I had an interesting discussion in a recent Brainstorming Hour session about the difference between priorities, goals and tasks. This is an important distinction as you set out to create the life you want, or the success you desire in your business...

• A priority is something you consider more important than other things, it takes precedence over other things in your life.

• A goal is the object of your ambition, the desired end result.

• Tasks of course are the steps you take, the things you do, to reach that goal.

This may seem obvious, but the distinction is key when you sit down with a head full of thoughts & ideas to brainstorm the direction you want to take your life.

See the "Evernote Productivity Tips" at the end of this post. You'll learn my simple system to "gamify" your priorities and stay on task!

To give you a simple example, one of my priorities is to get in amazing shape this year. The goal is be my happiest, healthiest self and to look flat-out fabulous! The tasks are eating healthy and exercising on a consistent (daily) basis - which includes both gym time and a more active lifestyle (hiking, skiing, Latin dance lessons even!).

That was an example of a personal priority, except I work in that niche, lol.

To give you a business related example: One of my priorities is to complete the Niche Success Blueprint course modules, then repurpose it and teach it as a Live Workshop.

The goal is to increase revenue dramatically by offering multiple formats, and to put the course into more hands to help people achieve the same lifestyle I have for myself.

The tasks include: completing the last few training modules, editing/updating, setting up the affiliate site and resources & recruiting affiliates, repurposing the content into Live Workshop format, creating a marketing plan for the Workshop.

Once you know the base outline of tasks you'll need to accomplish to reach your goal, you can break those down into micro-tasks, creating an easy actionable task list.

The key is in consistent daily action - always moving forward!

Get Your Vision: Know Where You're Going!

In order to achieve your goals, and to make your goals a priority, you have to get a clear vision of the end result in your mind.

In both of the examples I gave you above, I can actually SEE it clearly in my mind - and that gets me excited about making it happen! It's as simple as getting a visual of success in your mind so sharp that it FUELS you forward each day.

I first learned about this simple, yet highly effective, method in the classic Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I'm not a huge fan of modern "law of attraction" type teachings (don't throw tomatoes!! haha), but absolutely love the original classic.

It's practical, which is right up my alley.

You can download the PDF version free here, or get the MP3 version cheap.

I highly recommend TAGR to anyone that is serious about setting life-changing goals.

Get Serious! Invest In Yourself, In Your Future...

Wanting alone won't get you anywhere.

My desire to get in amazing shape this year is not enough. I actually have to get off my a$$ and MAKE it happen.

It's not going to happen in a week either, or even a month. It will only happen as the result of consistent action toward that goal, ie: doing the tasks, over time.

It is also NOT a competition. I am unique, and my priorities and goals are my own personal challenge. That's a good mindset to adopt. You really cannot compare yourself to others.

For example, it took me longer than some (many, even) to reach my business and financial goals. Sure there were days I found that discouraging. However I was a single parent with a special needs child and no extended family. I was below the poverty level and "in the red" when I started. I had less education and experience than some.

Did any of those things STOP me? NO! There was no reason not to go for my dreams, no matter how long it took me, and plenty of reasons why I should. And so I did. I don't regret any of the work (or time!) it took to get where I wanted to be...

What I achieved in my life and business, considering where I came from and how I started, is nothing short of amazing. I am now living "my vision" from years ago - when it was only a dream. The sense of accomplishment runs deep. It was the result of many small tasks in line with the goals I set, ie: daily consistent action.

Next, see: Easy Goal Setting Exercise and FUN Challenge!

Best,

p.s. Remember to grab Think & Grow Rich Free.

I would love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment and share YOUR priorities, your goals, or your preferred method of prioritizing your goals & staying on track...

We're more than a month into the 2015 year already...

Are you clear on your goals?

Have you outlined your priorities, and the tasks it will take to easily REACH your goals this year?

I have a super easy exercise for you today, and a FUN challenge! I think you'll really enjoy it for it's simplicity - and the potential for amazing results...

A FUN Challenge For 2015

I challenge you to pick one day each week to do something outrageous in your business. You can set aside 30, 60 or 90 minutes at the same time every week and challenge yourself to do something outside your normal tasks - and outside your comfort zone, even! Get creative, make it fun, and get seriously ambitious with these mini-goals every week for the rest of the week.

What's the worst that could happen?

I challenge you. I dare you, even. You may just see amazing results!!

Easy Goal Setting Exercise You'll ENJOY:

It can be intimidating to create goals, especially ambitious and/or long-term goals. A million thoughts may go through your mind about what it will take to reach that goal, whether you can actually do it or not, what will happen if you don't succeed, how long it will take, etc. It's easy to succumb to the overwhelm and never write down your goals, or create a strategic plan to achieve them. Which just leads to regret...

I've been having a great discussion with Elaine on Goal Setting lately in my Private Brainstorming Group. She's a serious action-taker and I love the way she makes me think! Our discussion on setting ambitious goals lead to a fun, creative exercise I wanted to share with you:

Create a rough draft of your biggest goal.

No pressure. No stress. Just a rough draft.

Open Evernote, or get a blank notebook, and just start writing. Do a total brain dump. Get ambitious and outrageous even. Create a rough draft of your biggest goals as if you were writing a fiction story about your ideal self. Just let it flow! You can't let stress or reluctance creep in because it's just an exercise - it's not "real".

Write out your most ambitious vision as a story.

Start by describing the end result - the "you", the surroundings, the feelings, all of it. Then write an inspiring story of how you "broke out" and got there.

Basically, write your success story.

I think you'll really enjoy the freedom in this exercise.

I've found this to be a very exciting & positive exercise! To give you a live example, one of my priorities this year is to get in amazing shape. When I sit down to write, I pretend it is 2016 and I am the featured guest on a TV show with a slideshow of my progress photos in the background. I'm telling my story. As I journal this out, I'm scripting the "show" and finding photos that represent what I would expect to be displayed. It gives me a strong visual and a deep gut level excitement about my goals!

See how easy that is? I encourage you to dig deep and figure out what your highest priorities are, what your most ambitious goals are, and to get that vision very clearly in your mind - if not on paper. SEE what it looks like. Find images that represent the end result, photos that inspire you, and illustrate your story of goal achievement.

This is the first (and most important!) step in getting excited enough to actually do the work it takes to turn that dream into a reality.

Next, see: Priorities, Goals & Tasks (Live Examples)

Did you try the goal-setting exercise?

Are you taking the "weekly ambitious goal" challenge??

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Best,