few times, and then say them aloud to yourself as often as possible throughout the year. This is a great list to refer back to over and over again. 
These resolutions are not about what you will do. They are about what you are doing. Let’s make it happen in 2012! - I am not in the passion pit. I know that passion is not a business model. I do not allow my passion for my work to thwart my ability to make solid business decisions. Read about avoiding the passion pit.
- I do not spend too much time sitting at a computer . While I will invest time on FaceBook, Twitter, etc., so I can market my business, I will take breaks to maintain my health.>
- I use technology wisely. I know that the growth of my business depends on my wise and consistent us of technology. I am proactive about learning how technology can help me, and then taking action to make it happen.
- I always bring my A Game. I do my best, but that’s just for starters. I always bring my A Game, and I insist on results.
- I watch my money. I plan and account for every penny I spend. I use credit wisely. I borrow money to create leverage. I do not borrow money on a whim. I do not borrow money unless I have a plan to pay it back.
- I maintain my own branded media outlets. I create and publish content that bears my brand name, so I can expand my platform, reach more prospective customers, and create new business opportunities for myself.
- I drink lots of water. Water keeps my body hydrated so it can feel and perform well. I drink as much as I can every day.
- I attend local business networking events regularly. I create and nurture professional relationships in my local community by attending local events that offer opportunities to learn from and support other Indies. (You can start with the Worldwide Indie Business Meetup in your town on January 14, 2012!
- I support other handmade businesses. Not only do I like their FaceBook Pages, but when possible, I buy products and services from other creative people who work for themselves.
- When I learn something, I pass it on. I have a responsibility to pay it forward. I do not divulge my trade secrets without compensation, nor should I be expected to. Otherwise I pay it forward.
- I eat as healthfully as possible. I enjoy cakes and cookies, but I know my body. I eat as healthfully as possible, and I am always learning about new ways to maintain a more healthy diet.
- I splurge on myself. I am worth it. A special facial, a new string of pearls, a new purse. I work hard and I deserve to splurge on myself now and then.
- I have a coach and/or mastermind group to help me be accountable and grow. I am proactive about seeking out people who can help me grow and succeed. I and my business are worth
- I know what I want from my business. I am not in business just because it’s fun. I am not in business just to make money. My business produces specific things that I want in my life. I know what those things are and I pursue them diligently.
- I maintain a dynamic business plan. My business plan does not sit on a shelf. It is alive and vibrant with each action I perform in my business. I review my plan often to eliminate what’s nor working, tweak what should be working and add new things. My plan is dynamic. My business does not bore me, and it does not bore my customers.
- I read. A lot.. Because readers are leaders, I invest a significant amount of time reading books and magazines that I enjoy and which can help me achieve my goals. Start with Indie Business Book Club!
- I charge what my products and services are worth. I am entitled to make as much money as I can with the talents and gifts I have been given, and the education and experiences I have accumulated. I charge what my products are worth. I am fair to myself and to my customers.
- I am a woman (or man) of influence. The actions I take in my business lead to the expansion of my sphere of influence. This allows me to be successful in all of my current endeavors, as I also pave the way for success in my future ones. (Read about becoming a woman of influence.
- I do not waste time watching television. And I am not replacing the television with the Internet either.
- I create multiple streams of assets. I am not just creating income streams. I am creating assets. Whether it’s a blog, a podcast, an e-book, a new product line or a new website, every asset I create gives birth to new opportunities for me to help more people and generate more income. (Read more about what I think of multiple streams of income.
Question: Can you share your handmade business resolutions in the comments? Remember to write them in the present tense? Pin It |
| Define Your A Game Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:48 PM PST Yesterday, I shared a post containing tips to help you bring your A Game into the New Year. After I published it, I realized I didn’t define A Game. This post does that. Of course, “doing your best” and other useless phrases came to mind. But the truth is that whether you’ve brought your A Game does not depend on whether you’ve done your best. It depends on the results you produce. 
Oh, I know. That’s not fair. After all, all you can do is your best right? Well, sorry. In business, you are not judged by how hard you try, but on the results you produce. Therefore, any useful definition of A Game must incorporate not just doing your best, but producing results. Here’s the definition I came up with: Your A Game is an fierce, undeniable, and obvious intention to achieve specific goals, which intention manifests itself as those goals are achieved.
Here are a few “up close and personal, in the trenches” tips to help you bring your A Game, not just in the big picture (which we discussed yesterday), but also in every moment, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year. - Be prepared. Your A Game won’t show up if you have a B Game mentality. You may accomplish things with your B Game, but they won’t be nearly as good as what you can accomplish with your A Game.
For example, to bring the A Game my guest and audience deserve to my weekly podcast, I must prepare by reading the guest’s book and biographical information in advance of our live taping. When I don’t, it shows, and I do my guest and my audience a disservice. Whether it’s a sales call with a prospective customer or a new product launch, everyone can tell when you are not prepared. No preparation, no A Game. - Be physically fit. This could be easy for you, or it could be hard — like it is for me. (Ugh.) I’ve lived for months, in a row intentionally fitting physical fitness into every day. I’ve also lived months in a row not fitting physical fitness into every day. Through these experiences, I have learned that without a daily workout of some kind, it is nearly possible for me to bring my A Game. That doesn’t mean I’m unproductive on days when I don’t work out. But my A Game generally eludes me on those days.
When I incorporate daily fitness into my life, my productivity soars through the roof. After a workout, I bring my A Game to everything and everybody. And by the way, for each of the months when I didn’t squeeze in a daily workout, I would swear to you on a stack of holy books that I “did my best.” And you know what? Yadda yadda yadda. It doesn’t matter. This is a constant challenge for me, but as Oprah would say, this I know for sure: no physical fitness, no A Game. - Nurture your personal relationships. Personal relationships can either encourage or discourage your A Game. To bring your A Game to your business, you must carefully nurture the personal relationships in your life.
The burden of unresolved issues in your intimate relationships will always hinder your A Game. Address issues in those relationships. Don’t let them fester. Bring up the hard stuff, talk it through. Agree to disagree if you must, but resolve the issues. Don’t let them build up over time so much that, no matter what you do, your A Game eludes you. No nurtured personal relationships, no A Game. Just like it takes hard work and heavy lifting to define your muscles, it also takes hard work and heavy lifting to define and then deliver your A Game day in and day out. You can do it. I can too. 2012 is nearly here. Let's do it together! Question: How do you define your A Game? I’d love to hear your definition!  |
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