You’ve heard of goals, mission statements and vision statements. There are plenty of books and seminars about goal setting. Did you know there were distinct differences in goals, mission statements and business vision?

The differences are unique: this information will help you separate what a goal is from a mission statement or a vision.

Goals are specific, measurable, realistic outcomes or results, usually completed by a specific date. Tasks or assignments support the completion of the goals, either by individuals or groups of individuals. Goals support your mission and vision statements, and goals, mission statements and vision is usually aligned with your values.

Goal Example: ABC Company will release two new computer programs in the United States by end of year 2005. These products will influence long-term relationships in the international community.

A Business mission is what you want your business to be; how it is perceived in the world. A mission statement is about what your business does or what products or services your business provides. A mission can include the outcomes of what you do and who you do it for.

Mission Example: ABC Company designs influential software programs that enable people to find information on the Internet in less than two seconds.

A Business Vision is about the impact your business will have on the world. The Vision is what pulls you forward. With a clear business vision, each day is effortless, with more satisfaction and prosperity in your life.

Vision Example: U.S.-based ABC Company is the only software provider of global nations. Ownership of ABC Company is held as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This plan allows each employee to have a secure financial future.

Will I Get Better Clients or Customers with a Business Vision?

The best reason in the world to have a great vision than rely on short-term goals is the ability to attract better clients.

Clarity about who you are and what you do on a daily basis is supported by your vision. The more you focus on what your clients or customers want and need, the easier it will be for them to see your contributions. One client became so clear on his vision that he eliminated the bottom twenty percent of his clients, redefined his definition of his ideal customer, and raised his fees.

Always remember that your business vision is the primary requisite in the search for a successful business and life. Goals come after the vision. Vision is bigger than anything. Make sure you have your Vision with a Capital V.

Joanne Victoria, 25-year Vision and Business Coach works with entrepreneurs and solo professionals to build successful lives and businesses by helping them tell their truth. Author of: Lighting Your Path! How To Create the Life You Want and Vision With a Capital V - Create the Business of Your Dreams.

http://www.JoanneVictoria.com
Orders: 888-503-2665

Let’s get started with the emotional part!

1. Take time out. Take some time and relax. You have been through a traumatic experience. Don’t worry about anything at all. Take a stroll in the park. Have an ice cream. Watch a movie. Cry if you want to.

2. Find someone you can talk to about what you feel. If you have no one to tell it to, take a piece of paper and write down everything you feel. Write down all the anger, frustrations, feelings … everything.

3. Do not indulge in intoxicating things like drugs and alcohol. The temptation is there, I know, but do not even try to drown your sorrows. All you will be doing is masking the problem and not dealing with it.

4. Be compassionate with yourself. If you cannot do this immediately, then find another person who needs your compassion. Help a child with open a packet of crisps. Help an old lady cross a road. Anything that constitutes an act of kindness on your part will go towards restoring faith in yourself.

5. Once you can, begin to laugh. Laugh at the stupidest things if you must but laugh! In time, you will laugh at the people who caused you such harm in the first place.

Now on to the financial part …

There are four characteristics you must have: 6. Begin with courage.

Have the courage to dream again. Do not tell anyone your dream in the beginning. Keep it to yourself. It will sustain you. Think of the one thing you want most in your life and hang on to it.

7. Plan on how to achieve this dream of yours

This takes perseverance on your part. Plan and plan your dream and how you are going to achieve it. The find people whom you think are qualified to help you. I do not mean find people who are going to encourage you – people who are qualified!

8. Determination

Isn’t there a saying somewhere, ‘success is only 1 % luck and 99 % determination’. Well that is true. This is YOUR dream. Not you mother’s, not your father’s, not your boss’s, not your friends’. It’s all yours and you alone can be determined about it.

9. Be compassionate.

If you hit a snag, take time out and be a little compassionate to yourself. Read motivational books. Surround yourself with people who will be of comfort to you. Learn new techniques of how to tell a story, if you want to!

