So, what else is new?

This is probably the first year in my adult life that I am starting off a new year without even the slightest hint of a resolution. I'm feeling kind of boring and bland without any new goals or ideas for 2012.

Someone asked me this morning what was the best thing that happened in 2011. My struggle to answer doesn't mean I'm not thankful for absolutely every minute I had breath for the past 365 days. But it also feels like I finished a marathon that left me longing for quiet and solitude over grand plans and big ambitions.

The year had plenty of challenges. And yet the list of things for which I'm thankful is a long one: an amazing husband with a new job that is restoring some normalcy to our schedule, the three big kids who are growing up right before my eyes, the littlest one who gives us all a chance to relive the early years of learning and growing and see the world through those innocent eyes, an amazing community of friends who listen to me and laugh with me, and the chance to work from home doing all of the things I love.

Last year, my goal was to take a photo and blog about it every day of 2011. I made it 109 days. I'm glad for that first third of the year that I tried it and did it, and I'm glad to have those daily "journal" entries in my blog to remember all of those moments of 2011. I'm also glad that I was OK with giving up on that goal when I realized it was weighing me down more than it was lifting me up. My love of taking photos starting becoming a chore when I felt like I had to do it every single day.

At the risk of sounding arrogant or annoying, I decided to make a list of the things I accomplished in 2011. It's kind of nice to look back at a year that feels like a blur and remember that I'm starting 2012 as a person who is (at least a little bit) different than I was 365 days ago:

I learned a ton of new Photoshop tricks. A year ago, I didn't know how to "refine edges" or fill using "content aware" or master my "blending modes" or "create a clipping mask" or "rasterize type" or even use the "stamp tool." I have learned so much, which makes it more fun to build on my base of knowledge to learn even more in 2012.

I also taught myself how to use InDesign. I remember sitting in my bed at night watching tutorials on my iPad so I could work on a project that required it. A few months later, I'm feeling like an expert in InDesign and can do quickly what felt like a monumental task last summer.

I've learned a LOT about video editing, thanks to a friend who has given me so many great tips. I would love to graduate beyond iMovie and use some more advanced video editing software this year to see what I'm missing.

I got a new camera lens that has helped me work on my photography skills. I would like to purchase Adobe Lightroom this year and learn more about photo editing, as well as create a better system for storing my photos.

I started shopping at Costco. Doesn't that sound like the most hilarious thing to include on my list? It's actually an accomplishment for me because I don't like to grocery shop. But it's symbolic to me of the fact that I've been more on top of stocking up on the food we need so I can do a better job feeding my family.

I organized a lot of my recipes on allrecipes.com. I started using their more advanced features to create my meal plans and grocery shopping lists. I'm still sporadic in this area, but I feel like by the time my kids all graduate and move away, I will FINALLY be on top of my meal planning. :)

I ran nine miles. Yep, that's right. I ran nine miles in one year. I realize some people like to lump their miles all together and run them all at once. I ran my miles one at a time. I walked and biked a whole bunch of other miles, but for some reason, the ones I ran seem more important. My hope for 2012 is to run more miles than I did in 2011. And, thankfully, the bar is super low, so hopefully, I'll be able to accomplish that. :)

I blogged a lot less in 2011. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I'm working on creating a photobook from all of my photos from 2011, and I love incorporating my blog posts into the book. In that respect, I wish I had blogged more. I would like to post photos and write about my family at least once a week in 2012, but I also realize it's harder than it looks. I don't want my effort to chronicle my memories to get in the way of enjoying the moments.

I made some new friends, renewed some old friendships and realized that I need to invest more in the friends I have. The year started with some difficult news for a dear friend. It's ending with the news that some of our closest friends are moving away. This kind of stuff makes me want to kick the curb, curl up in a ball and yell, "Not fair!" But I know God has a plan with all of this, and I'm trying to enjoy the people He places in my life the best that I can.

I made my marriage more of a priority. I realized how easy it is to get so caught up in the needs of the kids and the demands of keeping things going and forget the one person who is most important to me. This is definitely something I want to keep working on in 2012.

