How To Make a To Do List! :)

I don't know about you, but I LOVE making my to-do list. No feeling of failure, frustration or any other negative emotions. My to-do list is productive and effective.
My to-do list SAVES me so much time and is the PUSHING force of my success. I FULLY and COMPLETELY believe in making to-do lists. If I didn't believe in it, I wouldn't recommend it to you.

Inspired by Chalene Johnson's 30 Day Push. 

• Master a carefully crafted and diligently maintained to-do list
• Develop and honor your priorities
• Set, refine and achieve meaningful goals
• Accomplish your tasks everyday for remarkable and efficient productivity 
• Learn how to make healthily habits and destroy the bad ones 

First Step:  Determine your priorities.

What is most important to you? What do you really want? 

*Write down your top 3 priorities:This is a MUST and "will not compromise" kind of list.

Second Step:
A. Write down really HUGE BIG goals that you want to accomplish THIS YEAR( but they still make sense and are realistic for you)! Don't just write goals down the goals that you know you will accomplish or that will be easy for you. It's healthy to challenge and push yourself. This is a brainstorm. It can be messy. :) Just make sure you get all your ideas down on paper! ( Don't worry neat freaks, we will organize this soon!) Just write down everything that comes to mind. :)

Make sure your brain storm includes a list of ten goals that represent all areas of your life. - We want to create balance. :)

• health
• work
• family
• finance
• personal relationships
• and you! what can you do to feed your soul, body and mind? :) What would make you happier that you can start doing? :) 

*Goals need to be measurable and specific.

DIG DEEP! This is YOUR year! :D No limits, no boundaries… it's just you and your dreams. What is holding you back?
NOTHING!  That's right! NOTHING! Make it happen!

Third Step: Find your push goal!
Before you can find your push goal, you must first organize your brainstorm. Prioritize. Re-write your brain storm in the order you want to accomplish your goals.
What do you want to get done THIS month?
What do you want to get done this week?

PUSH GOAL: a goal that makes all the other goals happen. :)

For example, these are my 10 goals for 2013 and my push goals. -- You will usually have two push goals, but mine was a unique case.

Fourth Step: Important Person Promise
Make a promise to several people whose opinion matters to you; people who you would feel awful if you let them down.

Fifth Step: To-Do List
From the 10 goals that you have come with for this year, you are now going to come up with a small action step that you can take every day that will bring you closer to your BIG AMAZING dreams. :)

Here are some guidelines about making your to-do lists to help YOU be the most productive and effective you can be! :)

• Make your to- do list at the same time , same place every day
• Keep your to- do list with you at all times
• Add two or three small steps that will move you forward on your list everyday
• Review and revisit your list every at least hour or two hours

Sixth: Step: Make the habit stick!

If you have the iPhone, Awesome Note is an amazing tool! -- Might as well make this fun if it isn't already fun for you. :)

Set alarms on your phone to remind you to check or write your to list. :)
Also,  the guidelines above will help making this a habit.

And there you have it! Enjoy making your to do list and dreaming! :)

Brian Tracy's 12- Step Method to setting and achieving your goals!

Since goal setting and self discipline is the theme of this month for me, I thought I would share this video I came across called, "Brian Tracy's 12- Step Method to setting and achieving your goals".

I'm quite a nerd when it comes to goal setting and to-do lists. ;) When I saw this video I was sooo excited and interested!

For those who would much rather read and get straight to the point, feel free to scroll below to where are all the hard cold facts are of basis of what was said in the video, "Brian Tracy's 12- Step Method to setting and achieving your goals". :)
But for those nerds out there, like me, here is the video. -- Have fun!! :D

BRIAN TRACY"S 12-STEP METHOD TO SETTING AND ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS!

Step 1: Decide EXACTLY what you want in ALL areas of your life!
Here are some tips before we begin:
*** The important key in is to have clarity.

This is a practice of idealization: idealizing your perfect life.

Do NOT have self limiting beliefs (i.e. fear) because it holds you back and is NOT based on reality.

*** What is your 5 year fantasy? Project forward, what do you want your life to look like in 5 years?

You may also practice the "Quick List Method"-write down your top 3 goals in 30 seconds. This is very accurate whether you had 30 minutes or 3 hours.

Let's get started! Let us commence the dreaming phase! :D

1st area: INCOME
Ask yourself, "If my lie was perfect, what would my INCOME be?"
-Career?
-Position?
-Earnings?
-Business?
What is your FIRST step to making this happen?

2nd area: FAMILY
Ask yourself, "If my life was perfect, what would my family look like?"
-Relationships?
-Children?
-Lifestyle?
-Vacations?

What is your FIRST step to making this happen?