10. Lastly, repeat this saying over and over again – ‘I Will Succeed … Soon!’

Aneeta Sundararaj, a storyteller, is the creator of the bestselling program "How To Tell A Great Story". Aneeta’s technique and famed “R.P.I. Principle”© has been used by many people and offers simple, cutting-edge strategies applicable universally. She is also the author of two ‘traditional’ books The Banana Leaf Men and Mad Heaven: the biography of Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. M. Mahadevan. Visit http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com to learn more.

This article describes how my father taught me the value of money and at the same time also showed me how to reach and attain the goals I had in my life.

I have a friend called Peter and for his seventeenth birthday his parents bought him a very impressive car which would have cost them around £2000. He was very happy and showed off this car to all of his friends including myself. At this stage he was unable to even drive, however it was still a great present to receive.

Peter lived a couple of doors away from me and I showed my father the car and stated that I would love a car for my seventeenth birthday which was only three weeks away. He responded with words like, I bet you would. Despite this remark I felt sure that he would purchase a car for me as he certainly could have afforded to, in my opinion anyway.

My birthday arrived but no car was presented to me, the main present I received was a pair of trainers. I must admit even though I now feel embarrassed to say it, that I was quite disappointed.

Around eight months later, I managed to pass my driving test and my father was very pleased and congratulated me on my success. I told him that I was very happy, however, what was the point of passing my test if I had no car to drive. He seemed to agree but two months later he still had not bought me a car.

It was now nearing my eighteenth birthday and my father asked me what I would like for my birthday. He explained that your eighteenth is a special birthday and that he would be spending slightly more on me this year. I told him that I would like a car and he started laughing. Despit this I felt sure that he would oblige.

My birthday arrived and yet again no car, the main present I received was a watch, a very nice watch I must add but again I was disappointed.

I waited a further two months and then decided to use the head on approach. I went to talk to my father and told him that I needed a car. He agreed so I asked him, so what are we going to do then? If you want a car, go and buy a car, he responded. I pointed out to him that I was spending per week more than I was earning, socialising, buying clothes etc. He stated that I really wanted a car that I would make sacrifices to get it but also stated that whatever I saved he would match.

This very much annoyed me at the time, but something I am now grateful for as it has taught me that if you want something, you have to work hard and make sacrifices to obtain it.

Stephen Hill has a number of websites including:

http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

http://www.natural-health-cure.co.uk

http://www.alternative-therapy.co.uk

Set your GOALS - write them down! Most of us have specific ideas and plans for achievements over time ~ and that is a GOOD thing for all…. however, it’s imperative that YOU write down your business plan or go to the bookstore and find help in the ‘Dummies’ series to guide you.

There are a few KEYS to success…. #1 is persistence. Sticking with your plan to achieve ~ staying on track. Never giving in or up when the going gets a little rough. Losers throw in the "towel" while winners stay the course.

I know ~ YOU want it NOW! Not later and that is a problem. Drive through windows at the fast food places have spoiled us…. instant service. If we don’t get it immediately we complain loudly.

Life is full of challenge and difficult situations. Most successful business owners have spent years in training ~ on the job ~ facing financial hurdles ~ dealing with employee discord ~ hiring staff ~ terminating losers ~ and all the daily routine activities that must get done to survive.

As some of us can say…. I’ve been there! Done all those things. For me, it was a long road of 32 years to build my success story. My goal is to help you find a few potholes in advance so it won’t take you as long. You’ll be in the money much sooner ~ preparing for growth ~ building multiple streams of income.

Remember ~ your MENTOR TEAM can save you lots of time…. and I’d like to be a fly on the wall helping through my website that is FREE for you to study and learn.

Build your own success team - folks who can openly share their expertise and experiences with you ~ make suggestions ~ listen ~ prod ~ ask Questions for clarification ~ respect ~ respond in kindness. At my place we call it the MENTOR TEAM to guide and challenge us to excellence.

Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several franchises and a personnel/staffing business. Every year, his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise through his newest websites on the Internet. Lots of FREE ideas - suggestions - ready for your perusal and study.

http://www.Career-Coaching-Central.com
http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

A realistic look at the role of money in setting goals

True story…

A teenager once said to me that she did have a goal, but she would never reach it because she didn’t have money. Her goal was to go overseas.

I told her that she should not only look at the big picture, but that she should break down her goal into do-able steps. I spent some time with her and explained that if she break her goal up into steps, she could reach it.

I suggested that she look at finding part-time work, and that she save the money she made. With part-time work paying little money, I recommended that she use part of her savings and look at starting and running a part-time business (she was interested in making bead jewellery) - that way she would earn more money.

After I had finished talking to her, she felt a lot more positive.

- - - - - -

This example is a no-brainer as far as understanding that money is directly needed for the accomplishment of the goal.

That’s all fine and well, but you may be saying, "What if I don’t have goals that involve money?" Relationship goals, fitness goals, study goals, or a myriad of other "non-monetary" goals.

My friend, I cannot think of a goal that does not involve money, in one way or the other.

Let’s say you have fitness goals, study goals, or maybe a goal to improve your relationship. How can money have anything to do with these goals? For fitness goals you need to go to the gym, for example. Relationship goals mean meeting a special someone, or improving your relationship with a loved one. So, where does money fit into the picture?

On the surface, without further thought, you’d think I was crazy to suggest that money had a role to play in these "non-monetary" goals.

Let’s look at where money fits in with non-monetary goals.

Fitness goals

You want to cycle every day/week? The bicycle costs money.

You want to go the gym? Membership fees cost money. The correct clothes costs money.

You want a heart monitor to check your level of fitness? Costs money.

Relationship goals

You want to woo that super special person? Gifts, restaurant meal, movies - costs money.

You want show appreciation for your loved one? Again… gifts, week-end away, whatever - costs money.

Study goals

Register for a course? Need books. Exam fees. This costs money.

- - - - - -

Does this mean we should just throw in the towel, and give up on all our goals?

No, no, no, no, noooooooo!

Focus. It means we need to prioritize our focus. And what does it mean to prioritize our focus?

How Important Is Money In Your Goal Setting? Part 2

Want to see how I could buy my son’s full cricket outfit, got myself a rare (imported) DVD, bought some great books, without using a cent from my salary?

Visit this page.

Where Does Money Fit In the Goal Setting Process?

Some view money as the most important tool in goal setting. Others consider making money as their primary goal, in spite of everything else. When you see money as one of the tools in your overall goal setting process, you will not lose sight of having balanced goals, and therefore you will lead a more contented life.

"Money makes the world go round" is a great song…

There is a lot of truth in the words of that song, especially when we consider the society we live in today. But, as Dr Joseph Murphy said, "No one on this deathbed wishes he had spent more time making money!", when you view money as a tool, your outlook on life changes.

Following a balanced goal setting process is a lot more than focusing all your energies on the accumulation of money only. Often, those who focus all their energies on accumulating wealth, lead unhappy, worrisome lives.

I certainly do not advocate having a carefree attitude towards money, but rather a realistic and practical one.

Just one area where money has no value…

Money cannot buy friendship

True friends are rare jewels. They can make you smile and encourage you to succeed with your goals. Friends often lend an ear, share a word of praise, and they are usually there with open hearts to support us.

Friendship is a wonderful and valuable emotion.

It is undeniable that we need friends. We share our interests with friends, and when we reach a milestone with our goals, we feel good sharing this with a friend. When we have a bad day, encouraging words from a friend can uplift us, and make us forget the bad things.

Without a friend, we feel lonely and empty.

We can learn from friends. This is a benefit in that our lives are enriched, and we can develop in areas otherwise not considered.

The value of true friendship is immeasurable, and certainly not something with a monetary value. There is nothing like a compliment or "pat on the back" to raise our spirits.

The reality of money as a goal setting tool

Undeniably, money is a requirement in any goal setting process. Whether your goal is further study, you will need money; money for the tuition, the textbooks, the exam fees, etc. If you want to improve your relationship, you will need money; money for taking your loved one out, money for holidays, money for gifts, and so on.

