Students Of Success

Do you ever daydream about going on a great vacation? It’s fun to think of all of the great sights and things to do once you get to the destination. But usually there’s lots of planning involved, such as planning around schedules, getting tickets and placing reservations. It can be quite an ordeal. But once you’re on your dream vacation, boy is it worth it.

Oddly enough, creating fundraising goals is itself a little like going on a trip.

Here’s how…

The Destination: Long Term & Yearly Goals

What’s the first thing you do when you decide to go on a trip? Yes, that’s right - choose the destination. Is it Disneyworld or New York City? Will you camp at the local state park or Yellowstone? Starting a fundraising program without a predefined goal is like getting in your car at the beginning of a vacation and saying, “I don’t know where we’re going, but I hope we get there!” (Doesn’t make much sense, does it?)

Your yearly goal is the final destination that your group should be striving for all year long. Whether your organization follows the calendar year, school year, fiscal year, or whatever the case may be, you still need to set this long term destination goal.

Budgetary requirements generally guide the financial goals that are needed for your organization. What are the total expenses for the year, and how much of those expenses need to be covered by fundraising efforts? Write down this “big target” number that needs to be reached by the end of the year.

The Roadmap: Project Goals

Now that you’ve decided on a fundraising destination, the next step is to break down that number into smaller, more manageable goals.

Imagine your organization’s individual fundraisers such as events, raffles, or candy sales as the highways you will take to get to your final destination. Therefore, each individual campaign or event has its own fundraising goals. The combined goal amount should equal or be greater than the yearly goal.

Having too many fundraisers that appeal to the same audience can become burdensome and reduces the effectiveness of your efforts. By forecasting the amount of funds needed, you’ll be able to plan the right amount of individual fundraisers.

The Pit-Stops: Fine Tuning Your Fundraising Goals

During the course of the year, periodically review your fundraising goals. Have your fundraisers met their individual targets? If not, the “pit-stops” are times when you can do some fine tuning to your list of goals and objectives.

Consider ways that you can earn more on the remaining fundraisers

1. Increase attendance at your event by adding something unusual, like a door prize drawing, a contest or a “celebrity” appearance

2. Place calls or send letters to get more prizes donated for your raffle or auction

3. Add an additional source of revenue to already planned

4. Add an easy fundraiser that doesn’t require much time from volunteers, such as an online magazine fundraiser

Reaching Your Destination

Your group has worked hard to raise funds for your cause. Be sure to celebrate along the way, thanking donors and volunteers. Each year evaluate what programs worked best, how you can improve upon them, and ways that you can become more efficient in planning the fundraising programs.

About the Author: Sandra Sims has been raising money for non profit organizations for over 10 years. She is the publisher of Step By Step Fundraising e-zine and website, which will help you get maximum results from your fundraising campaigns. Get a free copy of the special report The 5 Keys to Successful Fundraising.

It is not simple to find a college bursary these days. These scholarships are unlike a normal student loan because they are a grant for education, so it doesn’t have to be paid back. While exploring means of funding a higher instruction, bear in mind that funds are available at truly unusual sites, for example funding especially for left handed scholars.

Left-Handed Scholarships: — A lefty bursary may appear out of the ordinary, but it’s worth looking at these facts: Benjamin Franklin was a left hander, so is the president of the USA, Barack Obama. Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Sting and J.F. Kennedy were also southpaws. Approximately 11% of the population are southpaws. Although in the past left-handers have gone through substantial discrimination, now they are thought to be intelligent and more artistic. Stigmatisation is now a thing of the past and lefties are no longer thought to be unusual, in fact they may even be associated with the great individuals noted previously.

There are many grants available for left handed students when you know where to search. The Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship for funding up to $1000$1k is presently available at Juniata College stuated in Huntington, PA. Awarded to students of Juniata College and it was set up in 1979, this particular college grant assists a lot of southpaws obtain a college education.

