You can’t get something that you do not know that you want. You can’t strive for a goal that doesn’t exist. You can’t make reality out of an idea that you have not thought of.
So what is it that I want? What are my goals? What are my big ideas?
I thought that coming up with a list of 100 goals and wants would be easy, but it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. There are many places I want to go, things I want to experience, and things I want to accomplish, but when I come down to actually writing out 100 of them, I get stuck.
I tried to do this over the summer and I only got to number 48. I could only come up with 48 goals. I want to try to finish my 100 goals list.
1. Develop a successful, passive income
2. Grow my net worth to $1M+
3. Grow a successful business empire
4. Drive/own a luxury hybrid (again)
5. Remain fit and healthy
6. Own a 5000 + sq ft house on 1+ acres
7. Be a great parent
8. Finish reading my book list (keep adding to it)
9. Continually learn to cook new meals
10. Go to the Grand Canyon
11. Go to Niagara Falls
12. See the pyramids in Egypt
13. Scuba drive somewhere tropical
14. Visit the Muse De Orsay
15. See Stonehenge
16. Go to Peru
17. Learn to play the guitar
18. Have a least one painting in a gallery other than my own
19. Open a gallery that is successful, has many visitors and features many talented artists
20. Get dirt bikes and learn to ride really well
21. Take one big vacation at least once a year
22. Go to Ireland
23. Learn to and build great looking, complex websites
24. Have a house with a library in it
25. Start an art collection – travel the world to acquire art
26. Have Sean and I have more free time and both work from home making at least $15k per month
27. A huge walk in closet
28. Develop a mastermind group that gets together regularly
29. Find a mentor
30. Have 2 healthy, smart kids
31. Put together a professional support team (accountant, financial planner, realtor, lawyer, etc.
32. Find a coach
33. Continue to develop the great friendship and marriage that I have with Sean
34. Lean another language fluently
35. Visit the Milwaukee and Minneapolis with Sean
36. Ask for what I want or expect in all situations
37. Go camping several times every summer
38. Paint more often
39. Meet good friends
40. Be financially free and work because I want to
41. Visit NY city
42. Commit to life long learning
43. Leave a legacy
44. Be a role model
45. Be decisive
46. Continue to be a “cool cucumber’
47. Not be afraid to try
48. Write several books and successfully sell them
49. Inspire others to be great
50. Visit Abbey Road
51. Have the money and time to help animals
52. Own a Monet
53. Learn metal fabrication
54. Learn to reupholster car interiors
55. Have a shop on our property
56. Go to the San Diego Zoo
57. Instill honesty and politeness in our kids
58. Learn more about plants and trees making my thumb a little greener
59. Donate time and money to charities
60. Have a vacation home
61. Sell clothing designs daily
62. Meet Jack Canfield
63. Continually learn to be a better designer
64. Invent something useful that many people need/want
65. Own a 56 Ford
66. Own several 1970’s muscle cars
67. Get a massage once a week
68. Employ several people – that are paid and treated well and that love their job
69. Be a better photographer
70. Create a compete, beautiful baby-kid/memory book for my kids
71. Visit DC again (with Sean this time)
72. Take Sean to Paris
73. Go on a European vacation and have plenty of money to see the big site, stay in really nice places and eat at great restaurants
74. Bike in Amsterdam
75. Ride a Segway
76. Swim with a Dolphin (a nice one)
77. Take Sean to SEMA
78. Design our own custom house
79. Teach (not sure what just yet, or when)
80. Take more painting classes
81. Be able to easily travel to visit family
82. Have Sean be featured in Heavy Hitters
83. Get lasik and have 20/20 vision or better
84. Get straight teeth
85. Eat sushi more often
86. Get a motorcycle, learn to ride well, take weekend trips
87. Have a home gym
88. Have a huge, natural looking swimming pool
89. Have someone clean my house regularly
90. Open a restaurant, coffee shop or pub
91. Own a hot tub and sauna
92. Have a very large garage
93. Own our house outright
94. Basement with a home theater/pub-ish room
95. Have the time to be involved in kids’ extracurricular activities
96. Go to Monterey Bay Aquarium
97. I want a kegerator
98. To take our kids to Disneyland when they are at that “magic” age that it is totally amazing to them, but still old enough to remember
99. Have our kids go to private school
100. Laugh everyday
What a list!
