January 5th, 2010 - Opportunity is all Around You
"A window of opportunity won't open itself." - Dave Weinbaum
AMEN Dave!
You do have to be conscious enough to open the window of opportunity when it shows up. How else are you going to get where you want to go this year? It would be a shame to be at the airport when your ship comes in. But believe it or not, most people miss fabulous opportunities every day. Why? Because they don’t prepare for them. In other words, their mouth doesn’t match their actions.
If your intention is to take your business to the next level in 2010, the first order of business is to going to be to get really clear (crystal clear) about where you want to go. Then you have to have the right success strategies, the right mindset, and the right support to take you there.
Here is the exercise that I use to open myself up to receive the opportunities that are waiting for me in the New Year.
You’ve heard me talk about my theme and my prosperity board that I design every year, right? Well, there are a few steps that I do which lead up to this finale. Here they are:
- Write down all your accomplishments from the past year. Sometimes we have a tendency to minimize our accomplishments if they are not big bang sort of things. Don’t do that. Take time to validate yourself. And while you’re at it, start an Accomplishments List for 2010. Every time you complete one of them, cross it off your list. Believe me, on the days that are not so good you’ll be glad to have this list to support you.
- Make a list of everything that did not work in 2009. That’s right, you heard me. How are you going to make changes if you aren’t clear about what didn’t work in the past year?
- Burn the list of things that just didn’t pan out in 2009. I know this sounds a little airy fairy, but trust me - it works. Get a clay pot or fireproof bowl, go outside, and burn that sucker. Don’t judge the list, don’t beat yourself up, just burn it. Believe me, this is cathartic.
- Make a list of what did work in 2009. This is the list that you’ll take into the new year to guide you and build on. This is validation. When one thing doesn’t work, you tend to negate all the good strategies that did work for you.
- Get crystal clear about what you want to create in 2010. This is where most entrepreneurs shoot themselves in the foot. If you don’t get crystal clear about your intentions and goals, you can’t get there. If you are having trouble figuring this out, then get support. Call a coach or mentor to work with you to show you how to get clear, focused, and on track.
- Write a Vision Statement or Heart’s Desire of what you truly want your life/business to look like one year from now. This is called a CMI - Clear Mental Image. If you can’t see it and feel it, you can’t get there. Read it every day. This is one of the most powerful exercises that I do for myself.
- Make a Prosperity Board. This is very powerful and fun thing to do. It also brings your vision to life in pictures. Here’s what you do. Get a sheet of poster board and gather up all your magazines, scissors, and glue. Then start cutting and pasting pictures that represent what you want in your life this year. More importantly, how you want to feel this year? Post everything that matters to you on your poster board where you can see it every day, all day. It keeps me focused, on track, and brings a smile to my face.
- TAKE ACTION! Nothing changes until you take action. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I have a quote on my bulletin board that keeps me focused that says, “Is what I’m working on right now, getting me closer to my goal? If not, stop doing it immediately.”
- Believe in Yourself! Only accept the best for yourself. Make YOUR LIFE and YOUR Business a Priority in 2010!
And if you could use some help brainstorming, email me at Cookie@CookieTuminello.com, to schedule an appointment today.