When looking for college scholarships, do be mindful that a few scholarships may have requirements and restrictions. Sometimes particular grades can be involved or certain financial requirements have to be met. Apply for the maximum amount of scholarships possible to give you a better chance of finishing with a minimal level of debt. Clubs, hobby related groups and local organisations may be a source of college scholarships. Lefty grants are only one example; grants are accessible in other circumstances such as the children of veterans or if you are disabled in any way.

Some scholars need to invest quite a bit of effort searching for scholarships, nevertheless the reward may potentially be enormous. Any debt generated by a college education can be decreased by these scholarships utilised alongside a student loan. Leave no stone unturned in researching every grant. Left-handed funding is not the only alternative - be creative! Go for everything you may possibly qualify for, keeping any costs to a minimum, also you will likely look forward to better prospects when you finally finish college.

We do recommend you hop over to our detailed website for winning a college golf scholarship hints.

The chances of scooping up the Euro Lottery jackpot is a distant one : seventy-six million but the possibility of acquiring a money prize is a somewhat decent 1 in twenty four. If the jackpot is not won on a given week, it is brought forward to the following lottery draw which results in an ever increasing jackpot value. Recent regulations brought in on the 9/02/07 define the amount of successive roll-overs to eleven, with the jackpot rolling down to smaller prize levels on the eleventh draw if the prize is not won.

The Euro millions lottery or the Euro Lottery, as it’s normally acknowledged, gathers the lotto ticket revenues of the nine partaking Euro countries presenting a whopping Euro Lottery jackpot. With the sum of nations joining the EU on the increase, this will without question will lead to new countries partaking in the Euro lotto. A growth in the number of individuals partaking in the Euro Lottery will lead to a lasting increase of the already tremendous EUROMILLIONS jackpots.

The new rules also initiated EuroMillions Super Draw which happen twice annually plus they offer jack-pots in the region of 100 million pounds. The difference with Super Draws is that the jackpot must be won during the week of the lottery draw; as a result, when there is no lottery ticket corresponding, all the drawn numbers then the top prize will be allotted to the lotto ticket bearer(s) on the next winning prize level.

Every participant must select 5 primary numbers from 1 to 50 and 2 Lucky Star numbers from 1 to 9. During the Euromillions draw five primary plus 2 lucky star numbers are then picked out at random from two lottery draw machines containing numbered balls.

Have you found yourself setting goals every year but eventually losing interest? Did you have every intention to make a difference by accomplishing your goals but then not following through? It is easy to get frustrated when this happens. Because of your frustration, it is less likely you will set any goals the next year.

Don’t let that happen. You can make a difference in the world. Pursuing appropriate goals will help you do that. The problem may not have anything to do with setting goals. It may have everything to do with the goals you set. Ask yourself a question: Are your goals in alignment with your life purpose?

If not, it should be no surprise that you lose interest. You need to develop goals that are consistent with forwarding your purpose in life. When your goals are aligned with your passions, you are more likely to be persistent and accomplish them. Even through difficult times.

You don’t know what your life purpose is? Start today to determine what it is. My life changed drastically when I realized my purpose. I know yours will as well. Until then, your goals will never have the meaning and excitement they will hold for you when they are aligned with your purpose.

There are many great books that can provide you a step-by-step method for realizing your life purpose. The books that helped me and I strongly recommend are:

* “The Power To Be Your Best” by Todd Duncan

* “The Purpose-Driven Life” by Rick Warren

Once you know your purpose, setting goals and prioritizing how you spend your time will be easier. You will also be surprised at how much you acomplish as your efforts and passions come together.

Get started today on making sure your goals and life purpose are in alignment. Your unique experiences and skills are needed to help make the world a better place.

To learn ways to give, go to www.everydaygiving.com to sign up for the free Everyday Giving ezine. Roger Carr is the founder of Everyday Giving. His life purpose is to help people help others.

Bankruptcy is a legal action registered by a person who cannot pay their debts as agreed. If the late payer is in the middle of bankruptcy then all active civil proceedings connected to the mortgage are stopped. As such, legally, a home loan lender has to interrupt all collection processes, including foreclosure. A mortgage company can be allowed to continue if they appeal for relief from the stay period; and if it is granted, may go ahead with the foreclosure process. Declaring Bankruptcy will not stop foreclosure and you have to pay back your mortgage. Going into bankruptcy only makes the process of foreclosure go forward slowly, it can not solve the root problem.