The website is coming along great, and I had a good meeting with the client this morning to go over the basic design and content, so far. I am right on track and got some feedback and further direction. Now I am just waiting for additional text and photos and I will be able to finish it all up. This has been such a big project and I am hoping it will lead the way to additional projects like this one, or along the same lines.
I even talked to them about some email marketing campaigns, which I have really enjoyed designing lately and would like to create an industry specific campaign for them (and other clients). I think it is a key to marketing a company, especially a small business with minimal marketing dollars. Keeping your name out there and in front of your client is a key to successful marketing and email marketing, when done right, is so effective and inexpensive. I think it is the way to go for them. I hope I will be able to start working on some additional projects with them soon.
I have to work on my clothing designs tomorrow to meet my 100 product goal. I still think I can do it, I am motivated to get it done in the timeframe I set.
Busy, busy, busy. I need a few more hours in the day for sure!
7 Ways to Boost Your Business, or How to Ask to Get Ahead
Ask and you shall receive.
How many times have you heard that? But how many times have you used this fundamental truth in your daily life recently?
Let me put it this way: when was the last time you asked for a written endorsement from a client or colleague?
How about feedback from your customers? Or the opportunity to renegotiate something that just doesn’t work for you?
I can’t tell you how often I watch business professionals–especially those in sales and marketing positions–falter because they simply stop practicing the art of asking.
If you were to ask successful top executives how they got to where they are, I bet most would admit they “asked to get to the top.” In other words, they knew when and how to ask the right questions so they could gather the right information, build their reputation, seek useful referrals, generate new business, and expand their audience or customer base.
If the simple act of asking is so critical, then why don’t more people do it?
Because for some reason, people falsely think asking implies weakness and sets one up for potential rejection. It’s easy to come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid asking questions that can return unexpected or critical answers. Yet the world responds to those who ask.
If you are not moving closer to what you want, you probably aren’t doing enough asking.
Here are seven asking strategies you can implement in your business (and in life) to boost your results:
1.) Ask for Information
You can never have too much information; in fact, the higher up you go, the more you need to know. To win potential new clients, you first need to have an understanding about their current challenges, what they want to accomplish and how they plan to do it. Only then can you proceed to demonstrate the advantages of your unique product or service. Ask questions starting with the words who, why, what, where, when and how to obtain the information you need. Only when you truly understand and appreciate a prospect’s needs can you offer a solution.
2.) Ask for Business
Would you believe that more than 60 percent of the time salespeople never ask for the order after giving a complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service?! It’s true, and a painful statistic that could put anyone out of business quickly if it’s not changed. Always ask a closing question to secure the business. Don’t waffle or talk around it–or worse, wait for your prospect to ask you. No doubt you have heard of many good ways to ask the question, “Would you like to give it a try?” The point is, ask.
3.) Ask for Written Endorsements
These can be difficult to ask for if you don’t like tooting your own horn, but well-written, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people are powerful for future sales. They solidify the quality of your product or service and leverage you as a person who has integrity, is trustworthy and gets the job done on time. When is the best time to ask? Right after you have provided excellent service, gone the extra mile, or made your customer really happy. Simply ask if your customer would be willing to give you a testimonial about the value of your product or service, plus any other helpful comments.
4.) Ask for Top-Quality Referrals
Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. It’s the easiest, least expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace. Your core clients will gladly give you referrals because you treat them so well. So why not ask all of them for referrals? It’s a habit that will dramatically increase your income. Like any other habit, the more you ask the easier it becomes.
