goals

Why You Should Forget Your New Year’s Resolutions!

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ Leave a comment

It’s the 1st day of January! Have you come up with a set of New Year’s resolutions? Are you afraid that you will “fall off the wagon” with some of the resolutions for yourself and business? 

Instead of resolutions for the New Year; why not think about “solutions” that you can achieve this year for yourself and business. I believe that goal setting is also a great way to come up with these solutions. Additionally, establishing “SMART” goals for the year will assist with your “solutions.”

So, what exactly are SMART goals and how do you have them? I am glad you asked! 🙂 Quick history lesson, the SMART acronym first appeared in the November 1981 Management Review.  “There’s a S.M.A.R.T way to write management goals and objectives,” shares George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham.

The five criteria include:

Specific: Target a specific area for improvement

Measurable: Quantify, or at least suggest, an indicator of progress

Assignable: Specify who will do it

Realistic: State what results can realistically be achieved given available resources.

Time-related: Specify when the result can be achieved.

Remember, goals are important and serve as an effective strategy in making plans happen.  You might be familiar with the quote by Benjamin Franklin, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  Planning is essential to your goals.  It is important that your goals are not just something in your head, but rather doable steps. Additionally, you need a process that aligns with what you should do when it comes to your goals. 

The success of you and your business depends on your ability to set and achieve goals. Remember, it’s a new year, however it also requires a new mindset and doing things differently!

Advertisement

Why You Should Forget Your New Year’s Resolutions!

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ Leave a comment

It’s the 15th day of January! Have you already found that you haven’t met your New Year’s resolutions? Have you “fallen off the wagon” already with some of the resolutions for yourself and business? 

Instead of resolutions for the New Year; why not think about “solutions” that you can achieve this year for yourself and business. I believe that goal setting is also a great way to come up with these solutions. Additionally, establishing “SMART” goals for the year will assist with your “solutions.”

So, what exactly are SMART goals and how do you have them? I am glad you asked! 🙂 Quick history lesson, the SMART acronym first appeared in the November 1981 Management Review.  “There’s a S.M.A.R.T way to write management goals and objectives,” shares George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham.

The five criteria include:

Specific: Target a specific area for improvement

Measurable: Quantify, or at least suggest, an indicator of progress

Assignable: Specify who will do it

Realistic: State what results can realistically be achieved given available resources.

Time-related: Specify when the result can be achieved.

Remember, goals are important and serve as an effective strategy in making plans happen.  You might be familiar with the quote by Benjamin Franklin, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  Planning is essential to your goals.  It is important that your goals are not just something in your head, but rather doable steps. Additionally, you need a process that aligns with what you should do when it comes to your goals. 

The success of you and your business depends on your ability to set and achieve goals. Remember, it’s a new year, however it also requires a new mindset and doing things differently!

3 Ways to Get Moving in March!

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ 2 Comments

business-graphics-1236315It’s the third month of the year! Have you found yourself slowing down since the beginning of the year?  It is important to have focus and clarity so you are able to get moving!

Here are 3 ways:

  1. Make it happen! If what you wanted to achieve these past couple months didn’t occur then it’s time to make it happen now. At the beginning of the year, I shared in a blog post about having solutions versus resolutions. When your solutions are relative to goals (and S-M-A-R-T) ones, it helps in staying on target. The quote by Dan Pink sums it up:

“People fail to achieve mastery not because they aren’t talented but because they aren’t disciplined!”

  1. Keep things in perspective! Remember the big picture. What are the steps that you will need to take to secure that big client or achieve that next goal? Your smaller steps are what will lead you to the big picture.  Just remember, do not think everything should be perfect. It is more important to just get moving!
  1. Accentuate the positive! There is power in positive thinking. It can make or break your day. I had a mentor that would commonly say, “you create the weather in your department and so what’s the forecast today?” Are you walking around spreading sunshine or swirling around like a tornado? Your mindset and positive thinking assists in the ability to land that next client or achieve that next goal. So get moving with the power of positive thinking!

And the bonus way–

Maximize your time! Prioritize and organize your day so that you are able to accomplish your “to do” list. However, do not put so much pressure on yourself because of the other 3 ways we have mentioned in this post.

If you are expecting different results than your approach or method should be different. Don’t worry there is a part 2 coming along with more ways! In the meantime what are you waiting on…get moving in March!

 

 

 

Are Your Goals SMART?

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ Leave a comment

img_8128What goals did you set this year? Do you find that you always start out with good intentions but are unable to cross the finish line when it comes to your goals? If you didn’t catch our last blog post, I shared that you should say no to new year’s resolutions.  Instead, think about solutions that you can achieve in your business.  You can even take this a step further and apply this to your personal goals.  One way to think about doing this is through goal setting.

Goals are important and serve as an effective strategy in making plans happen.  Many are familiar with the quote by Benjamin Franklin, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”  Planning is essential to your goals.  It is important that your goals are not just something in your head, but rather doable steps. Additionally, you need a process that aligns with what you should do when it comes to your goals.