Many individuals need to pick between filing bankruptcy or permitting their mortgage lender to foreclose on their house. If monthly or bi-weekly house payments are not made on time, the financial institution will file for a foreclosure on the property. You may disrupt the home foreclosure proceedings by making payments to the lender on time. Mortgage loans are very similar to auto loans, if you do not make payments you will get it repossessed. It is the same for everybody who has not been able to pay his or her home loan; the bank can foreclose on the home.

Although insolvency does not permanently halt foreclosure, it might give a person enough time to pay back the past due or at a minimum it will make it tiny bit more accessible to pay back the mortgage lender. Since bankruptcy necessitates a home loan lender to suspend foreclosure actions, a debtor has a little time to produce the funds to pay the creditor. It is the last option for any home owner to file for financial insolvency when the home owner is totally unable to pay their lenders’ commitments. Under bankruptcy, some non-secured debt will in all probability be discharged but the real estate loan will not be discharged. The borrower must be ready to pay back the real estate loan within the given time as the debt is secured by tangible assets. Additionally, chapter thirteen bankruptcy has a fee schedule that is court ordered, and lets the debtor make payments on their mortgage to get caught up on their balance.

There are legal fees incurred. Possibly, it might cost the borrower more in legal fees than if they were to simply buckle down and make your mortgage payment. If you know somebody that is thinking that filing for insolvency may help to solve the situation, a good lawyer will probably be capable of answering whatever questions. Because insolvency is really complicated, consumer really should not set about to do it without assistance from a a professional.

This article is just standard information. This is not legal advice. You might be required to contact a lawyer in your state with any questions.

“Know thyself” is a powerful principle that leaders, managers and effective people intuitively know.

When you understand your own strengths and preferences you are in a position to maximise those strengths and compensate for any weaknesses either by working differently or surrounding yourself with people with different strengths.

Most of us have a dominant birth order personality that matches our birth position. But that personality is influenced by variables such as temperament, gender and other family circumstances. So it is not so much where you are born in your family but how you function that counts. How a person functions generally correlates with birth position.

Your birth order personality relates both to your working style (i.e. how you work and what motivates you) and also your relational style (i.e how you relate to people). For many people that means working along different birth order lines. For instance, I am in the youngest in my family by seven years, which means I am like a functional first born. So I work like a first-born (achievement-oriented, ambitious and like to be in control) but I relate like a youngest (very good at outsourcing to others and a poor decision-maker). It sounds complicated but it is not.

Birth order theory outlines four types of personalities- first borns, second borns, only’s and youngests. If you were 3rd of six children then circumstances would have meant that you either functioned predominantly like one of the big four above.

Here are the four birth order types and some of their characteristics:

First borns - the leaders, the drivers and the responsible types. These people like to manage others but first they need to manage themselves. They love to feel in control and can feel uncomfortable with surprises or feeling out of their depth. They are conservative in their outlook, which is both a strength and a weakness. Their ability to focus on a goal and their propensity to organise others means they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.

Their tendency toward perfectionism can mean they can be low risk-takers but they can be the rock around which organisations can be built. Approval of authority is important for this group so don’t expect them to rock the boat too much. First borns, above all else, want to forge ahead.

Second borns - the ‘people’ people, the compromisers, and the flexible operators. They are likely to motivated by a cause and will enjoy working alongside people. They will often choose tasks or even a job that will give them a feeling of belonging. Friendships are important to this group so they will learn to get along and will help keep the peace in a group or organisation. They often need others to drive them but they are the glue that holds groups together. Relationships are important to this group so make sure they included in all activities. Seconds, above all else, put people first.

Only’s - the quiet achievers, the finishers, they expect nothing less than the best. This group will raise the bar for everyone around them as nothing but the best will do. Their great strength is their ability to work for long periods of time on their own so they make great project finishers and strategic thinkers but they can be secretive and don’t deal well with conflict. Recognition is important to this group. Only’s, above all else, aim to please.