Well, it's kind of funny that in making that list I realized that I do have some goals for the new year. I'm also starting things off by going on a 40 day spiritual journey with my church. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when I make it a priority to read the Bible and pray every single day.

What about you? Do you have big goals for 2012? Did 2011 turn out the way you had hoped? What's on your list for the new year?

What does success look like?

This is part 3 of my post on success. You can click here and here to read my first two posts on this topic.

One thing that has been changing for me over the past few years has been my definition of success. What would have to happen in order for me to feel that I had achieved success? What would that "home run" look like for me?

Would it mean I had achieved great recognition?

Would it mean I had made a lot of money?

Maybe it would mean I had a huge circle of great friends?

Perhaps it would mean my children were well-behaved and achieved educational goals we had set for them.

Or maybe it would mean I had affected someone's life in a positive and lasting way.

I had a unique experience with my home-based business the past few years. It was unusual because when I started it, I didn't have any intention of being successful. I simply wanted to earn a little extra income, and the opportunity sort of fell into my lap. I didn't go looking for it. It found me.

Well, I found that I was naturally good at this type of business. And within a couple of years, I started earning a lot of recognition for my success, not to mention some awesome vacations to tropical locations. For three years in a row, I received an honor that was most special to me: the Woman of the Year award.

The cool thing about this award is that it's not something a person can try to achieve. The company looks at your stats in 14 categories that cover every aspect of the business. The person who has the highest overall ranking in every category is honored with the award. Since I wasn't able to track how other people were doing, I couldn't possibly adjust my performance in one area to try to "win".

But many women in my business also jokingly refer to the Woman of the Year award as the Kiss of Death. That is because many women quit the business the year after they are named Woman of the Year.

Why? In my experience, it's because it's nearly impossible to maintain over a long period of time, and it's such a let-down to fail to live up to the standard of being Woman of the Year. So, instead of going on to have an average year (which still might still be an exceptional year in reality), these all-or-nothing ladies, like myself, would prefer to quit. They have achieved the best they can achieve. It's time to move on and try something new.

This type of success also came with a startling revelation. While it was really fun to be recognized for a few days at convention, on an incentive trip or during another event for being Woman of the Year, it didn't carry over to any other aspect of my life.

Women would treat me like a rockstar for a few days of the year, seeking me out for advice and taking hurried notes during a seminar I gave at convention. But then I would return home to piles of laundry, dirty diapers and an empty refrigerator.

"Wait a minute! Don't you people know I am WOMAN OF THE YEAR!" I wanted to shout. But the empty milk jug really didn't care.

I realized after the first year how hollow this type of success made me feel. It was fun and it gave me a little high to feel successful, but it didn't carry with it any lasting value.

When it comes to my business, I had to completely change my focus. Working hard to achieve recognition wasn't worth it. I needed to achieve a certain level of income and with that, sometimes I would naturally also receive recognition. I also wanted to help other women be successful. And again, that might bring me recognition. But the recognition alone did not give a lasting feeling of success.

In my personal life, I also have been evaluating what "success" would look like. What would be my home run? When I get to the end of my life, how would I want to be remembered? More about that coming up.

I would love to hear from you. What does your success barometer look like? Have you ever achieved great success and found out later that it wasn't what you thought it would be?




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The cost of success

*This is part 2 of my post on Success.*

I tend to be an all-or-nothing person. And this quality can be both good and bad.

If I make the decision to do something, I want to give it my all. I want to really invest the time and energy that is necessary to make it successful. I get bored with mediocrity.

The downside is that I might be doing something at a level that is perfectly acceptable. But since it doesn't meet my standard, I don't want to do it at all. (I say the word standard with a lot of sarcasm because sometimes my standard can be ridiculous!)

This is a trait that I have really been working on during the past year. I am trying to be more content with where I am in life, even if I am not feeling the "thrill" of success.

I have heard so many times in my life of women who "wanted it all". A great marriage. Perfect children. A fulfilling career. A beautiful home. And absolutely no fine lines or gray hairs from the stress of rushing from one thing to the next to achieve this idealistic existence.

