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Looking to take the coming year by the short hairs? Here are some tips to help you kick butt this year.
Find Your End Game: I just read an amazing article from one of my all-time favs Ash Ambirge and The Middle Finger Project called, Is your business flailing around like a pathetic little desperate clingy octopus in a pool of oil?
Best.Article.EVER. Truly a “must-read” for everyone and you can get the full story HERE. Ash (in her wonderfully raw way) talks about defining your path as opposed to flailing about.
Basically, people get themselves into a pickle with their hopes, dreams, and aspirations when:
- They don’t know how to go about getting what they want.
- They waste time doing things that aren’t aligned with their true passion.
- They do tasks or take on work that doesn’t mesh with their personality.
- They let the Internal Doubt Monster Letting talk them out of what they really want from life and business.
- They take the cheap, d-bag client because they are “easy to get.”
- They don’t have any system of checks-and-balances or accountability that will keep them on track.
- They plow forward with no real plan of monetization or sustainability for their business or dreams.
Have a plan. Have an End Game. Have a clear vision of your success and what the journey to that success will look like. Throwing ‘stuff’ at the wall to ‘see what sticks’ is never an effective strategy
Don’t Isolate: Build Relationships: I am the first to admit that, when working from home, there is an urge and tendency to become a hermit. I personally get so caught up in the trap of ‘hunkering down and grinding out work’ I forget to have a business life beyond the four walls of my office. The result is the feeling of being on an island all alone shouting, HEY IS ANYONE THERE? You need to continually work to build connections (online and off-line) and actively participate in networking with Real Live Human Begins.
Look for the JV: Joint Ventures or “JV” are beneficial to business but are also a way to network, gain new customers, and even learn new things. SO, the big question is how do you build relationships with people you’ve never met? ASK TO BE INCLUDED. There are a multitude of blogger link-ups, joint venture opps, and Facebook Mastermind Groups to look in. If you see a series on a blog, or a reoccurring online or offline event, that you’d like to be included in simply reach out to the admins of those blogs or events and ASK.
Be Seen: Social media is a great way to connect, be seen, and drive traffic back to our sites. But this needs to be done in a consistent way. Don’t be the entrepreneur who shows up once a week dumps a load of tweets or retweets in a 15-minute span, only to disappear again for another week. Use third-party tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule social media updates into the future to keep your coverage and visibility consistent. Commenting on other blogs is another ninja trick for great visibility and I mean REALLY commenting. Don’t be “that” person who does a “drive-by-comment” by leaving something as lame and half-hearted as a “nice article.” I know it can be time-consuming, but make the effort to comment on at least 5 blog posts a day, or whenever possible to spread your brand and be seen. blogs a day.
Be helpful and giveback: If you see someone struggling with something on social media or a blog that could use a little help, offer a friendly suggestion or help-no strings attached. Not everything you do for others should have the underlying goal of making them a new customer. Share information, offer encouragement or even your time to those in need just because it’s the right thing to do.
What will you do this year to kick butt?
Here’s another way I plan to “kick tootie” this year. With an eBook that helps others, like me, navigate the sometimes slippery slopes of work-from-home freedom. A guide that shares the key facts, secrets, tips, strategies, and resources to make an informed leap and discover Life Beyond the Cubicle. This eBook has been in the making for “lots of sleeps” but I think it’s finally time to release my baby into the world.
