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Successful Goal Setting and Achievement

1. Well formed Goal Statements

A goal statement forms the basis for the entire process so careful attention should be placed on formulating a clear and accurate goal statement. A good way to remember how a goal statement should be defined is the S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting. SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Action-Oriented
Realistic
Tangible

Goal Setting — Write down your goals and set an action plan.

The goal should be specific enough so that we know exactly what we are striving for, measurable so we know exactly what is to be accomplished and when it has been reached, action-oriented with positive activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is practical and can be achieved given the limited availability of resources, and tangible meaning concrete and not vague. The goal statement Increase sales 25% by the end of the fiscal year without increasing advertising spending is an example that follows these rules.

2. Breaking down Goals into manageable Steps

Once we have a well-formed statement we need some direction to follow to achieve this goal. The creation of steps gives us an “Action Plan” that when completed will lead toachievement. Steps also allow for tracking of progress towards the goal. steps should be positive and not used to list obstacles that must be overcome which focuses on the negative. Negativity can kill motivation but there is power in positive thinking.

3. Motivation and Commitment

Motivation and commitment are what make us strive to achievement. They give us the push, desire, and resolve to complete all of the other steps in the goal process. This motivation can be obtained by developing a personal statement that creates a high level of emotion and energy that guarantees achievement. One self help expert said that as a child he was kicked out of his local country club pool because he was not a member, in response he later made a goal that he would one day have a pool that is one foot bigger than that country club’s pool. The motivation of being asked to leave the pool provided the necessary fuel for him to achieve this goal.

Commitment creates more accountability and is what sets us on direct course to reach our goals. It may create costly negative consequences upon failure to attain a goal. Making a commitment might be something like having invested your savings in your new business which you will lose if it fails. Motivation and commitment are specific to your situation and life and only you can form statements that will ensure you reach your goal the quickest. The more personal you make your motivation and commitment statements for each goal, the more motivated you will be to accomplish your goal.

4. Reminders and Keeping on Track

Reaching our goals requires persistence and regular attention. We need some sort of system to keep us reminded and accountable. You need to use a combination of things like reminder emails, calendars, and reports to keep you organized and on track. Sharing goals with others who can give you help and support is a highly effective way to increase your chances for success. If some accountability system is not used then we are likely to lose sight and fail.

5. Goals require Frequent Review and Re-assessment

When we first sit down and start to define goals it can seem like a difficult and daunting task but over time it begins to get much easier. Patience is required. Goal setting is definitely an ongoing process that is accomplished over time.

If you define your goals and then ignore them and you will fail. All goals due in the next year should be reviewed at least once a week and daily if possible. The great thing about frequent review is that this forces us to make big decisions and determine priorities in our life. We should keep watch for goals that are not being achieved on time or for goals on which we keep extending the deadline.

This is the fourth part in this series, so if you missed the others, you can find them here, and here, and here. You can also get a free worksheet to use in determining your SMART goals here. Or you can get a book to use for all your goals here.

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What Are SMART Goals?

Here is a great way to create SMART goals that work that keep you on track.

They’re called SMART goals and the acronym SMART will help you to remember the things that each goal needs to be:

Specific:

Your SMART goal needs to be stated in a way that is clearly defined. Saying, I should work more, is not a goal that will be kept. However, saying, I am going to work a total of 8 hours each day, is a goal that is much clearer and specific.

Measurable:

This is closely related to the above attribute except that it also includes a way to make sure you are on track. A SMART goal that says, I want to make more money, isn’t measurable. However, a goal that says, I want to earn $3000/month, is a far more measurable goal. Its easy to see, at the end of the month, whether or not you achieved it.

Actionable:

This means that your SMART goal should be something that you need to do yourself in order to accomplish it. If you want to increase your income this year, its not realistic to say, I’m going to win the lottery this year, because you have no control over whether you will win the lottery or not. However you might say, I’m going to increase my sales efforts by cold calling 10 people each day, which is something you can take action on yourself.

Realistic:

SMART Goals that are actually achievable are much better and far more motivating. You’ll feel better about yourself when you do hit goals than if you constantly shoot for them and fall short. Realistic goals should not be so easy that you hit them every single time but should not be so hard that you never reach them at all.

Time-oriented:

Similar to the measurable attribute, your SMART goal should have a timeframe for you to accomplish it in. Deadlines help people achieve their goals. If you anchor your goal to a time, you’ll be able to watch your progress.

