I have a secret.
But I’m not sure if I should tell you.
I mean, it pretty much lets me do whatever I want. It has been the key to achieving my biggest goals over the past couple of years.
It’s allowed me to defy the odds, blow past any obstacle, and achieve things I never thought possible.
Ok. So what’s my secret.
…. It’s the power of big, hairy, audacious goals.
2009 is in full swing, and I’ve already been feeling the power of my big, hairy, audacious goals.
… because little puny goals just don’t cut it.
I want goals that cause me to jump out of bed in the morning.
Now, to give you an example, I’m going to share with you, my 3 big, hairy audacious goals for 2009…
1. My first goal is to run 2009 miles in 2009. Now, I’ve been running since high school, so this is entirely within my reach, but it still requires me to stretch. And good golly, it’s just plain exciting. (Or maybe I’m just a running geek that get’s a thrill out of that kind of thing ;)
But it doesn’t stop there. You MUST define what you need to do EACH DAY to reach that goal. One of the biggest keys to achieving your goals is to make very specific goals.
For my running goal, I’ll need to run 5-miles per day (and one of those days will be a 10-miler)
And so far, I’m right on track.
Today I ran 5 miles in the pouring rain. (And it was awesome!)
Everyday I prove to myself that I defy the odds, and this translates into all areas of my life.
2. My second goal is to read one book per week. This week I read “Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncotested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant”.
Next week I will be reading “The Starbucks Experience” by Joseph Michelli.
And although reading a book every week might sound like a lot, it’s really not. I only read about 30 minutes at night before I go to sleep. That short time-period allows me to gain a HUGE amount of knowledge (especially over the course of a year).
I’ve dedicated myself to continuous learning because I know the power of knowledge. We’re living in a world of change and the winners are those who consistently stay ahead of the curve.
3. My final goal this year is to create a monthly membership program that matches my current income. There’s a HUGE DIFFERENCE between monthly recurring income and the traditional income you earn in your business from affiliate promotions, product launches, etc…
You see, if I don’t do any work next month, my income is going to take a big hit. But if you’re running a membership program, you’re going to be generating passive, monthly income, even if you decide to take the month off. Plus, all of the content can be delivered on autopilot.
This is one of the biggest benefits of recurring income. It creates passive income that you literally can NOT turn off unless you shut your site down.
Plus, running a membership site frees up your time to focus on other projects because you no longer have to worry about constantly creating new offers, writing new salesletters, and driving more traffic.
And like all of my goals, I have very SPECIFIC daily tasks to ensure that I reach this goal.
This year, I’m focusing on building leverage into my business.
That means building my list of subscribers (which is hands-down one of THE biggest leverage points in your business.)
I’m also focusing on multiple types of integration marketing, which includes perpetual ad swaps, thank-you page swaps, etc…
Some other big leverage points in your business include your relationship with other marketers, your affiliate program, and continuous testing. Think about it, if you raise the conversion of your sales letter from 1% to 2%, you’ve just doubled your income.
One of the biggest keys in business is to focus on those tasks that produce the greatest results.
It comes down to the 80/20 rule. You must focus on a small set of tasks that produces the greatest results. Dedicate yourself to a concentrated effort on the few elements that matter most.
Focus on your most important tasks.
As soon as you wake up in the morning, write down your 3 most important action steps for the day. These are the actions that are going to bring you closer to your business goals.
This is what I do in the morning…
I write down my 3 most important tasks for the day. (the ones that are going to grow my business.)
Then, first thing in the morning, I complete THE most important task on that list. That way, I have moved myself one step closer to my goal before most people have even got out of bed.
Now, this routine is critical…
By starting off the day by completing your most important task, you’ll find that the rest of your day follows suit, encouraging further productivity. You’ve tapped into a flow of productivity.
The key to success is doing something EVERY DAY that puts you closer and closer to your goal. Bite off one chunk at a time and you will soon find yourself achieving things you never thought possible.
One little action step at a time…
Here’s to a big, hairy, audacious 2009!
January 6th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
So true. Continuity is definitely the way to go. Or any form of passive income streams.