But I know from experience that it's not possible to have it all. If I am going to be successful in one area, then I must choose other areas of my life that will have to give. I only have the time and energy to do a good job at a few things at one time.

On the other hand, I can be average, mediocre or downright OK at more things in my life. And sometimes average is good. Especially if it allows me to keep my sanity. In fact, average can be better than letting something really important slide because I am trying so hard to be successful in another area.

You might think this the end of my stream of consciousness on the topic of success. But no, there's more.

While you're waiting, tell me what's on your mind. Are you feeling like you are trying too hard to be good at everything? Are you happy with average? Or are you longing for more success?




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Success

For the past few days, I've been thinking about success, or the lack thereof.

Maybe it's because we just attended the funeral of a beloved relative, and I've been thinking about a life well-lived.

Maybe it's because we are going through a series called "30 Days to Live" at our church, and I've been thinking about what is most important in my life.

Or maybe I'm just a bit discouraged.

It's not that I feel that I'm unsuccessful. I just can't point to anything I am doing with my life right now that is at a level where I am feeling success.

In fact, I can think of about five areas in my life where I would like to see success. In a few of these areas, I simply am too overwhelmed just trying to get through my daily activities to devote the time and energy that would be necessary to get good results.

In a few other areas, I have been putting in some effort, and I haven't seen the results I would like. In all of these areas, I have been tempted to give up. I want to quit so I don't even have to think about it anymore. Just move on.

But then I had a thought. What if someone told me they were able to see my life one year from now. And they saw me achieving enormous success in one of these areas. How would I act then?

If I knew that by giving the appropriate amount of time and energy to something I really wanted that the result was going to be huge success, wouldn't I be so much more motivated? What if I started acting NOW like I was already successful.

Instead of walking around with my head down, apologizing to myself for my lack of success, what if I started pretending I was already the person I want to be?

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't quit so easily?

Well, I have lots more to say about success, so stay tuned. But in the meantime, I would love to hear from you. Are you feeling successful at anything right now? And if so, at what?




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In defense of the R word

It happened again.

It seems that every year at this time, the poor, defenseless, well-meaning New Year's Resolution gets a lot of bad press.

Everywhere I click, someone is talking about how much she hates the poor thing. It gets ridiculed. It's the butt of every joke. Most people don't take it seriously.

But me? I happen to like the New Year's Resolution, or more specifically, setting goals for the new year.

Actually, I think The Resolution is so despised because of its inherent wimpiness. It doesn't sound nearly as serious and strong as it's counterpart, the goal, and even it did, it would still be despised by many. Most people don't like to set goals because, frankly, they are afraid of failure. Why would someone want to set herself up for failure year after year?

A resolution sounds a little easier on the ears because to many, it is really just a glorified wish. A dream. And we all know that for the most part dreams don't come true. So if we fail, that's OK. We really weren't that serious anyway. At least that's what we tell ourselves.

Unlike real goals, dreams don't come with an action plan. They are nebulous ideas of what we would like to do without the true never-say-die, no-holds-barred, get-outta-my-way resolve to make it happen.

For example, I have heard several people say their resolution for the new year is to "eat out less".

OK? That's a great resolution. But how does one know if she has achieved it? What is "less"? And since the resolution doesn't come with a plan for how she will make it happen, she is setting herself up for failure.

A goal, on the other hand, might look like this:

I will cook five home-made dinners each week, and my family will eat out twice a week. To make this happen, the goal setter could:

• Come up with a meal plan each week,
• Decide which day of the week to grocery shop,
• Create a shopping list "system" that works for her,
• Establish a time each day when her children know she will be cooking dinner,
• And maybe even decide that one of the meals her family will "eat out" will be pizza delivery.

OK, that's detailed. But great goals come with an action plan so one can actually be successful. Of course, we can't always stick to our plan. Kids get sick. Husbands go out of town. Emergencies come up and we have to change course, but at least we have a course to begin with.