You can remember this with the acronym, SMART, so that when you’re creating goals, you can create better goals for yourself. This is a popular goal-setting acronym in business, although occasionally the words are changed slightly to reflect the needs of the business.

This worksheet above can be downloaded by clicking the link beneath it. Using such a template can really help you understand SMART goal setting and help you stay focused on making them correctly.

If you missed the previous posts in this series, you can get them here and here.

What Are SMART Goals? Read More »

Did You Set Goals Just For Yourself?

Are You Setting Specific and Realistic Goals?

It takes a little research to set a goal that is realistic. If you’re not sure if something is actually achievable then you’ve not done enough research. Once you’ve set a goal that is indeed realistic, then you need to be specific enough in your description of it so that it’s also easy to take the goal, and work backwards to create a schedule of actions needed to succeed.

Are Your Goals Multifaceted?

Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. People live multifaceted lives and need to set goals for all areas of their lives in order to feel successful. If you have a wonderful business and career but your personal life suffers, then no matter how successful you are, you will not feel successful. Something will always feel as if it’s missing from your life if your goals aren’t inclusive. Therefore, set goals to include something from each aspect of your life.

Is Your Scheduling Representative of Real Need?

Once you create the schedule for yourself to reach each set goal , you need to truly consider how representative it is of reality. Say your goal is to be healthy and reduce your cholesterol by 10 percent in six months. But, you haven’t set aside the time needed to exercise and eat right. If you don’t schedule in the time needed, you won’t succeed because something will always be in your way taking time away from you. It will be very frustrating to practice your schedule because it doesn’t represent reality.

For instance, if you are going to exercise 30 minutes per day, setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t going to be realistic. You’ll probably need to set aside an hour to account for getting ready as well as cooling down or getting cleaned up to go back to work.

Are You Learning from Failure?

Many times when we set goals and schedules, instead of learning from failure, people give up. Using the example above, once you implement your schedule to reach the goals that you have set, when you notice there are things you’ve forgotten to take into account, don’t give up. Learn from the failure and change the schedule to be more realistic.

You might find that in practice you have to rewrite all your goals and your schedule, but this is perfectly acceptable. Many people believe failure is something negative, but the truth is, if you don’t fail sometimes you’re not going to learn much and it’s likely your goals are too easy.

Do Your Goals Represent Your Needs and Wants or Someone Else’s?

A lot of people set goals that represent what someone else wants instead of what they want. This can really cause a lot of bad feelings and resentment which can derail the best laid plans. As you set goals for your life, ask yourself if they’re really what you want for yourself or what someone else wants for you. Ask yourself if you’re okay with any goal you make being for someone else before you embark on your journey.

It’s okay to do things because of someone else, but it’s important that you are honest about that and make some goals for yourself too that don’t involve anyone else’s needs or wants.

Are You Checking in Often to Stay on Track?

Schedules are very important to the success of reaching any goal in life. To do lists pale in comparison to a well laid out calendar of tasks and activities that get you from point “A” to point “B”. Ensure that you look at your schedule every morning and every night and note when you succeed on sticking to your schedule and where you don’t. Noticing a pattern of activity can be helpful in fixing a poorly written schedule as well as staying realistic about whether or not you’re sticking to the plan.

Are Your Goals Focused Positively?

When writing a goal it’s important to write them in a positive way, or at least a way that feels positive to you. In the quest to improve your life, try writing down a goal and then changing the words to sound more positive to see if it isn’t more motivating. For instance, “losing weight” seems like a good goal, but for some people it might signify deprivation. So instead, the person might frame the goal as “improving my BMI by 10 points” or “improving my cholesterol by 10 percent.”

Just as setting too few goals can be a problem, so can setting too many. Everyone has a personal life and a career life and points in between. If you have set goals in too many areas of life at once, you might tire yourself out and get overwhelmed. Instead pick one personal goal, and one other type of goal to focus on until you reach them, and then you can add more goals as time goes on. You don’t need to do everything today. Slow and steady wins the race is a good motto to hang on to.

To set goals for yourself takes some thought and consideration. Don’t try to set all your goals in one day – instead, set some goals in different stages and in different areas of your life and give a lot of thought to why you’re making the goal in the first place.

So next we work on making our goals SMART. Then we break them down into manageable steps. And if you are interested, here is a workbook to help you on your goals.

