Thursday, March 8, 2012

Results and Actions: Week 1

Here is my weekly update on my progress. This is more for me than for you. I've been honest. :)

Goal: Have 10 shows
Status: Now have 7 booked in March (2 complete, 5 to go). Still want 3 more. I did follow-up on the 5 potential parties discussed last week at my networking group. Booked 1 for a show in April and 2 for shows in May. Got an order from one. Still waiting for a date back from another. Great result.
Actions: Follow up with hosts who postponed in January and February, follow-up with people I've sent information to, book a home show.

Goal: Lose 4 kilos
Status: Oops, didn't weigh in last week, so I can't report results. Did shop for food and cook at home, did watch my portions, did write down what I eat and drink (that helps a lot), drink lots of water.
Actions: Weigh myself in the morning. Add yoga to my diary for Wednesdays, add group fitness 2x other times per week, watch my portions, write down what I eat and drink, drink lots of water. Keep cooking at home.

Goal: Hold 8 latte appointments
Status: Still only have 1. Did offer the business opportunity to my Saturday host and to one of her guests. Have sorted heaps of door prize slips and should have an easy time making a list.
Actions: Make a list of people who told me they might be interested this year (look on door prize slips for my notes), call (don't email) each one, invite people to my Unit Meeting, follow up with excellent candidates after a show and offer them a free coffee for 20 minutes of their time.

Goal: Practice my guitar for 3 minutes everyday
Status: Getting better, Wendy. Didn't play everyday, but the guitars are organised and one is permanently plugged in and ready to go. Easy to pick it up.
Actions: Keep it up.

Goal: Follow-up every lead
Status: Cleaned office. Yay! Even used my label making machine.
Actions: Organise a way to capture business cards (my husband says there's an App for that), referral slips, sms, emails, and facebook requests for information/orders, use Outlook to capture next steps required. I've got this started. Expect more progress this week.

Goal: Complete my 2011 taxes
Status: Cleaned office. Yay! Have one drawer with 2010/2011 and one with 2011/2012. Ready for next step... Excel. Made appointment with Accountant for March 15 (a full one week early).
Actions: Collate 2010/2011 receipts into Excel file on Friday. Before EOM, do through February 2012 to be ready for 2012 taxes in July.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Goals versus Strategies

In February, I went on a 2 week holiday to the USA. After a big January (which I can barely remember because my brother got married, turned 40, and then came out to visit), I set my February goals to bonus before I left, to help Angela prepare for the Unit Meeting, to complete New Consultant Orientation for a few new Rainbows, and then to leave and RELAX.

Done and done.

So here it is, March 1st, and I’m back from my holiday and raring to go. My goals are to have 10 shows, lose 4 kilos, hold 8 latte appointments, practice my guitar for 3 minutes everyday (ask me why if that sounds silly), follow-up every lead, and complete my 2011 taxes.

Notice, I didn’t say HOW I was going to do each of the above. Sometimes I hear people ask how I achieve all I set out to do. Well... first of all, I don't. But I like to set aggressive goals anyway. However, the real reason it looks like I achieve so much is that I do actually think about HOW I'll achieve it and then I schedule time and activities that will move me from where I am to where I want to be. After I make the list of WHAT I want to achieve (sometimes that's the hardest part), I then put a little effort into HOW I will make it happen.

This month, I've decided to blog about the HOW.

Goal: Have 10 shows
Status: Currently have 5 in my diary
Actions: Follow up with hosts who postponed in January and February, contact people I've met through my networking and offer them the opportunity to host a show, follow-up on 5 potential parties discussed this morning at my networking group, book a home show.

Goal: Lose 4 kilos
Status: I ate lots of food in Colorado and Arizona. I need to eat less and exercise more. One kilo per week.
Actions: Shop for food and cook at home, add yoga to my diary for Wednesdays, add group fitness 2x other times per week, watch my portions, write down what I eat and drink, drink lots of water.

Goal: Hold 8 latte appointments
Status: Currently have 1 in my diary
Actions: Make a list of people who told me they might be interested this year (look on door prize slips for my notes), call (don't email) each one, invite people to my Unit Meeting, follow up with excellent candidates after a show and offer them a free coffee for 20 minutes of their time.

Goal: Practice my guitar for 3 minutes everyday
Status: I am haphazard about practicing and need to develop a habit.
Actions: Keep guitars out, pick up one everyday, play for a minimum of 3 minutes (FYI, I can't do that... once I pick it up, I usually play for at least 30)

Goal: Follow-up every lead
Status: I am pretty good at following up on my leads, but I am horrible at documenting what I've done and what the next step is. I think I'm letting things slip through the cracks.
Actions: Clean office, organise a way to capture business cards, referral slips, sms, emails, and facebook requests for information/orders, use Outlook to capture next steps required.

Goal: Complete my 2011 taxes
Status: Room full of paper
Actions: Make appointment with Accountant for third week of March, schedule 4-5 one hour time slots to collate receipts into Excel file. Do through February 2012 to be ready for 2012 taxes in July.

Okay... there you go. On the interwebs for all to see. I'll write an update next Thursday and let you know how I'm going.