But you will notice from the above examples, that money is only a PART of the goal - it is a tool that is used in the successful completion of the goal. It is not the main goal.

I leave you with this.

Your money can…
buy a bed, but not sleep.
buy a clock, but not time.
buy a book, but not knowledge.
buy a position, but not respect.
buy you medicine, but not health.
buy you blood, but not life.
buy you sex, but not love.

Money is not everything. Utilize money as a tool in your goal setting process, and you will lead a more balanced and contented life - this I guarantee.

Just because you’re a mom or dad, doesn’t mean you don’t have a dream. You can now reach it with the ultimate goal setting program. Colin Dunbar is a dad and husband, and has spent 25+ years investigating and researching goal setting. He has achieved many goals in his lifetime.

eaziGOAL takes you from idea to success, with 12 practical goal setting tools. FREE newsletter.
Get the details now

Setting goals is difficult enough without adding the word finance in the mix. Many people are reluctant to tackle the task of determining financial goals. Unfortunately failing to do so can have an adverse effect on achieving a comfortable lifestyle later on in life. This article helps to guide you in successfully determining financial goals that you can actually achieve.

Before setting your financial goals there are 3 simple rules that must be followed. You will first need to learn to how effectively control your day-to-day financial affairs. Consistently doing this will allow you to do the things in life that bring you satisfaction and enjoyment. This is commonly referred to as making a budget. The next requirement is to choose a course of action that you can follow to financial success. Finally you must build a financial safety net such as a personal savings account or retirement investment.

Simple Steps To Setting Financial Goals

Step 1 - Identify and write down your financial goals. This will help you visualize your dreams and desires in the form of goals. This can include saving to send your children to college, buying a new car, saving for a down payment on a house, going on vacation, paying off high interest credit card debt, or planning for your retirement.

Step 2 – Take the time to break down your financial goals into several smaller more manageable time driven steps. These include short-term (less than 1 year), medium-term (1 to 3 years) and long-term (5 years or more) goals. Doing this simple task will make your goal setting process easier and more attainable.

Step 3 – Educate, Educate, Educate – Spend some time doing your research on financial topics. Read magazines and books on finance related subjects such as investing. Surf the Internet’s for investment web sites and don’t be afraid to learn about the stock market.

Step 4 – Periodically check your progress through a self-evaluation. You’ll want to check your progress monthly, quarterly, or at any other interval you feel comfortable with, but at least semi-annually, in order to confirm that your program is working. If you’re not making a satisfactory amount of progress on a particular goal, re-evaluate your approach and make changes as necessary.

Remember there are no hard and fast rules for implementing a financial plan. It is okay to dare to dream about riches, just be realistic about what you can actually do. When you write your goals down for your visualization process you will identify any that seem unobtainable and quickly see the more realistic goals that will lead you to financial success. The important thing is to at least do something as opposed to nothing, and to start NOW.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides insurance information and offers discount auto, life and home insurance that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Other websites operated by Tim

Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com - Free information and resources regarding cell phones and cell phone plans.

Military-Loans-Online.com – Which provides free money saving loan quotes on all of your loan needs to include home equity loan information.

In my earlier article “Setting Financial Goals – Part 1” I identified the 4 simple steps to setting up achievable financial goals. I mentioned that your financial goals should be broken down into smaller more manageable goals and then written down to help you visualize them. This article expands upon that information.

Writing your goals down has an additional effect besides allowing you to properly focus in on their success. In some cases you will discover that some of your goals are unfortunately so broad focused that they are unobtainable. However, don’t despair, as you will also be able to identify the smaller more tightly focused and thus achievable goals very quickly and easily. When writing down your goals don’t be afraid to dream about riches or retiring early in life just be realistic in your expectations.

Goals are more easily obtainable when they are broken down into separate steps or categories based on time frames. When you place a time frame on your goals you are programming your mind to subconsciously motivate itself to succeed in fulfilling your goals. There are 3 time frames that are generally recommended for goal setting. They are short-term goals (within 1 year), intermediate goals (3-5 years) and long term goals (5 years or longer).