3rd area: HEALTH
Ask yourself, "If my life was perfect, how would my health be?"
-Weight?
-Exercise ability
-Energy Level
-Immunity

What is your FIRST step to making this happen?

4th area: NET WORTH
Ask yourself, "If my life was perfect, what would my net worth be?"
-Wealth?
-Retirement?
-401K?
-Life Insurance Policy?

What is your FIRST step to making this happen?

*** The hardest part of success is taking the first step! - You can do it!

Step 2: Write it ALL down!!! - Make it a reality! And remember to make sure you are setting SMART goals!

Step 3: Set deadlines and sub-deadlines.

Step 4: Identify your obstacles.

- Ask yourself, "Why haven't I already accomplished this goal?"
#1 reason are your excuses. EW!
DESTROY your excuses! -- Or as I call them, monsters. Destroy the little ( yes, little) monsters that are mentally holding you back from accomplishing your goal(s)!

Theory of Constraints: there is always one limiting factor or constraint that sets the speed at which you achieve your goal.
What is yours?

The 80/20 Rule Applies…
-80%of the reasons that are holding you back are inside you.
-20% of the reasons are outside yourself

Some reasons may be lack of knowledge and/or skill but that you CAN learn!

Step 5: Identify the knowledge, information and skills you will need to have and know in order to achieve your goal(s) ( to be in the TOP 10% of your field- if that is what you wish).
#1 Weakest skill- sets the hight of your success but improving your weakest skill would help you make the MOST money.
What is your weakest skill?
What is the #1 skill that would make you the most successful? What are you best at? What areas can you improve in? HOW can you improve your weakest skill?

Step 6: Identify people who will help you achieve your goal. - You can never make it to the top all on your own.
- Make a list of every person in your life that you will have to with or work around to achieve your goal(s).
-Identify customers. - > Ask yourself, "What is in it for them?"
-The most successful people are those who build and maintain the largest networks of other people whom they can help and who can help them in return.
-Be a "go giver" rather than a "go getter".
-The more people you know and know you in a positive way, the more successful you will be.

Step 7: Make a list of EVERYTHING you will HAVE to do to achieve your goal(s).
- Combine the obstacles that you will have to overcome, the knowledge and skills you will have to develop and the people whose cooperation you will require.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"

"You can build the biggest wall in the world one brick at a time."

Have a "I can do that!" attitude.

"Anything can be accomplished if you break it down into small enough steps"

Step 8: Organize your list by sequence
- What do you have to do before you can do something else? What's the order?
-Next organic your list by PRIORITY >> What is more important and what is less important?
*** Remember the 80/20 Rule: 80% of the reasons holding you back are inside you. Get your priorities straight. Sit down and write them out.

Step 9:  Make a PLAN! >> A CALL TO ACTION
*Be a planner!
- Plan each day, each week, and month in advance.
-Plan each month at the beginning of the month.
-Plan each week the weekend before.
-Plan each day the night before.

Step 10: Select the most important task for each day.
Ask yourself, "If I could do ONE thing all long, which one activity would contribute the most value to my work and to my goals?"

Step 11: Develop the habit of self discipline!
- Make a to-do list
- Set priorities
-Do the most important thing first!
-Once you have decided on your most important goals task, resolve to concentrate single mindedly on that one task until it is 100% complete!
-Once you have developed the habit of completing your tasks, you will earn 2,3 and even 5x as much as other people are earning!

*** Confidence grows when more and bigger tasks are completed

Step 12: Practice visualization of your goals
-Create clear vidid exciting emotional pictures of your goals as if they were already a reality
-A mental picture combined with an emotion has an enormous impact on your subconscious and on your superconscious mind.

Go to open houses that look like your dream home. Touch the walls, take in the scenery, truly feel how it would feel to live in this house. Would you feel successful, wealthy, proud, happy?
Test drive your dream car.
Hold that designer purse you have always wanted.
Try on clothes that you wish to one day purchase.

This concludes "Brian Tracy's 12-Step Method to setting and achieving your goals". I hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful.
*** This is ALL Brian Tracy's research and knowledge. I DO NOT own any of it. I just wanted to share it with you. <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

 

Make GOALS NOT resolutions PLUS How to reverse engineer your goals! :)

 

 Okay, come on... we both know that you didn't complete your 2012 resolution(s). So why would you in 2013? 

It's okay though. I understand. Resolutions are TOO STRESSFUL. They are, aren't they? I mean, geez louise, they are TOO BIG and they can make you feel so overwhelmed. When I think of resolutions, I think of making this HUGE wonderful goal for your self, and then months later you're crying in a corner (Okay maybe not to that extreme) from beating yourself up from not doing ONE action step to accomplish that BIG fantastic goal you had. We create these cycles of making promises to ourselves and then breaking them. It is easy to break promises to ourselves, especially when we set goals that are too GINORMOUS to ever complete. 