To increase the chance of success, goals should be:

• Specific (losing "some" weight, exercising "more", and spending "less" are too vague)
  
• Achievable (setting a goal of losing 100 pounds in a month isn't realistic)
• Measurable (instead of saying "I will exercise more", how about, "I will exercise for 20 minutes, three times a week"?)
• Have a time frame (instead of "I will read my Bible more", how about "I will complete the 90-day Bible reading challenge)
• Yours (You can't set a goal that someone else would like you to achieve. You won't be motivated to take the steps to do it if you are only trying to make someone else happy. It has be YOUR goal.)
  

I also think we often set ourselves up for failure with the words that we use. "I hope to", "I would like to", "I wish". Instead, try saying these very difficult, tongue-tying words: "I will".

Go ahead, I'll wait.

"I will."

"I will go to Weight Watchers for six months."
"I will read one book a month."
"I will earn $1,000 a month with my business."

I love starting the new year with a clean slate. It's time to forget past failures and start fresh. Sometimes I set big-reach goals. That's great. It is an amazing feeling to accomplish a goal that made me focus and work for it.

Other times, I know that it's going to be a stretch just to read, exercise and make dinner each day (or every other day... or once a week). Heck... taking a shower everyday feels like a stretch to me right now. It's OK to set small goals if that is more realistic.

Whether we call it a resolution or a goal, why not make a plan for what you want to accomplish?

The goal can be big or small? Yes, you might fail. Life happens.

Even if you don't achieve your goal, you will most likely do more in the effort than you would have if you didn't set a goal at all.

As the old saying goes: "Failing to plan is planning to fail."

So, what do you think? Are you a goal hater or a goal lover? Do you have goals for the new year?

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Heian Nidan

One of the things I have tried to teach our kids over the years is the importance of setting goals.

We have daily goals for our school work, which they dutifully examine and cross off throughout the day. We have our chore charts, which get completed at times more religiously than others.

But it's been really exciting this past year to see the boys set some goals for themselves.

They have been taking karate for about a year and a half now. I had no idea how they would like karate when we signed up. I thought it might go in the pile with gymnastics, soccer and T-ball of sports they endured, but didn't inspire their determination.

They take karate through our local park district. However, the program is offered by the Illinois Shotokan Karate Club, which provides professional black belt senseis to teach each class. The classes are strenuous. They work hard, and the senseis teach the kids to act with discipline and respect.

Every six months, they are given the opportunity to test their skills and earn a new belt rank.

Both boys have said they want to earn their black belt. But I haven't been convinced they were willing to put in the time and effort to achieve their goal. I didn't doubt that they could, but I wasn't sure of their true determination.

I will admit I was dragging my feet about even signing them up for their belt testing this past weekend. They both tested last spring and earned three stripes on their white belts, which was an "excellent" score. I wasn't sure they had improved enough since then to earn more stripes or to move up to the next belt color of orange.

The testing is tough. Thousands of children test for their belts over the course of a month. They are broken down into groups and test in certain time slots according to their age and rank.

The testing takes several hours. However, the actual time spent in front of their judges is only abut 10 minutes. And it costs $45 per child. One bad move, and they don't get a "do-over".

But the boys were far more confident than their nervous mom. They were sure they would be able to earn their orange belts.

We got their results last night.

Our 7-year-old scored "perfect" for his group, earning him an orange belt with one stripe. His sensei said that only one in 1,000 children earns a perfect score.

Our 9-year-old earned an "excellent" score, moving up to an orange belt with two stripes. Although the standard is higher as the kids get older, the younger children have to earn more stripes before they can move up. So, in effect, our younger son tested a little better, but earned fewer stripes on his orange belt.

OK. I'm starting to get excited about karate now. I love how it teaches them discipline, places the full burden of success or failure on the individual child and gives them attainable goals. Plus, they love it!

Now that I'm starting to see what is reasonable, I'm more eager to help them set realistic timelines for what they would like to achieve.

Their next step is to perfect the orange belt kata: Heian Neidan!

What about you? Are you or your children involved in an activity that requires you to set goals? Have you helped your children achieve a goal and watched them reap the reward? Jump on over and leave me a comment!

Oh, and by the way, Happy Thanksgiving! I can't believe it will be here in a day and I have been too preoccupied to write about it yet.

