Do you set yourself a theme for each year?

It isn’t something I normally do, but this year I have decided to have one.

My theme for this year is:

Stepping Up and Being Bold

The reason this theme is so apt is because my husband and I have been on a mission since we left the Corporate world back in 2001 to create our ideal work life, family life and lifestyle on our own terms.

This year we are going to be taking this to the next level so we are going to need to Step Up and Be Bold in a big way.

Just sitting back and cruising along in what we have created thus far wouldn’t be enough to make the new stuff we want to have happen become reality.

Let me share with you a couple of examples of where I will Step Up and Be Bold this year:

• By implementing a new business model that will be the foundation of the business providing a passive income and ensure the business serves us in living the life we really want for the long term.

• Building further the foundations of a location independent lifestyle and a new financial independence strategy that gives us true freedom in all areas of our life.

Change won’t happen in the safety, security and comfort of what we have already created.

We have to do new stuff. Things we have never done before. Even things that scare us. But as the saying goes:

If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got

Setting this theme for myself for this year has reminded me that to eradicate mediocrity and create our ideal work life, family life and lifestyle we are ALWAYS going to have to Step Up and Be Bold.

It needs to become a way of being, not just a one off theme.

So, with that in mind, I would like to invite you to take a few minutes out and consider these questions:

• What areas of your work life, family life and lifestyle do you need to Step Up and Be Bold in this year?
• What will it cost you if you don’t? (and I don’t mean financially!)
• What are the possibilities and potential if you do?
• Is that something worth shooting for?
• What action are you going to take to step up, be bold, eradicate mediocrity and design how you want things to really be in all areas of your life?

Once you have had a think about these questions, please share your thoughts and insights in the comments section below.

If this is a subject that resonates for you and you want more tips and resources to help you along, head to the top right hand corner of this page and sign up as in the coming weeks I am going to be arming my subscribers with practical tips and resources to design a successful home business, family life and lifestyle.

Related Posts:

• The Beauty of Imperfect Action
• Why You Should Break All The Rules

Do you buy, or are you thinking of buying online products? If so, why?

It is an important question to ask because many people are buying online products that aren’t necessarily right for them or that they are unlikely to implement.

Not all online products are creating equally!

Now, before we go on let me state that I am not anti online products. In fact, it is something I plan to offer myself later this year (shameless plug!). However, as with all these things, there are high quality ones out there and some real crap too. So it is very important to know the reasons you are buying and what to be aware of.

3 Tips when buying online products

1. Buy with your business head on – people generally buy products from an emotional level. Look at adverts on the TV. They are designed to evoke emotions because that is how people buy. If you are thinking of buying an online product, use your business head to make the decision. Ask yourself:

• Why am I buying this?
• What results do I need to achieve for it to be a good investment?
• How will I implement this? (This is absolutely key).
• Where is the hard evidence that this product does what it says on the tin?
• Is this product offered by a high quality, high reputation business/person?

2. See through the Sales pitch – sales pitches are most often directed at emotions because people buy at an emotional level. Watch out for phrases such as “the secrets you must know”. By the way, there are no “secrets”. Everything you could possible need to know about being a successful business owner is already out there. Your job is to work out the best source/person to learn this from.

3. Beware the “I’ve done it this way and made a gazillion dollars and you should do it this way too” brigade – there are many ways to achieve business success and make money. Don’t be a sheep just following what someone else has done. Just because they did it that way doesn’t mean it is right for you, your business or brand to do it that way.

In summary, always make sure you use your business head to evaluate if on online product is right for you. Watch out for your emotions driving your decision making.

Do you have any tips and experiences to share on this subject?

Related post:

Hiring an Expert? Buyer Beware!

Many people are often so afraid of taking a risk that they chose to do nothing and stay stuck.

The problem with that is:

The pain of doing nothing and staying stuck is often more than the pain of taking the risk

Another common problem is people confusing gambling with taking a risk. To help address both these points here are:

10 important things to remember when taking risks:

1. Is taking this risk moving you toward your vision and goals? If it isn’t something that is taking you to where you want to be, why are you doing it? Make sure you are looking at the big picture so that you are taking the right risks for the right reasons.