Youngests - the initiators, ideas people and the challengers. This group are the creative, live-for-the moment types who can put some fun and verve into activities. While the message for first borns is to lighten up it seems that this group need to take things more seriously sometimes. Great initiators and very impatient doers, they perservere to get something started but often are not the greatest of finishers. This group will often do anything to be noticed so make sure you pay heed to their efforts. Youngests, above all else, will blow your mind.

Which birth order personality do you most closely resemble? Does it match your birth order position? In reality, you probably nodded your head for some characteristics in each position. But which did you nod most vigourously while reading? That will give you an indication of your dominant birth order personality.

So what is the point? Know thyself and know the circumstances you are working in. There are times when your birth order personality should take over but there are times when you may need to operate or work like someone in another position. This may make you feel uncomfortable but you can do it.

I have a set of badges - one for each position - which I wear for different occasions and different jobs. Sometimes I need to be more like a first born particularly when I need to take a lead. But there are also times that I must act like a second born and learn to compromise and be more diplomatic than take a crash and burn approach. When it is time to take action and throw caution to the wind I will wear my youngest born badge.

Birth order knowledge is simple as it is intuitive but it is also powerful because as Kevin Leman author of The New Birth Order Book maintains, the affects …. “can touch you in profound and sometimes disturbing ways years after you think you have grown beyond all that.”

Michael Grose is a leading authority on birth order and its affects on personality. He is the author of the ground-breaking book ‘Why first borns rule the world and last borns want to change it’ published by Random House. You can obtain this book from the shop at http://www.parentingideas.com.au. Find out how you can get Michael to help your people unleash the power of their birth order personalities at http://www.michaelgrose.com

The Army defines seven values that soldiers should strive to emulate in their daily lives. These core values establish a standard of conduct; they form the foundation of personal behavior that defines the person, as well as the expectations soldiers have of one another. These values are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

Here’s the thing. The Army didn’t invent the values. There are many more than seven values that identify desirable human conduct and behavior (and plenty that define undesirable behavior as well), and they’ve been around for a long time.
So, that said, it should come as no surprise that the seven Army values are not just for the military - they apply to each and every citizen…this makes perfect sense, as all soldiers are citizens first.

We all have positions in life…stations, if you will…and it matters not what your station in life happens to be…some or all of these seven values are tested as a matter of course, each day of one’s life. The values are as applicable to the student as they are to the professor; as important to the patient as they are to the doctor; as challenging to the child as they are to the adult; and as attainable by the penniless as they are by the millionaire. In short, the seven values are for everyone.
What are the values, and how are they applicable to everyone?

Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers. Be loyal to the nation and its heritage.

For the citizen, this means showing your faith in our nation, your elected and appointed leaders and your fellow citizens. People want to know they can trust you. And you want the same reassurances from others.

Duty - Fulfill your obligations. Accept responsibility for your actions and those entrusted to your care. Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the unit.

For the citizen, you’ve got a job to do and people depend on you to get it done. If someone needs help, give it to them. If you need help, seek it from your peers. Be consistent in action and deed.

Respect - Treat people as they should be treated. How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization.

Act courteously toward friends, acquaintances and strangers alike. If you disagree with an opinion or point of view, challenge the position, but avoid the personal attack. Remember that your actions speak volumes about yourself and your business or organization.

Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.

Take care of your children, your parents, your siblings, and co-workers. Go the ‘extra mile’ for your customers and clients, even if gains you nothing more than some personal satisfaction. Volunteer to take on the tough job, or the mundane job that others avoid.

Honor - Live up to all the Army values.

Live up to the values of your business, your community, your church, your family. Act accordingly, and others will recognize you as an individual of principled character. Don’t fall into the trap of, “but I just did what others did before me”. Given the choice, take the ‘high road’. Distinguish yourself from those who would be satisfied to do less.

Integrity - Do what is right, legally and morally.