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From beginning to end, 365 days of the year

Since I saw the movie, Julie and Julia a few weeks ago, I have been pondering one of the themes in the story.

In case you haven't heard about the film, the movie tells the dual story of Julia Child, the famous cook, and Julie Powell, a blogger who is a bit obsessed with Julia.

In the movie, we learn how Julia evolved from a bored housewife, living in Europe, to become one of the best-known cookbook authors of all time. Set in a different era, the movie also tells the story of Julie, another bored wife and self-described "government drone" who sets out to cook Julia's recipes every day for a year.

Julie started blogging way before blogging was mainstream. Her blog gains a following and by the end of the year, she becomes famous for her effort.

But was it really because she managed to cook all of those complicated recipes out of Julia Child's cookbook? Or was it because of her witty writing style and personal issues she exposed on the blog?

I think that part of what made Julie so unique was simply that she made a commitment to do something each day for an entire year.

That is a huge commitment when you really think about it. I mean, is there anything you would do every single day, without missing even one day of the entire year. (Let's not count the obvious... sleeping, getting dressed, going to the bathroom.)

Since watching the movie, I have been thinking about what I would do if I was going to do something for a year.

I have several friends who have vowed to take a photo every day for 365 days straight. One of them scrapbooks her photos; the other posts them on her blog.

I also have checked in several times on the blog of a woman who cooks something in her crockpot every single day.

If I was going to make such a pact, I think I would probably promise to update my blog 365 times a year. That is something that is fun for me, and yet, I know it would be a challenge not to miss one single day. Taking a photo a day also would be a good goal that I would enjoy, but would seem both challenging and do-able. I just can't seem to think of anything more original, though.

What about you? Would you read a chapter of a book? Exercise? Cook something?

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As easy as riding a bike

We've spent a lot of time the past two days teaching my two youngest children how to ride their bikes without training wheels.

We should have taught my 6-year-old last summer, or even the summer before. But he wasn't interested. And when he isn't interested, he can't be convinced otherwise. It's pretty much a losing battle.

Earlier this week, the kids were visiting another family and realized their 4-year-old had mastered his two-wheeler. Suddenly, our 6-year-old and 4-year-old were ready to give it a try.

The 6-year-old picked it up almost immediately. His only problem is that he likes to chat. And look around. And enjoy nature. And talk about his day. And discuss the world's problems. And look at mailboxes. And trees. And cars.

His lack of focus tends to cause him to swerve. He usually makes it past a few driveways and then ends up bumping into a bush or riding into the grass. We finally put him in the middle of the street and gave him a specific target on which to focus.

"Do not look at ANYTHING other than that yellow fire hydrant!" we instructed.

My daughter has a different issue. She loves the fact that her 8-year-old brother is so kind and patient that he will hold onto her seat and run down the sidewalk pushing her. The second he lets go, she takes her feet off the pedals and swerves to a stop.

She simply doesn't believe she can keep going unless he is holding on to her seat. Her bike-riding struggles are completely in her head.

It can get frustrating. As a parent, I know they can do it. I know what is holding them back. And I so want them to overcome their fears and their distractions so they can be successful. I can see how close they are. And yet, they cry out:

"I CAN'T do it! I just CAN'T!"

Watching them attempt to ride their bikes up and down the sidewalk these past few days, I have realized that I am just like them.

In a few areas of my life, I have checked out mentally because I'm not interested. Like my son, no amount of convincing is going to make a difference.

In other areas, I am so distracted. My mind has been swirling with serious thoughts, ideas, suggestions, but I can't seem to make sense of anything. I have a half dozen blog posts waiting to be finished, but I can't think of the words to write. Friends from other areas of my life are excitedly telling me about their plans and goals. I listen intently, but my brain can't seem to really absorb what they are saying.

And like my daughter, there are areas of my life where I'm just doubting myself.

I want to be like my son yesterday when he fell down on his bike and skinned his knee. He started screaming at me: "It's all your fault! You TOLD me to ride on the sidewalk! You TOLD me to do it!"

But who can I scream at?

My husband took the kids off to a big parking lot for a couple of hours last night. When they came home, both my son and daughter walked in the house and said, "Mommy, I have successfully completed my bicycle training."

