Goal Setting that Works FOR you!

Everybody but everybody blogs about goal setting this time of year. Far be it from me to be anything but a cog in the wheel. At the same time however, work at home folks do everything just a little different than the average Joe (or Josie) Schmoe, don’t we?

Goals are especially important to telecommuters. They help get you from where you are to where you want to be. And if they are organized correctly, they do their job with minimal complications and maximum outcome.

The secret is to set goals so that they work for you instead of against you and for a telecommuter that can be hard.

You have to start at the end. When you sit down this year to make your 2009 goals list think ahead to where you want to be this time next year. Get detailed. Are you working in the same home office or corner of your bedroom? Are you even in the same field of work or do you have a whole new direction itching to blaze a trail into your future?

Once you know where you want to be in a year set a few REACHABLE goals for the next three months. And I do mean REACHABLE. You cant become the editor of Cosmopolitan in a year if your a third grade teacher in Juno Alaska today. Be reasonable.

Set goals that are clearly stated. Having a goal such as “start a home business” is not nearly as clear (and therefore as attainable) as a goal like “start a desk top publishing company by March 31rst.”

A goal like the latter gives you a road map with which to continue your life’s journey.

Goals are not to be written on New Years Eve and tucked in a drawer either. If you have a real intention to succeed your list must be reviewed every day and once every 3 months it needs to be revised and rewritten to include the new things you’ve learned. You can also add new goals for future months and years at this point.

Set a predetermined amount of time that you will spend each and every day on accomplishing your goal. Set it reasonable. If you surpass it great! If not, at least make it. Say 15 minuets a day should be spent on researching an taking action toward your goal.

The whole idea is to make your goals work for you. Don’t make goals that you have to struggle to accomplish. The hard goals can be broken up into smaller reachable goals and its all achievable.  One step at a time.

You can do it. You can work at home. But you have to do the leg work. No one will do it for you.

Check this video on setting goals for a home business:

The Trick to Making Money From Home

You already know the secret, really. Anybody does. I hate to sound like a sappy family movie but- Its been inside you all along.

You can make extra money- and maybe a good living- with something you already have beating around in your head. Something you are good at, a subject you excel at, be it 18th century English Literature or making robots- you can make money showing people how to do it.

Most often the problem here is getting started. First choose your subject and then build your “product” around it and your strengths.

For instance, have you been a cashier for 37 years? We’re you cashier of the month 12 times consecutively? Can you work every cash register ever built? Do you have hints and tips on working more efficiently, staying positive and getting a raise or two? You are a consultant and you didn’t even know it. You can teach new cashiers how to be the best. Store owners will hire you to come in and do so. Private folks will hire you to get better at their job. The sky is the limit. Entrepreneur Magazine says ” Everyone has an untapped reservoir of knowledge. Put yours to work for you as an independent consultant by teaching your skills to others.”

It doesn’t have to be cashier. Anything that you have many, many years of experience in will work. Beekeeping, ball room dance, babysitting, etc. You name it, you’ve got a new career.

Your next step is to determine the way you will present your information or “sell your product”. Will you hold classes or seminars, one on one tutoring, sell books? Maybe all of these above?

Spend some time putting together your approach. While your in line at the store or waiting for a gas pump give it some thought and take down a few notes. Stuff like what you will include in the first meeting with your clients, how you will run the business, consultant fee’s etc.

This is where you find out if you need any special licence or permits. If you are consulting in a field that requires certain certification you will need to have those as well.

There are many books and business kits available for this type of thing. Begin reading and researching as soon as possible. The more you learn before hand the better off you’ll be.

It might not make you a millionaire but it will bring in a few extra dollars to help make ends meet.

New Nominee For the Pink Paperclip!!!

We have a new nominee for the Pink Paperclip award. Check it out!

Luke Spencer gives me the warm fuzzies

Luke Spencer gives me the warm fuzzies. Do you know luke?

He and his wife Laura have been dear friends of mine since my mother introduced us way back in the ’80s.

I’m talking about characters from General Hospital, the ABC sopa opera. Luke and Laura are long time important characters played by the same people for decades. I can remember running all the way home from Jr High as soon as the bell rang. I wanted to miss as little as possible of the show. Luke and Laura were in love and on the run and the world was theirs for the taking only they didn’t realize it.

I like the way they make me feel even if I haven’t watched the show in months or even years. I can be clicking through the channels and see Luke’s face and suddenly feel comfortable.

Stuff like that is important in a persons life. Just some tiny little thing that can bring you a moment of peace. Something that may seem inconsequential to anyone else, but to you- is a warm fuzzy. A moment that brings you back to yourself.

I am so tired of the bull! Get out of my way scammers!

Just as a little back story let me tell you that I have been under tremendous pressure lately. A perusal through the pages here will tell you a little about my crazy life.

I take a bit of solace in performing daily rituals. Doing a load of dirty dished gives me a moment of peace. I relish the act of taking care of my family and performing a needed service around the house.

I also take a certain peacefulness from getting involved in my work. An hour of uninterrupted work time is equivalent of heaven to me. I can get more work done in an hour than most non-wahms can all day. One part of my work routine is that every morning I take about 20 minuets and peruse the job boards and local opportunities. It is always a nasty smack in the mouth when you apply to a craigs list post only to get a big fat scammy email back asking for money or 15 sample articles or something equally crappy, scammy and reminiscent of bullshit.

Did I mention that I have been under extreme pressure lately? Keep that in mind as I relate to you how I applied for a posting on Nashville craigslist:

 Reply to: job-928590362@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2008-11-21, 1:40PM CST

This is a part-time, on-going opportunity to write articles and website content, product descriptions, etc. Our freelance writing service is currently expanding, adding new clients weekly, and needs additional writers to take on writing projects.

You will work in concert with our clients to produce written website content for a variety of websites and on a variety of topics.

We are looking to work directly with writers, rather than with writing services, or middlemen, etc. Pay is dependent on experience and requirements, and is commensurate with standard writing rates for these types of projects.

 

No sooner did I apply did I receive the following email:

Thanks for your interest in joining our network for freelance writers. All information necessary to get started writing for us should be included in this email and on our website. We send out weekly emails to our group of writers listing details for various clients not listed anywhere else that are seeking writers.

You will be able to contact clients directly with your specific bid for their project. Our weekly email will tell you the topic, the format and length, and often additional information like turnaround time, etc.
——————————
TO REGISTER FOR THE LIST, please visit our website, www.XXXXXXXXXXX.com, and click on “register now.” You’ll also find more information about our clients, the list format, bidding, and more.

Once you have registered in our system through our website, you will be added to our registered writers immediately, and you will being receiving assignment requests upon the next mailing — again, typically on Friday.

There is a $6.99 yearly payment required via paypal to be included in our project mailing, as is the case with many other freelance services like Elance and Guru (they charge more than us!) In addition, the price of our service has increased over time, and using the Paypal system locks in the current price for as long as you want to remain on our program. The registration is handled through our website, www.XXXXXXXXXXX.com.

Thanks so much for your interest,

Now, this guy might be ok but my point is that I have found this post at least 4 different times in the area for writing and editing jobs. It does not go there.

I have written to him and asked him to stop placing it there. I have contacted craigslist all three times never to receive a response.

What is a girl to do? Maybe its my stress factor that is making this just crawl under my skin the way it has. But I feel slighted. I feel scammed… and slightly greasy.