So, what exactly are SMART goals and how do you have them? I am glad you asked! 🙂 Quick history lesson, the SMART acronym first appeared in the November 1981 Management Review.  “There’s a S.M.A.R.T way to write management goals and objectives,” shares George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham.

The five criteria include:

Specific: Target a specific area for improvement

Measurable: Quantify, or at least suggest, an indicator of progress

Assignable: Specify who will do it

Realistic: State what results can realistically be achieved given available resources.

Time-related: Specify when the result can be achieved.

Are your goals SMART? If not, start the year off with SMART goals. The success of your business depends on your ability to set and achieve goals. Remember, it’s a new year, however it also requires a new mindset and doing things differently! So get started being SMART today! 🙂

 

Are You Overthinking Everything? Here are 3 Ways to Stop!

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever thought over and over again about a project, task, or plan that you had to complete?  Did you think, “if I just make a decision than I can just move on and not stall my progress?” This can happen as you pursue both personal and professional goals with your business. girl-thinking

We have all been there before.  It is easy to overthink a situation when just making a decision could relieve you of the pressure. However, it’s when we do not move forward that we stagnate or even paralyze our growth and progress.

So what can you do to not overthink when it comes to your project, tasks, or plans?  Here are a few tips:

1) Just start! Sometimes the fear of getting started or thinking it might not go according to plan can hinder you from making a decision. Remember, don’t let the start stop you. Don’t feel like the moment has to be perfect.

2) Allow yourself to shift gears! When you are driving a car and shifting gears, you have to adjust based upon the road, hill, or what is around you. The same applies when taking on a project. You have to prepare for the bumps or challenges that might come your way.

3) Allow yourself the opportunity to make mistakes! When you are working on your success, remember that you might make some mistakes along the way. It doesn’t mean that you have failed.  The key is learning from them.  We absolutely love the subtitle from Sam Weinman’s new book, “Win at Losing.”  It is true that, “our biggest setbacks can lead to our greatest gains.”

So stop overthinking! Put that project, task, or plan in motion!

 

How To Plan For Success

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ Leave a comment

What dreams and goals have you achieved this year with your business? Have you taken action steps toward your dreams and goals? Have you been intentional with your success? I love the quote by Pat Summitt, “set a goal that stretches you, requires exceptional effort, but one that you can reach.” It requires exceptional effort because your dreams aren’t just going to happen!

One of my many goals this year was to create an event that was designed with entrepreneurs (or aspiring entrepreneurs) in mind committed to building their businesses. And since a good discussion is always even better with food…why not discuss “Biz over Brunch?”

As the visionary and host of the Biz Plus Brunch event and also being an entrepreneur, there are so many words that describe the life of a business owner. I think of words such as marketing, promotion, branding, strategies, challenges, clients, customers, networking, connections, mission, vision, and success.  These are just a few…okay maybe a dozen but as you can see we could easily add even more! The great news is that we are providing entrepreneurs the opportunity to talk “Biz over Brunch!”

I would like to personally invite you to the event that was designed with the entrepreneur in mind!  The topics will include:

  • Strategies to create and promote your services/products to clients
  • How to market and brand your business to attract clients
  • Keys to successful networking connections
  • How to create your very own “2016 Business Success Wall”

Join us for great food, fun, speakers, gifts, and more. Check out the flyer and click the link below to register. I can’t wait to see you there. And don’t forget to invite a fellow entrepreneur, friend, or your family. It’s time to plan for success!

 

Biz Plus Brunch Event

Click Here To Register Today!

3 Ways To Intentional Success In 2016!

~ MAB Virtual Solutions LLC ~ Leave a comment

It’s the beginning of January…the new year! What are you planning to achieve this year for yourself, family, or your business? Have you ever thought what you are planning to achieve should be intentional?

What resolutions have you made? Let’s take the graphic below and instead of “resolutions,” let’s look at the word “solutions.”

Solutions GraphicI challenge you in this upcoming year to be intentional with your vision, goals, and dreams that you have for yourself, family, or business. Think about how these “solutions” can help you to be intentional with your success. Here are 3 ways to get there:

1) Dare to focus! It’s important to minimize distractions. Learn how to “loan yourself out less.” It’s okay to focus on one thing at a time. You are able to be more effective this way and it limits the feeling of being overwhelmed. This way you are able to focus on exploring the vision, goals, and dreams that are important to your intentional success.

2) Have time and don’t let time have you! Everyone feels there is an increased pressure and demand on their time. Since time is such a valuable commodity, it’s important to not let have time have you. Create a schedule that allows you to focus. Determine what is vital and what is not. Set short and long term goals for yourself, family, or business so that you can experience intentional success.

3) Be kind to yourself! Don’t beat yourself up if something doesn’t quite go according to plan. Often we put so much pressure on ourselves to do and be successful overnight. This journey is not a sprint but a marathon. Remember that “all” efforts become “collected” efforts toward a goal or dream. Pause and take a moment to reflect on how far you have come. Think about where you started and how far you have come. All of your efforts have led to intentional success.

I challenge you on your journey this year to remember these “solutions” and not “resolutions.” You have what it takes to be “intentionally successful” in 2016!