WHAT?!

Yep. They learned how to start and stop on their own and ride successfully in straight lines and circles. But how?

"Well, the parking lot was just so big and wide open. We didn't have to worry about bumping into anything."

And you know what? I guess that's where I am right now, too. Just riding around in circles in the parking lot. I'm not really accustomed to zooming around without a destination. And I know it's not a permanent condition, but it's where I need to be right now.

It's really not so bad. Just riding around in circles. Not going anywhere. Just enjoying the ride.

How about you? Have you successfully completed your bicycle training? Or are you distracted? Lacking in confidence? Or just enjoying the ride?

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the reward is near

It started with a goal. Then a plan for each month.

Then came the family meeting. I couldn't do it alone.

Next was the coloring chart. We needed a visual to track my progress. It was a great reminder for the whole family of where we were going.


One party booked. Then another. A toy sold. Then a thousand. Two thousand, three thousand. Twenty thousand.

A new consultant and another and another. A system to train them to sell a toy. And a thousand. Two thousand, three thousand. Thirty thousand.


By summer, it felt like it was time to quit. It's so warm here.


But remember February. The temperature will be zero. Remember the beach and the pool. Acapulco.


Think of the dinners. And the friends. And the guy with the Discovery Toys sign waiting at the airport.

Remember the gifts waiting in the room each evening. And the laughs.

And the time together.

It's almost time to go. It's hard to believe. A great reward for a year of hard work.

wishes, dreams and goals

I was reading this blog today where the writer is encouraging other bloggers to write an entry on the topic of "Wishes".

I don't know if I will submit my entry on this topic, because my views aren't exactly the beautiful prose that one might expect. I love to dream of the future and think about what I would like to achieve. But I don't like the word "wish".

To me, it carries the image of something I would like to happen, but I don't truly believe it could ever become reality. I'm not actually taking any action to make it more than a dream. "I wish" I would lose weight. "I wish" I would make a new friend. "I wish" my business was going better. Instead of using that word, I encourage people to say, "I will".

"I will" take an action step today toward meeting my goal.

Doesn't that sound so much better? They say that convincing your brain that you are going to do something is the first step toward achieving your goal. I don't think you can think something into existence, but I do agree that believing you can achieve something is the first step toward making it happen.

I've been carrying around a little book I've been reading when I have a few minutes throughout my day. It's called, "The Greatest Salesman on Earth" by Og Mandino. I carried it somewhere last night and might have lost it since I can't find it anywhere this morning! (I wish I could find my book!)

I wanted to quote directly from the book, but I will summarize.

The book is written as a fictional account of a young man who is learning to be a great salesman. He is given a chest containing the secrets of "the greatest salesman on Earth". The first scroll asks him to read each piece of advice every day for 30 days before he opens the next scroll.

He is creating a new habit by reading the words over and over again, everyday. He is convincing his brain that these words are true. He is taking a small step every day toward what he wants to achieve.

The biggest thing that stands in the way of achieving a goal isn't one's intelligence, or ability or wealth or place in life, the book says. It is the habits that we have created that tempt us into wasting our time, eating bad foods, avoiding exercise, giving up on our dreams. It's these little bad decisions that we make everyday.

I've been thinking about these words since I read them last night.

Achieving our dreams takes more than wishing. We have to create a plan and then create habits that we follow each day toward making it reality.

What do you think? Do you wish? Dream? Or set goals? And what about habits? Are you creating any good ones this year?

a resolution... to make one...

True confession.

I'm waking up this morning on Jan. 1 with no New Year's Resolution. This is actually often the case with me.

Usually, around this time of year, I inform my husband that I will be quitting everything, and I am going to do absolutely nothing for the next year outside of my mommy duties. He smiles. He says OK. He knows.

Now, please don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with focusing on one's mommy duties. But everyone in this family knows that I am happiest when I have a personal goal for myself. An action plan. A strategy. A coloring chart. And a theme song.