After all…who wants to actually ‘work’ to make money? :-)
Great post Kim.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Outstanding wisdom in this blog post! Thank you for sharing, Kim.
Sure am glad I got signed up to your list. Now I’m even more inspired to create great things this year.
Doug
January 6th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Kim-
You always have such great content on your site. I really needed this to set my goals, I have taken notes and are now crafting tomorrow’s to do’s. To a great year for both of us and everyone we know. cheers!
January 6th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Wow, Kim – so inspiring. You are truly my hero (love your online ideas, tactics and strategies)!
Now, let’s see — how can I get off my computer? I cannot pull away it seems, so much to do, so little time.
In 2009, I’m going to leverage “other people” much more, and while tasking is mostly done by others today, I will do the “thinking & strategy” more. This will also allow me to build out those pet projects I’ve been thinking about, keep the search company running, while I focus more on personal things as well.
My ultimate goal over the next 2 years is complete freedom – “to do what I want to do, anytime I want to do it”. (I’m only 70% there, the hardest part is right now).
Many of my friends in the biz tell me I’m “too kind” with my information. This will have to continue, it’s “me” – but – I will need to ask for more commitments up front, that’s for sure.
Thanks for your inspirational post – wish I could do the 5 mile every day, but then again – I’m NOT a runner. Best of luck, and talk soon!
Cheers, Jon
P.S.
Hope the weather cleared up! :-)
January 6th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Kim…thanks for the awesome post. This is so inspiring! I really
like the way you connect with the reader (me!)
Congratulations on your goals…and I am excited to hear about your membership site!
Talk soon,
Karen
January 6th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I am so grateful that you sent me this information it has really put me in a place where I will take action. Thank you!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Hey Kim,
Those are good goals. I’m definitively with you on goal 3. Running affiliate campaigns is time consuming. You get a quick hit then it dies off into the sunset. I have 3 membership sites planned this year. So I will literally lock myself in my room with only vitamin water and protein bars until the income generated replaces a good portion of my offline income. I’m not hoping to get it done. I must get it done. Wish you all the best this year for 2009!!
January 6th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Thanks Kim!
Sounds like a great plan for 2009!
Not sure if I would run 2009 miles though :)
January 6th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Hey Kim,
Great post. I guess it is the season for making resolutions and setting goals. This is a subject that interests me.
I wish you every success in achieving your goals, especially if it means that you will be producing some more great content for us to learn from. I do enjoy learning from you.
All the best
Ken
January 7th, 2009 at 2:03 am
Hi Kim,
Wow is all I can say!
When I first read your 1st goal (2009 miles in 2009), i was thinking to myself what the big deal was. 1 mile in 1 day isn’t difficult at all. And then it dawned upon me, there isn’t 2009 days in 2009. LOL!
There’s only 365 days and that’s when the AHA moment set in.
Well done buddy … you’re inspired me that’s for sure.
Keep it going!
January 7th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Hi Kim,
This post so inspired me, i hope i can do the same thing like you with run 2009 miles too…
January 8th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Hi Kim
Yes your post has inspired me too. I constantly feel so full of ideas that focus becomes a problem but its just one step at a time isn’t it, just like running.
I will endeavour to copy you by reading just before bed as I have such a huge library and its all “I must get to it one of these days so that again is where one step at a time comes into play.
Thanks for such an inspiring post.
Pamela ( Millionairemumma )
January 8th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Good post, Kim. It’s great to be clear like that.
I must say, though, the word “hairy” made me hesitate to read the post! Just something about it…
January 9th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Wow awesome post Kim! I am going to print that one out! :) I am working on the whole membership site myself, so hopefully I will get it off the ground soon.
Thanks for such great motivation, I wish you well with all of your 2009 Goals! :)
Regards,
Cori
January 10th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Hi Kim,
Some great goals you have, I wish you the best in meeting all of them.
Happy New Year.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Thank you for taking the time to read and review my book. I am in your debt.
Joseph Michelli, author of The Starbucks Experience
July 12th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
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