A short-term goal generally takes one year or less to achieve, based on the date the task is needed, the total estimated cost, and the required savings. An intermediate-term goal is the type of goal that can’t be accomplished overnight but doesn’t require many years to accomplish. Examples might include buying a car, getting an education or paying off your debts like credit cards. Normally an intermediate-goal is anywhere from 1-3 years. Finally a long-term goal is a goal that requires an extensive time commitment (5 years or longer) in order to get accomplished or fulfilled. Examples of long-term goals might include college education for a child, retirement plan or purchasing a home. Whatever the case, these goals generally require longer commitments and often more money in the end.

As we stated before you will need to accurately identify what your financial goals are in order to have them come true. You will need to identify the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to achieve your goals. Examples of such steps include the following:

· Start placing 5% or 10% of your paycheck in a savings account.

· Educate yourself on different investment strategies such as IRA’s, stocks, mutual funds and various other personal investments. There are many more and all can assist you in short and long term goals.

· Make a budget for yourself that leaves you with some extra money (remember the 5% or 10%) and stick to it.

· Take every opportunity to use coupons. It seems like small savings, but when added together you could save 20-30 dollars at each trip to the grocery store.

· Shop around for bargains and do not live outside of your means.

· Work with a credit counselor to get help in lowering your monthly expenses and get rid of your debt.

These are just some of the things that you can do in order to realize your financial goals. If you truly set your mind to it and visualize the successful completion of your goals you will find that they are more attainable in the long run.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides insurance information and offers discount auto, life and home insurance that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Other websites operated by Tim

Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com - Free information and resources regarding cell phones and cell phone plans.

Military-Loans-Online.com – Which provides free money saving loan quotes on all of your loan needs to include home equity loan information.

Your business can’t go according to plan if you have no plan.

What do you want to achieve this year? More new customers per week? Higher average order amounts? Better customer service ratings? No matter what it is you are shooting for, goal setting is one of the most important things that you will do in the New Year. I’ve got a few tips to help you get there.

1. Keep it Challenging but Realistic.

Any goal that you set for your company should be challenging but don’t over do it. For example, if you had an average order amount of $700 last year, you wouldn’t want to set your goal for this year at $3000 per order. Unless you make drastic changes in how your company runs or what you are selling, that goal is just not realistic. You know best what you may be able to achieve in your particular industry, so be honest with yourself and set your goals accordingly.

2. Write All Your Goals Down.

You may say to yourself on January 1, "I want to get 20 more new customers per week this year." A few months later you will be saying "Did I say I wanted 20 or 30?" Or more realistically, you have forgotten that you even made that goal. If you have all of your goals written down you will be able to not only go back and check them, you will also be able to go down the list every few months and check to see how many of them you have completed.

3. Assess Your Current Situation.

To set goals you have to know where you are at right now. In 2003 I wanted to assess our customer service rating so we sent out a survey to all of our customers on which they could rate us in each department of our operation. That helped us establish our base. Now we send the survey to every customer after every order. This way we can keep track of how we are doing and if there is ever a hiccup we can fix it quickly. Don’t assume anything. Always assess the current situation before setting a new goal.

It’s Only Going to Hurt A Little…

Now, in financial goal setting for your business, one invariably comes to the question: “How do I decide on a budget when starting a marketing plan?”

This is obviously the first question that you have to answer in order to get started on your new campaign. And in order to reach the income goals you have set for yourself.

So how do you figure out what your budget should be? Here is an easy method to help you find a number that is going to work for you and your business. Some might say that it is a good rule of thumb, but I personally judge things on whether or not they work and get results. That’s all.

Moving on… Start with the amount of income that your company generated last month and multiply it by .14 (or 14%). That means that if you had $50,000 in Gross Income last month you should budget to spend $7000 on marketing in the next month. Wait… I know, it sounds painful but it is just like a shot at the doctor. It might hurt for a minute (or in this case a month) but down the road you are going to be glad that you went through it. Putting that much toward the right marketing will bump up your income the next month and start you on a cycle of steady growth.