And, quite frankly, those thing usually don't come to me after the frenzy of Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, traveling around the midwest to visit family, unpacking the bags, doing a ton of laundry, playing games with my kids, trying to enjoy the time my husband is off from work, and finally hanging out on New Year's Eve.

There must be a reason that government leaders wait until mid-January to give their State of the Union or State of the State or State of the Village addresses. It takes some time to think.

It really takes me some time to sit down, ponder what I want to do with myself for the next year, decide what is realistic, figure out what it would require and make a plan. I will do that during the next few weeks. And then, I will feel much better about the new year.

One thing that I know for sure is that I have to set goals for myself that are fun in the process. It might be painful at times to do what is required. But something about the challenge has to be so rewarding, so interesting, so enjoyable, that it motivates me to continue.

And I find that music helps. It lifts my spirits. It motivates me. It makes me smile. I wish I could have been a rock star, but that wasn't God's plan for me. But I often have a theme song.

I'm feeling a bit melancholy this morning remembering my theme song from the past two years.

People always think I'm kidding about my theme song. But let me tell you, everytime I listen to it, I start to dance, I get out a spoon or a hairbrush for my mic, my kids join in, we all dance, and I just want to go out and do something.

Warning. This song is not meant to be deep, spiritual or meaningful. It's superficial. But it's fun.



I've been known to lip sync it in public a few times. This is me a year ago with the Discovery Toys girls on my team singing it, complete with Hannah Montana wigs, at a retreat for upper managers. We looked like idiots.



We made these shirts that said, "Rock Star" on them. Did I mention we looked like idiots? I'll never forget that day. Out performance wasn't that great. But our practice sessions and planning were hilarious.

This was our lip syncing debut in someone's hotel room where we were supposed to be giving a motivational talk at national convention. It was motivational, all right.

These pictures make me laugh. I'm hoping to have that kind of fun this year.

I hope you do, too. Oh... and if you need a little help, crank up some Mariah Carey. "Make it Happen". Let me know if it works for you.

What about you? Any goals for 2009? Do you make goals? Resolutions? Any goal-setting secrets you would like to share?

I did it!

A few years ago, I had this outrageous goal with my Discovery Toys business. It was early November and I realized that it was within my reach to earn President's Club.

What's that? Well, first you have to earn the incentive trip, which is basically a year-long process of meeting goals in all areas of your business. But instead of taking a full calendar year to earn the trip, you have to do it in nine or 10 months. Because once you have earned the trip, you have to keep going.... just keep doing the same thing even harder for a few more months.

The first time I earned the trip was four years ago when we got to go to The Bahamas. I came soooo close to also earning President's Club, but I missed it by one requirement. It was something I just couldn't do by myself.

That drove me to work that much harder the next year. I earned a trip to Rio de Janeiro AND President's Club, which gave us an extra night in Rio, plus some cool perks like a limo from the airport at convention, a free hotel room, some jewelry and lots of recognition.

Last year, I earned the trip again. This time it was DisneyLand and a cruise to Mexico. But the company changed the trip requirements and made it so difficult to earn President's Club that only a couple of people did it.

Well, this year, I will admit, I didn't make it my goal to earn President's Club, even though the requirements were more do-able than in past years. I actually made it my goal to work less, spend more time with my family and focus on some interests that I had left lying on the shelf for awhile. You can see evidence of those interests here: I finally finished my planner. I started writing again. I volunteered more at my church.

So, I guess that gives me an even greater sense of accomplishment that as of this weekend, I did it!! I earned President's Club! This year's trip is to an amazing resort in Acapulco and the honor gives us an extra night.

A few years ago, I really enjoyed the recognition that came with all of these rewards. Now, it really doesn't mean much to me. I know there are so many more important things in life. Recognition is so fleeting. And at the end of my life, it means nothing.

Earning the trip and even earning President's Club have become almost expected of me. Just something to cross off my To Do list.

I'm more pleased with the fact that I've been able to create systems that allow my business to work without working so hard. I'm happy that I've been able to enjoy each day with my kids and still make some extra income.

I've actually surprised myself that I've completed my last business-related goal for the year, and I still have a month left on the calendar!

Reaching this goal isn't filled with as much excitement as in years past. But it's still a goal accomplished, and that's worth celebrating.