In case you missed it, here is the first part of this journey to satisfaction with your life.

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Disorganization from Distractions

1 Comment / Organization / admin

Disorganization from distractions happen to all of us. We have never been so productive, so busy and at the same time so distracted. Throughout history there have always been issues that have prevented us from doing what we set out to do. But, it’s never been as hard as it is today to try staying organized in this age of distractions. Technology has its benefits but also its drawbacks.

The very fact that we have so many choices in terms of technology can also cause problems. Having instant access to family, friends, work and the rest of the noise can be very distracting. Email, smartphones, mobile devices, laptops and other “screens” can get in the way of staying organized, even though the technology was originally created to make you more productive and organized.

Identify Areas of Disorganization

The very first thing to do is take an honest look at your life. Look at your home, work, extra activities and more. Make a list of the areas where you see a lack of organization and then start to tackle them. There are different types of disorganization from distractions to deal with. You can learn to capture what you need to do, break it down into logical steps, prioritize those steps, figure out what’s next and then get to work doing what needs to be done − without feeling distracted, overworked, stressed out, and out of control. You just need to have a plan of action and an understanding of why you need to do things in a certain way. Then you’ll finally really be organized. Here’s a short article on ways to get organized.

Technology

The technology can actually cause you to feel pressure to do even more. No matter how amazing you are, you start feeling inadequate that you cannot do more. The technology ends up becoming more of a distraction rather than a useful helper. Take heart, though; you can learn how to wrangle the technology and make it work for you. You can become more organized even if it doesn’t come naturally. You can give yourself permission to do things differently.

Life Event

– Circumstances can happen that interrupt your normal way of life, such as a death, a wedding, a birth, or other once-in-a-blue-moon event. This can also happen if you have a special deadline at work or other situation. These things can cause you to lose track of what you planned to do for a short period of time, although usually you can get back on track. Simple things like your family dropping in unexpectedly to visit when you have a full day scheduled, or you get a call from a friend who needs your help when you are working on a big project with an upcoming deadline. All of us have been there. These issues lead to disorganization from distractions while preventing our ability to remain focused on our goals.

Bad Habits

– Many people just develop bad habits over time that get out of hand. For example, you start stacking your mail on the corner of your desk without a plan of action and then before you know it, you have no idea where to find the phone bill and you end up paying it late. Or when you come home, you simply throw your coat on the couch and take off your shoes right then. Unfortunately, they may end up staying there and creating disorganization and distraction for you. Maybe, over time, you have started to stack dirty dishes on the counter in the kitchen and simply forget them until much, much later. Not only is this a health issue (bugs anyone?) but it creates a very disorganized kitchen.

Your Upbring

– Disorganization from distractions can manifest in various ways. It can be because of the way you were raised , or the opposite of your upbringing. Some of this depends on your personality and how rebellious you might be. Not everyone lives and grows up in a picture perfect home and not everyone was raised by a family who had the time to teach correct behaviors. Today, most parents have to work just to feed everyone, so children end up spending time raising themselves.

Your Social Network

– These days, we are all encouraged to have a lot of things and do a lot of things, and the people who you hang out with seem to determine what kind disorganization you have in your life. If you hang with the partying crowd, you will not put much emphasis on being organized because having fun is such a distraction. Who wants to become organized when you could be out having fun? While these distractions are temporarily fun, if you live your whole life with this mind set you will find that you may spin out of control. What works for teens and very young adults does not always translate to being productive for the older adult.

Habitual

– If your home or workspace or both are piled high with disorder, there is a possibility that you have a situation called “chronic disorganization” which is a real condition that can require professional help to overcome. There are many people who love to organized and will help you straighten out your environment to help you become a more productive and happier person.

Regardless of your personal situation, the best thing that you can do is to try some of the tips, suggestions, and ideas that will follow. You can prevent disorganization from distractions if you know what to do. Next we will look at goal setting and how that can help with organization.

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5 Tips for Getting Out of a Creative Slump

Make money by pinning for affiliate marketing

1 Comment / affiliate marketing, Pinterest / admin

This post is about learning how to use pinning for affiliate marketing. I hope this will be interesting and useful to my fellow retirees who may need to add some extra cash to their income. Since I retired, I have had to learn how to live on a much smaller income and getting paid once a month. It was a difficult change, but I think I have finally gotten used to it.