2. What do you want taking this risk to achieve? Get clear on what the outcome needs to be. Use this to create an action plan.

3. What do you need to do for this risk to be successful? Taking a risk and crossing your fingers that it will all turn out OK won’t work. Be clear on what you need to do to set youself up to succeed.

4. What is the worst thing that can happen? If you don’t know the answer to this question you can’t assess if it is a risk worth taking or not.

Remember – only take calculated risks. Anything else is just gambling.

5. What would you do if the worst happens? ALWAYS have a contingency plan. This is your equivalent of a safety crash mat. Don’t be without it.

6. What needs to be in place to make this risk feel safe? Creating feelings of safety will reduce fear that gets in the way of taking action.

7. Fully assess a risk before acting. If you don’t, it is like buying a house without a structural survey first. You are gambling.

8. Measure progress regularly. This is vital yet often overlooked. This will allow you to spot potential problems before they happen and take evasive action.

9. Focus on the outcome. Once you have made the decision keep focussed on the outcome NOT on what could go wrong. You get what you focus on!

10. Taking Risks is about creating results, success and really living.

“I guess it comes down to a simple choice really – get busy living or get busy dying” – Quote from The Shawshank Redemption (great movie!)

What would you add to this list?

This is part 3 in a 3 part mini series. You can read parts 1 & 2 here:

Taking Risks (Part 1) – An Essential Part of Success

Taking Risks (Part 2) – Why you MUST do it!

Whether you love taking risks or avoid it like the plague, you can’t get away from this simple fact:

You have to take risks to achieve the success you want for yourself

Here is why:

• to create a new level of success you have to do something new and different
• that means making change
• making change involves…..TAKING A RISK

So, if you are not willing to take risk you are always going to stay stuck where you are, getting the same results you are getting now.

Now, I am not suggesting you throw caution to the wind and run around taking as many risks as you can with your fingers crossed it will catapult you to the success levels you want. Taking risk that really creates success is a lot more strategic than that.

My very first Business Mentor when I was a pup in the corporate world was my Uncle Chris. Something he said to me over 20 years ago has always stuck with me:

“Business isn’t about taking risks. It is about knowing which risks to take” – Uncle Chris

The same is true of life.

I used to be really risk adverse. As a result, I didn’t have the career or lifestyle I really wanted. I realised that to have what I really wanted I was going to have to take some serious risks. With Uncle Chris’ quote always in the back of my mind I learnt how to take calculated risks and boy am I glad I did. Taking risks is now part of my whole Business and Lifestyle strategy.

So, if you are serious about creating the Business Success you want for yourself and a real kick ass lifestyle remember Uncle Chris’ words and learn how to take calculated risks – it’s essential!

In part 3 of this Taking Risks mini series we will explore some do’s, don’ts and tips of taking calculated risks. In the meantime, please share your experiences, challenges and successes with taking risks in the comments below.

Related post: Taking Risks (Part 1) – An Essential Part of Success

Taking risks – do you love it? Do you avoid it at all costs?

Whatever your approach to risk taking, like it or not, it is an essential element of achieving success.

In this 3 part mini series we are going to explore risk taking. In part two, we will look at why you MUST take risks to achieve real success. In part three we will look at some do’s, don’ts and tips when taking risks.

So, to get in the spirit of the theme, I am going to take a risk. I am going to share with you a poem. This is a risk for me. I have never before included a poem as part of my business “chat”. My old corporate head doesn’t like it at all. It thinks you might think I am going a bit “woo woo” (I don’t do woo woo!).

But I am taking the risk anyway because I think it is thought provoking and relevant to the challenges facing many Home Based and Small Business Owners. It is also very relevant to what we are going to look at in the rest of this series.

So, have a read of the poem below. Even if it isn’t your bag, look for how it relates to you as a business owner, the way you run your business and the way you live your life:

Risk

by Author Unknown

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live
Chained by their certitude’s, they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom
Only a person who risks is free.

Join me in the next post when we will look at how this relates to Business Success and Lifestyle Freedom.