Ask yourself, “Is this the right thing to do? How does it reflect on who I am?” If your inner voice is sounding the alarm, it’s doing so for a good reason. Avoid shortcuts, cheats, or otherwise doing less than what is expected. Don’t compromise yourself, your friends, family or business for some short-term satisfaction. Integrity offers long-term rewards that can’t be acquired any other way.

Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity with physical and moral courage.

Is a boss asking you to do something questionable? Watched the local bully pick on someone repeatedly? Been in a group that disparages a certain race or ethnicity? It may be safer to go along with the crowd, or do nothing at all. It takes inner strength to stand up to peer pressure, bullies, social challenges, and moral dilemmas. It’s easy to be a follower…anyone can do that. True leadership requires all of one’s audacity, nerve and ‘guts’ to negotiate the difficult roads that lie before us.

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These are values for everyone. No, they’re not always easy to live up. Our standards are challenged all the time. We make mistakes. Hopefully, we learn from them, and over time, these values become a part of who we are.

The best news is that if we emulate these values singularly, we become a better people collectively. And that is why the values are so important. They set us apart from those who choose not to live up to them.

Joseph Yakel is a freelance writer and author. His articles have appeared in publications such as Communications Technology, The Pipeline, and Army Reserve Magazine. Joe’s works have also been highlighted on USAWOA Online, USAR Online, and other Internet websites.

Free chapter previews of his books are available at: http://www.lulu.com/yakel

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” -Henry Ford

What are your goals and objectives? There’s the whole concept of vision, mission, and purpose. These are broad statements of what’s important to you in your lives. Then there are the more long term / strategic goals that you want to accomplish. Breaking down these strategic goals even further into short term objectives help you get where you’re going and will contribute to your vision, mission, and purpose. These are all important things to know to be able to stay on track.

Case study
In a recent sample, only 40% of people surveyed were satisfied with the progress they were making toward accomplishing their goals. The major reason for not progressing was that they didn’t know where they were going. It’s especially difficult to make progress in getting to where you’re going is you don’t know where that is.

Steps:
1. Figure out where you’re going
Ahh, this is always an interesting question. In fact, even more interesting, to figure out where you’re going you have to know where you are now. How would you describe where you are now? Are you in harmony with your world? Do you have supportive relationships within your environment? What is most important to you in your life? Take a few moments to ponder this. Write down whatever comes to mind. As you list these concepts you will find that there is most likely a common theme. What is it that’s key to your being? What is at your core? If you had to pick one thing that is most important to your vision what would that be?

Once you’ve figured out what that is, the other ideas you’ve written down seem to fall into place. As you tie them into your theme, you will find that that some of these goals are part of a larger objective.

Exercise:
Take a few moments to reflect upon what’s really important in your life. What is your legacy? How do you want others to remember you?

Fill in the your answers to the following:

a. Vision:

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

b. Mission

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

c. Purpose

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

d. Strategic goals (3 to 5 years)

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

e. Objectives

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. Use a hub that is always with you
Whatever you choose must fit who you are. Do you prefer to use a journal, a portfolio, a planner, a pda (personal digital assistant), or a laptop? These are all common options for people in today’s fast-paced world. Do you like to jot down your ideas as they arise? Perhaps you like to doodle when you talk to people. Your free-form notes may take the form of a mind map.

3. Organize your to-do lists by type of action that you need to take.
When you have a few free moments or you’re in your car, it’s a great time to make phone calls - that is - if you have a call list. Have you ever noticed that whatever the type of activity, things move very quickly “when you’re on a roll.” Other kinds of groupings might include reading, writing, research on the internet research, key info into your computer, meetings, errands, and the waiting list. It can be a great sense of accomplishment when a to-do item shifts from one list to another, especially now that “the ball’s in the other person’s court.” The item has moved off your list to someone else’s. It doesn’t mean that you totally drop it form your list; it just means you shift it from one “active” list to one that’s more passive. You still need to check on it, at whatever interval you deem is appropriate for your expectations. There’s also that list of things to do that would be nice to do, but aren’t high on the priority list; this is the “someday / maybe” list.