5.) Ask for More Business
Look for other products or services you can provide your customers. Devise a system that tells you when your clients will require more of your products. The simplest way is to ask your customers when you should contact them to reorder. It’s easier to sell your existing clients more than to go looking for new ones.
6.) Ask for Feedback
This is an important component of asking that is often overlooked. How do you really know if your product or service is meeting your customers’ needs? Ask them, “How are we doing? What can we do to improve our service to you? Please share what you like or don’t like about our products.” Set up regular customer surveys that ask good questions and tough questions. It’s a powerful way to fine-tune your business.
7.) Ask to Renegotiate
The negotiating room should never be locked up for good. Regular business activities include negotiation and often re-negotiation. Many networkers get stuck because they lack skills in negotiation, yet this is simply another form of asking that can save a lot of time and money. All sorts of contracts can be renegotiated in your personal life, too, such as changing your credit card terms and rates. As long as you negotiate ethically and in the spirit of a win-win, you can enjoy a lot of flexibility. Nothing is ever cast in stone. It’s only in stone if you don’t speak up!
The 5 Secrets to Successful Asking
The first stumbling block for most is knowing how to ask.
There are five secrets to great asking that can guarantee you results, however big or small. If you ever find yourself hitting brick walls and coming up short in responses, come back to these five tips:
Ask Clearly: No one likes getting a vague or fuzzy question. Be precise. Think clearly about your request. Take time to prepare. Use a note pad to pick words that have the greatest impact. Words are powerful, so choose them carefully.
For example, if you throw out the “How am I doing?” question without specifics, it may take time for the other person to understand what you’re talking about. Instead, try, “How is my attitude with customers? Do you see room for improvement? Where?”
Ask with Confidence: People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you’ve figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence. Practice in the mirror if you have to, or write out your question in advance.
Be prepared to hear the unexpected or the unwanted. Try to have an open mind and heart (it’s okay to feel intimidated by the experience, but don’t show it). Don’t get defensive if you hear something you don’t like or that makes you uncomfortable. It’s good to get a little uneasy once in a while upon the observations or insights of others. They will inspire you to stop, reflect, and take steps to make a shift for the better.
Ask Consistently: Top producers know that they can’t quit if they ask once and don’t get a good response. Keep asking until you find the answers, and try different ways of asking if one doesn’t seem to be working.
In prospecting there are usually four or five “no’s” before you get a “yes.” You may, for example, want to ask a co-worker about your performance on an important team project, but you sense a reluctance from that person to offer an opinion.
You can always ask another person who is more receptive to the question, or consider how you are asking it and try again. Because people don’t normally go around asking others for opinions on how well they are doing, it’s not a question typically heard. So be prepared to ask over and over again before you hear a clear–useful–answer.
Ask Creatively: In this age of global competition, your asking may get lost in the crowd, unheard by the decision-makers you hope to reach. There is a way around this. If you want someone’s attention, don’t ask the ordinary way. Use your creativity to dream up a high-impact presentation.
Bear in mind that asking someone to stop and evaluate you can seem awkward or time-consuming. Show respect for them first and find the ideal time to ask the question. Here’s one way to engage the insights of a superior: “I highly value your opinion and honest perspective, and would love to know what you think I could be doing differently on a daily basis that would make your life easier and make our clients happier.”
Ask Sincerely: When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the way it is, lumps and all. Don’t worry if your presentation isn’t perfect; ask from your heart. Keep it simple and people will open up to you.
Like speaking a different language, asking takes continual practice until it becomes a regular, reflexive habit. The sooner you build your “Ask Muscle”, the sooner you’ll see the results you’ve been waiting–and searching–for.
Don’t think asking only relates to work-related goals and tasks. Bring this practice home to enrich your relationships with your family members and your friends.
I trust you’ll be surprised and delighted at what you discover about yourself in this process.
Happy asking!
Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Sou© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
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