I am constantly researching ways to make extra cash to help my income go farther. One of the ways I stumbled upon was affiliate marketing. It sounds so easy but as I am learning, it is not. There are many things to learn and put in place before you start making any money, but now that I have gotten all that behind me I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I watch those video about making a ridiculous amount of money without any effort and in a short amount of time, but that’s just ridiculous and I hope no one really falls for that way of thinking. Any type of income producing activity will, by default require some time and effort on your part and comes with no guarantee that you will ever make a penny.

Introduction to Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing has been around for a very long time. Basically, what it is is “word of mouth” marketing. You find a product you like and use and you tell your friends about it. They try it out and you get paid a small amount for sending them to the product. That’s it in a nutshell. There are many videos and blog posts on the internet that explain affiliate marketing better, so I will just leave it at this.

How do you reach people to tell them about your product?

One of the ways that I have been exploring lately is the use of social media to attract people to my offers. Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pinterest all have built in traffic that you can use to your advantage if you know how to do so. I have read countless blogs and watched innumerable videos on this topic and I have to tell you that there is a definite learning curve, but the end result is that using social media is an easy way to get started.

Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok have introduced stores that you can use to sell your products, but I have not yet tried this method.

Pinterest is a great place to get started with affiliate marketing. With over 300 million active users, there’s definitely a market for your products. You can promote your products through Pinterest by creating pins that focus on promoting your product and by creating boards that focus on a specific topic.

Simply Pin It — Here’s an example of a pin that is for affiliate marketing

You can also connect with other Pinterest users who are also interested in your product.

Most people already have a Pinterest account, but if not, just go to Pinterest.com and sign up for yours (it’s free!). You need to decide if you want your account to be for personal use or if you want to make it a business account. You can decide this later, so for our purpose just get a personal account. Once that is completed, you are good to go!

Introduction to Pinterest

Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to “pin” images and videos onto a board for later viewing. The site also offers users the ability to share boards with other users. One of the main benefits of pinning for affiliate marketing is that it allows you to share affiliate links with your followers. This means that you can earn commissions on any products that you recommend to your followers.

Another advantage of pinning for affiliate marketing is that it can help you to connect with a wider audience. This is because Pinterest is popular with people who are interested in a wide range of topics. Pinterest is actually a search engine much like Google, but you have to admit it is much prettier than Google. In the search bar you enter the subject of your pin and see if there are boards you can join or follow so when you make your pin, you will automatically get some attention.

How Pinterest works as an affiliate marketing platform

When a user pins an image, Pinterest adds a link to the image that can be shared with others. Pinterest also allows users to follow other users and receive updates when they pin or share content. When a user follows a pin, Pinterest sends an automated message to the user’s followers informing them about the pin and providing a link to the pin. If the user clicks on the link, the user is taken to the page where the pin was pinned.

Affiliate Marketing for Simply Pin It"! — This is what you get with this product

In pinning for affiliate marketing you use images and links to products or services and can be an effective way to promote your business and make sales. There are, however, some basic guidelines you need to follow. Pinterest is about “pretty” so first and foremost your pin needs to be visually attractive. You must make sure that your pin is truthful. If it is an affiliate link, say so. You need to set up “boards” on your account to pin your images to. Then when someone follows your board, they will see your pins. The more people who see your pins, the more chances you have to make money.

The different types of pins that can be used for affiliate marketing

There are different ways of pinning for affiliate marketing. Some pins are designed to attract attention, while others are meant to help affiliates promote their products. Some pins are designed to be colorful and eye-catching, while others are more subtle. There are pins for affiliate marketing that feature logos, images, and text.

It’s important for affiliates to choose the right pin for their marketing campaigns.

Tips for creating successful Pinterest affiliate marketing campaigns

There are a few tips to keep in mind when creating successful pinning for affiliate marketing links.

1. Pin interesting, relevant pins that will help promote your product.

Pinning relevant pins to your product can help increase awareness and encourage buyers to explore your product further.

2. Use keywords in your pins to help promote your products to Pinterest users who are interested in that topic.

By including relevant keywords in your pins, you can help people find and follow your content more easily. Additionally, using keywords can help you rank higher in search results, which can help potential customers find your content more quickly.

3. Use a variety of pins to increase your chances of being found by Pinterest users.

A variety of pins can help you stand out from the crowd and ensure that you’re easily found when you need to be.