So, let me just say, "I did it!"

great tips to get the job done!

Many of my readers, like me, are involved in the tricky business of working from home. It is such a juggling act to take care of your home, your spouse, your children, YOURSELF, and also grow a thriving business.

Did you notice I said GROW a THRIVING business — not just hanging on for survival and rolling with whatever comes your way? Oooooo, that's a challenge!

Well, a Discovery Toys buddy of mine sent out these great tips a few weeks ago, and I've been wanting to share them here. They are useful whether or not you have a home business -- good advice regardless of your goals in life:

Turn OFF the TV!

Put away clutter

Get your “why” in place. Why are you working? What is your motivation? If it is income, how much extra income would you like, even if it is just enough to pay for Christmas gifts. Get concrete with this; take a picture of your kids on the couch you want to buy, go shopping for the car you want and figure out what the monthly payments will be.

Share your goal with your family; post a picture of the couch/car/Disney World or whatever on your fridge.

Break down your goal into bite-sized doable chunks and post a chart to track your progress.

Take 10-15 minutes a day to read a motivational book or listen to a tape.

Take time each day to exercise and pray!

Become a better listener.

Think about how you can help others. What’s in it for them?

Stay positive, never dump down or dump to your spouse. If you are having a challenge, talk with a buddy, but be “solution-oriented”.

Keep in perspective what you can and what you cannot change.

You can’t control weather, economy or attitudes or whether people decide to buy or not to buy from you.

You can control how much you choose to work, how well you take care of yourself physically and whether you choose to be positive and thankful in all things.

Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare. Have a daily list of things to do and calls to make.

Instead of filling your day with whatever happens to come along, do your best to take control by having a plan and working the plan (knowing that with kids there ALWAYS needs to be a “Plan B”!)

Oh... and this is MY tip: Think bigger. Believe you can. Make it happen!

What's your goal and how are you tracking? I would love to hear!

almost there...

This is my Acapulco coloring sheet.

When I got this back in January and hung it on my fridge, I remember thinking, “Wow. This is so blank. I can’t wait until the day when all I have left to color are those three flags at the top.”

Well, a couple of weeks ago, that day arrived.

Each square in the pyramid represents $1,250 worth of Discovery Toys products that I have sold this year or that the new consultants on my team have sold. Once we hit $37,500, I earn an all-expense paid trip for two to Acapulco.

The last three flags at the top represent the final $3,750 left to sell. The last 10 percent.

I love having this goal to work toward. The first time I made it a goal to earn an incentive trip four years ago, it seemed like such a stretch. Now, going for the trip is a no-brainer. It’s actually my minimum.

The goal is no longer even about WHERE we would go on the incentive trip. We’ve traveled to The Bahamas, Rio deJaneiro and this year to DisneyLand. Some of the trips were perfect. Others were rainy. Some met all of my expectations. Others didn’t. And I realized that it’s not so much about spending the perfect week on the perfect vacation, but the personal satisfaction of working toward something and achieving it.

It feels so good to be so close to my goal. It feels so good to see that sheet almost colored in. But once it’s complete... especially since I intend to finish the chart before the Dec. 31 deadline... it also brings a bit of aimlessness. What do I do now?

I was amazed to learn recently that only 32 percent of people set a goal of any kind in life. And truly, I can’t say that I’m that much better.

There are so many parts of my life that are more important than earning free vacations where I don’t have concrete goals. That’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I need to make coloring charts in some areas with more lasting value.

But I will say this. Setting a goal and making it part of our family’s life, has taught my kids a lot. My children understand that Mommy doesn’t always feel like doing her job. Many times, I would rather be doing something more fun. But if I can just focus for even a few minutes a day on where I'm going, then at the end of the year, we experience a tangible reward. Those baby steps each day add up to some giant leaps over time.

A few weeks ago, my 7-year-old’s class was trying something new in gym class. “My goal was...” my son told me, and I smiled, feeling like Super Mom for a minute. So, they are learning something from all of this.

He knew what he was shooting for. He knew where he was headed. How about you? What’s your goal?