I know that some businesses run tighter than others and it is possible that you won’t be comfortable with that amount in the beginning. Don’t misunderstand me, any marketing is better than no marketing. Don’t get discouraged if your budget is lower than 14%. But use 14% as the ideal to strive for because, for me as well as many other growing businesses, it has proven to give the best rate of growth possible. How do I know, you ask? My company has expanded 400% in the past 2 years. Now picture your business at 4 times its current size… There’s that smile I was looking for!

The growth of your business is based on three factors; quality products, great customer service and the proper amount of marketing. If you know you have the first two taken care and you still aren’t experiencing healthy growth then you need to take a serious look at your marketing budget.

So sharpen your pencils, start calculating and decide how rapidly you want your business to grow.

Please take a moment this week to sit down and decide on your goals for the New Year. Even if it is past the New Year and even well into the year, set your goals for the rest of the year.

Everything is easier when are working towards a goal. My goal is your success and I assume that is your goal as well.

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she’s sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at http://www.postcardmania.com

As you begin your new home business you will find there will be hundreds of distractions that will fight for your time and attention.

If you are new to working from home you will have to deal with such issues as family interruptions, friends, neighbors, television, radio, visitors, email and phone calls.

You must structure your time and set a schedule to work on your home business. If you were working for someone else you would not expect your friends and neighbors to stop by for a visit.

You must clearly explain to the people you know that this is your job and your can not stop to chat simply because you are home.

People may think that your job is less serious because you are working from home.

You must remind yourself of the reasons why you choose to bring your profession home. Was it to have more free time with your children, to earn more money than your previous job paid, to create more freedom for yourself and your loved ones?

Remember your home business should be treated as a real job. You are the person who makes the decisions now. You must organize your time without someone else telling you when you should work and take care of your business.

Schedule a portion of your workday to answering emails and written communications and returning important phone calls.

One hour in the morning and one later in the day should be fine. Be sure to be consistent so you do not get distracted from your other tasks.

Focus your time on your most productive activities and find a third party to assist with less important tasks if you need to.

When you are first getting started and perhaps you are in the middle of working on a project - and you don’t quite know if it is going to be the success you hope for, it is very easy to get distracted and go on to something else that looks more promising.

You will learn with experience what types of projects and tasks excite you, which are the best fit for your knowledge, skills, and resources.

But in the beginning when you are first getting started for the first time then this can be a bit confusing, understand this is normal.

The most important thing for you is to take what you have now and turn it into a success.

It is more important to finish what you start than it is to jump from project to project.

When you jump to another idea or project you have to repeat all the things that you did on the last idea or project.

You may find that it is easy for you to start your work but you have a problem with sticking to it until it is finished.

Make a promise to yourself that you will do your best to finish the projects you start before you begin the process of starting something new.

Do your best to work on something you believe in. Get excited about your work.

Be sure to break down the tasks involved in getting large projects up and running. If you approach the smaller tasks individually they will be easier to handle than if you tried dealing with them all together.

Take care of your health by exercising and eating healthy food. The better you feel and the healthier you are the more you will be able to focus on your business.

Write down a list of the goals you wish to acheive with your home business and the time in which you want to achieve them.

Try making a list of the top 5 things you want to accomplish, then set a timer for 20 -30 minutes. When the timer goes off drop what your doing and Move on to the next task.

Exercises such as this can keep you up and excited As you work towards a deadline. It will automatically set your mind to focus on what needs to be completed in a specified time.

Take a break every 2 hours, go for a short walk and get some fresh air, talk to a friend on the phone or read a few pages of a motivational book.

The success of your home business is entirely and completely up to you and the decisions you make.

Success is within your reach when you keep your focus on your goals.

About The Author

Kevin Purfield owns the Wealth System Online. You can find everything you need to start your own home based internet business at: http://www.wealthsystemonline.com/

kpurfield@wealthsystemonline.com