4. Make sure your pins are high quality, and that they accurately reflect your product.

Pin quality and accuracy is important if you want to build trust with your audience.

5. Make sure your pins are updated frequently, so that they remain relevant to Pinterest users.

6. Be sure to include a link to your product in your pins.

7. Promote your pins on other social media platforms, as well.

8. Use analytics to track the success of your pins.

9. Keep a positive attitude, and enjoy the process of creating successful Pinterest affiliate links.

Conclusion

Find yourself one product that you think you would like to tell others about, then sign up with that vendor to be an affiliate of their product. Once you are approved, make a beautiful pin using whatever editor you want (I use Canva, it’s free) and when you are satisfied, pin it on one of your boards. Even better, join a Pinterest Group Board that is about affiliate marketing or about your product and pin there. Talk about built for you traffic!

I hope you try this out and make yourself some extra cash to spend in your retirement. Follow this link to get the information you need!

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Are you ready for Christmas?

Homemade Christmas Cards Anyone?

What is an Art Journal and What is it For?

1 Comment / Art Journaling / admin

I’ve been journaling in one form or another most of my life. I started making an art journal long before I knew there was a name for the type of journal I was making. It seems that many people would like to journal but have so many questions that they never get started. I hope to answer most of those questions here and help you get started, if that is on your mind. Journaling is a wonderful way to free up your mind from stress, expand your creativity, and make a mess! If you start a journal now, you can have as much fun as I do with my journal.

What exactly is an Art Journal?

Most people who make art journals will answer this question simply. An art journal is a visual diary–a place to put your thoughts, keep a record of your day, save your memories, and to try new things out. You can write in an art journal; you can paint in an art journal; you can collage in an art journal. You can combine any or all of these things in your art journal. It is your safe place to play, record thoughts and feelings, try new mediums, learn new techniques, or write about your day.

Why would you write in an Art Journal?

Some art journalists like to write in their art journals, some do not. I sometimes write stuff down to get it out of my head then I cover it up with paint or collage. What you write, or even if you write, is a personal choice. Either way is correct. You can write a quote, you can write a song, you can write your feelings, you can just write about your day. Anything goes. As I said, I write to get things out of my head mostly, but sometimes I write quotes that resonate with me that day. If I write about my feelings, I usually cover that up with paint to keep it private, but you don’t have to do that. Sometimes my day is perfect and I want to capture everything that happened, so I write it down. Like I said before, it is your journal and there is no right or wrong unless you make it so.

Why should you keep an Art Journal?

Keeping an art journal is a way to express yourself creatively. You can try new things and experiment with new materials there. It is a reasonably cheap place to make mistakes and you don’t expect to get any masterpieces there. With your art journal, you have permission to play and make a mess. No one will punish you for it and you just might learn something about what works for you and what doesn’t.

How does it work?

You can use loose paper to journal on or you can use a bound book. It’s your choice. It is an open-ended art form where you are free to practice and try out new ideas without inhibition. You can let your creativity loose and see where it takes you. You are in control.

What are the benefits to keeping an Art Journal?

Art journals help to relieve stress, help you to focus on the activity at hand, and inspire creativity. You will find that if you art journal regularly, you will be inspired to do more creative work in all aspects of your life. It has been researched and proven that journaling benefits your brain in many ways. When you art journal, you get into the zone and your body relaxes and your mind empties. It is a refreshing break from the stress of everyday life that you can do anytime you want.

What are some good journal topics?

Anything goes in an art journal. The topic is a personal choice, but if you draw a blank, Google “journal topics” or “journal prompts” and you will find more things to journal about than you can ever do in your lifetime. Seriously, you can journal about anything and everything.

In case this has not answered all your questions, below are a couple of good videos about Art Journaling for you to enjoy. Keep in mind that for every person who give you advice, there are many others who will tell you something completely different. That’s because journaling is such a personal and private thing and everyone is different. So, watch the video, gather your tools, and start journaling. You will not regret it and may even enjoy the process.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I know that there are many other blogs that have this information, but I thought I would tell you about it from my point of view. If you made it this far, please leave me a comment to let me know what you think. I also have a new post on my FB page that you could check out if you have time. It is about making Christmas cards and I think you would enjoy it. If you go there, please like that page and leave a comment please. Thanks for being here with me. I really appreciate you giving me your time. I hope you come again!

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