4. Work on projects when your energy is high
Are you a morning person and begin to fade at 3 in the afternoon? Perhaps you’re someone who just gets into gear mid- to late afternoon or even later. Whatever your body clock is, work with it. If you’re a morning personal, mid-afternoon would not be the time to take on a new project. Conversely, if you get into gear later in the day, early morning meetings and deliverables can really present a challenge. When you’re part of a team, working with your teammates at your peak performance time is not always possible. Perhaps your contributions to the team can be done when you’re at your best; the timing may not matter depending upon how you structure the project itself and how individuals contribute to the team.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but these will get you off to a good start.

Lynette Seawall is a productivity expert and helps business owners operate with less stress and more free time. She assists them in leaving behind their comfortable messes and familiar yet unproductive daily routines.

Clients give Lynette rave reviews for getting past the obstacle, “change is hard.” They appreciate her patient but persevering approach to help them get where there going - faster than they would on their own.

Look forward to her book, “Find Peace of Mind: 7 Steps to Organizing Your Life and Conquering Information Overload” to be released later this year. Take the personal productivity survey yourself, at http://tinyurl.com/z6qmq. For additional information, contact Info@PerformancePlusConsulting.com or check out the web.

Even if PropertyIndex.com is really a newcomer business, established in March 2007, they were very quick to establish expert reputation. They are a rather straightforward business exclusively focused on proposing expert advice to essentially anyone dedicated to buy, sell, etc. property in a wide selection of areas across the globe. What they avow to do is assist you determine bang-on what’s required very swiftly and, too, sans hassle.

Property is easily available almost anywhere in the world in our times, one of the high-class areas being property you can purchase in Portugal. It should be straightforward to list some of the tremendous property available in Portugal, the explanation for picking property here is property on the market and the ripping option of spending your life amongst such a effervescent and dynamical population.

It is one of the truly sought after countries in our times, and considering the overall attractiveness and wonderful weather that surrounds you night and day, how could you conceivably say no. Property in Portugal is steeped in history, this geographical region has a long tradition as a home to various sophisticated nations.

Just 30 years ago you’d find a mere trickle of Englishmen in search of property in Portugal. Ask just about anyone who has emigrated to Portugal and they’ll back it up. Plenty of people would tend to view it as a vogue and others tend to view it as a that’s quite a compulsion. People looking to move over here may extend from young couples looking for a new life perspective to elderly customers planning to relax.

Do bear in mind, though, that there could well be bugbears when purchasing property abroad — you’ll want to cope with a million heterogeneous, not entirely logical, actions when working out a plan, paying a visit or finalising. If you only miss just a single minor procedure this is sure to definitely generate overwhelming bugbears not to forget, preeminently, a financial hammering.

Obviously and expectably with this well-liked area, property might well be costly in this area and this, of course, is simply because of the peaking buyer demand. This notwithstanding, property buyers indeed are spoilt in a region so great in terms of sensational vista. It really has the whole ball of wax homebuyers may really itch for, and more.

PropertyIndex.com make it easy to find property in Portugal, whether you are looking for a villa or an apartment, they can help you find the right property.

“In any and every given moment of your life, you are either in command of yourself… or you are being commanded.” -Guy Finley, Author

It pays to learn, especially from your mistakes. The successful entrepreneur learns how to deal with mistakes every day. They look forward to the challenge. It’s important to remember that they don’t have to know it all. There’s always someone they can go to for assistance, support, or technical information.

To experience success means you have to set goals and take the necessary actions to make your goals happen. This process of learning continues until you’ve mastered it. After every failure, you can compliment yourself for trying, then tell yourself to try again.

Setting goals to reach success is like climbing a mountain. It takes a very long time to reach the top. Along the way may be several obstacles, but you must keep going. Further on you may stumble and need to rest. To reach the next level, there may be times when you have to take a different path or go around the obstacle. The last step to the top is the crucial one and requires all your concentration. Don’t let the difficult climb persuade you to quit or from setting higher goals. If you enjoy the climb, you will eventually reach the top!