Face it, most people don't like change. 

But NOT YOU! No sireee. Well, you may be afraid of change, but soon enough you will LOVE it. It won't seem so daunting and scary. I promise. :) You have come to the right place. Let's get you started RIGHT so you can FINALLY accomplish your vision for the New Year. :)  

First of all, we want to break EVERYTHING down or reverse engineer.  Sooo.... :) 

STEP 1: Create YOUR vision of 2013. 

What does it look like?

• Do you want to re-decorate your home? Do you want to do some re-modeling? Do you want to move into a bigger/ smaller/ nicer home? Do you want to live in a different location? 
• Do you wish to travel? 
• Do you wish to cook? 
• Do you wish to revamp your style/ wardrobe? 
• Do you want to build your own business? Continue to build your business to greater heights?  Do you want to get a promotion? Do you want to find a higher paying job? 
• Is there a project you have been wanting to complete? 
• Do you want/ need to be more organized? 
• Do you wish to improve your health/ fitness? 
• Do you wish to improve your productivity level? 
• Do you want to spend more time with your kids? 
• Do you want to buy a new car? 
• Do you want to learn something new (learn how to speak foreign language, learn how to play a musical instrament, take painting/ drawing/ caligraphy classes)? 
• Do you want to finish school or start taking classes? 

 

 

 

 Start off 2013 RIGHT! Get organized!

As you can see, you are limitless. :) In this process just brainstorm. Don't be afraid to be messy. Write EVERY single idea you have for yourself and possibly even others in this new year of 2013 and maybe even in the coming years. :) Take a sheet or sheets of paper and a pencil and a blue pen and begin writing. :) Allow all your ideas to flow onto your paper.

STEP 2: Organize your ideas in the order you wish to complete them in. Which ones are the most important? Which ones do you want to start working on right away?

STEP 3:
A. Time to reverse engineer! :D I absolutely LOVE it. This will be a two-step process
Currently, my boyfriend and I are in the process of working towards our goal of moving into our very own 1st apartment together. We did NOT put a date on it. (I know everyone says to put a date on when you are going to complete your goal... However, the universe is much smarter than you when it comes to these types of things. You can be pretty vague with this part. My boyfriend and I just said in 2-6 months we will have the funds to live on our own. That is our goal but we are still open and okay if it happens sooner or if it takes a little bit longer. Does that make sense?) After we made this HUGE amazing goal, we reversed engineered it!
We asked ourselves:

1. What is the minimum amount of money we will need to live on our own? 
2.  What furniture will we need?
3. Do we want a home phone?
4. What will we need for the bedroom/ bathroom/ living room? 
5. What needs to happen so that  the packing experience and moving day is a smooth transition?
6. How much will food/ other neccesities/ electric/ internet... cost per month? 

 

We asked ourselves a lot more questions and came up with many more ideas and actions steps that we have to take.Basically, this part is about doing your research and becoming prepared for ALL aspects of your goals

B. Next, we have to reverse engineer one last time. :) This part of about the "how". In this step, ask yourself, "What do I have to do to meet this goal?"

For example,  for 1. "What is the minimum amount of money we will need to live on our own?" we came up with $2,500 -$3,000, depending on the type of floor plan we go with. Then we asked our selves, "How can we conjointly make that amount of money?" "What steps can we take to be able to make that amount of money a month?"
We asked each other these types of questions or everything we wrote down in Step 3 Part A.
For 2. "Where would we buy our furniture?" "How much do you think it will all cost?"
For 3. We researched phone/ internet payment plans.
Get the picture?
Isn't it so much nicer when you break it all down and when you can research and figure out the answers to all your questions? :) It doesn't seem so daunting now, does it? :)

STEP 4: This is the last step! :) You made it! Now after all the research you have done, you can finally put what you have broken down to work! Our goal is to put these into little bit sized pieces until we can say we ate the whole thing without over feeding our-self!
Do you keep a to do list? Well, you better start making one! :) Now we are going to add those small action steps into your to do list. :)
For example, with our reverse engineered goal of making $2,500-$3,000 a month, we decided that I need work and build my business and that he (my boyfriend) needs to work x amount of hours x amount of days of the week. :)
*** Reverse engineered my business separately, so those action steps that I need to take are already taken care of and have become habits. :)

Second example: If you wanted to reorganize and clean out your garage.
You would find a time where you could take time to clean your garage every week, like every Saturday you would spend a focused 2 hours cleaning and reorganizing your garage
1) You would create, "throw away" "give away" "keep" "sell" piles little bit by little bit
2) Create walk ways
3)  You Would work from the outside in
Then before you know it, you could organize a garage sale! :)



WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 10 2013 goals?