There is power and energy in accomplishment. Develop goals that you are passionate about, then work to make them real. If you miss reaching one goal, learn what you did wrong, and try again. You have every right to be successful. Failure means giving up. If your goal is strong enough and you are committed and passionate enough about what you wish to accomplish, it will happen. Wouldn’t one idea be worth it, if it helped thousands of others to live better, be healthier, save more money, save time, help the environment, create new businesses, and employ others?

Successful entrepreneurs have a certain mental and positive attitude. They believe in themselves and are convinced that they can live richer, fuller lives. They fulfill their own personal desires for happiness. They are familiar with hard work and responsibility.

Take any business or service that is already established and successful and think of other products or services that may help others in different and new ways. Expand your consciousness; think success. Develop your need to be creative. Think outside of your normal way of doing, acting, and being. You may surprise yourself into discovering the next invention, the next form of entertainment, or the next wave of technology. Get rid of self-defeating habits and attitudes. Success comes to those who look for it.

Here are some goals you may set for reaching success in your life:

1. What are you passionate about?
Make a list of things you love to do. A few ideas and types of businesses that may lead you to think of new products, new services, or new inventions may include:

* Travel
* Fitness/Health Care
* Electronics
* Technology/Internet/World Wide Web
* Teaching/Instructional Workshops

* Public speaking
* Writing: Books/Articles/Poetry/Advertising
* Entertainment/Music/Acting * Gardening//Landscaping
* Interior Design; Broadcasting/Television/Radio;
* Spirituality/Inspiration/Self-Improvement

The list is endless.

2. Set goals with specific conditions.
Make your goals possible to accomplish. Plan your goals and structure your thoughts around positive actions. If you think your goal is impossible - it will be. Yet, if you think in positive terms, your goals will be easier to achieve. Refuse to let doubt sway you from your target. Stay positive and you’ll get to your goal much faster.

3. Think big, yet be realistic.
Every accomplishment starts with a dream. Make your dream the biggest and the best - then work to make it come true. Write down everything you know about your dream and your desire to have it happen. What do you have to do? How soon can you make it happen? Be patient, nothing happens overnight.

4. Make a plan.
Write your dream, idea and your plan of action in the present tense: “I am successful.” “I have a successful business.” “My faith is strong and I am blessed financially.” “I am going to reach my goal.” This helps your mind to visualize the outcome. Your mind is forced to act as if your dream has already materialized. Your mind works in the present and makes no distinction between what is happening now and what has already happened. Confusion comes when you send your thoughts to the future or back to the past. The mind may shut down and stop working on what you desire.

5. Set values on your goals.
What value do you place on your life? On your career? On your business? What excites you? Let your imagination soar. Would you give up your values for someone else’s if it meant losing your character or your faith? Your goals must be valuable to you before they can be fulfilled. When you focus on your dream, give it time to grow and develop. It soon becomes a reality.

6. Reward your progress.
When you achieve even the smallest step in accomplishing your goals, get excited. Compliment yourself for taking a step toward reaching your goal. There isn’t anything more gratifying then accomplishing your goal. When you make a major accomplishment, do something for someone else. Celebrate it!

With unlimited opportunities to reach your dreams and goals; with unlimited access to knowledge, information, instructors, and places to go for help, there’s no telling what you can accomplish - if you desire! Then…

Always remember to thank the source from which it all comes.

Copyright 2004

Gerri D Smith is publisher and host of multiple Gateways to inspiration, motivation, and support for individuals, women business owners, and entrepreneurs. Gerri’s internet resource offers ways to unlock the doors to your personal and business empowerment. Now is a perfect time to own your own business and discover some of the best ways to market a product. One is by letting your customers see it before they buy it. This concept is a sharing of information and is made available by the Internet. Best of all it’s delivered right to your email doorstep. Why not invest in your future, now. To help you reach more of your personal and business goals, subscribe to Gerri’s Free bi-monthly inspirational newsletter.

Visit: http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com Or, send a blank email and your correct email address and mailto: gerri@distinctivebusinesswomen.com?Subject=EZ-Scribe