Another year has flown by and here you are at the beginning of another year. This is a time when many people assess their life and make "new year resolutions" or set goals for the New Year. Sometimes they are the exact same resolutions as last year!! Did you make some of these?I will:* Lose weight, get into shape, and exercise more
* Spend more time with my family
* Stress less & relax more
* Get more sleep
* Save money
* Change jobs
* Be happyIf any of these resolutions sound familiar this is because these are some of the most popular resolutions made each year according to "How To Keep Your New Years Resolution.com"The Oxford Dictionary definition of resolution is to decide firmly or have great determination, but most people are lucky if their resolution is kept until the end of their holidays. It's no wonder many people find themselves making the exact same resolutions the next year. So how can you be successful in sticking to a resolution or successfully achieve any goal?FIRSTLY...work on one thing at a time. Goals or resolutions involve change and sometimes it's easier to give up and sink back into our old life patterns than stick to change. So only do one thing at a time or you may be tempted to give up!SECONDLY...PLAN..PLAN..PLAN..you've heard the saying "People who fail to plan, plan to fail." Think about your goal. WRITE IT DOWN!!!! Put it where you will see it everyday. Set a start date. Develop a strategy. Write a list of points to help you reach your goal-break it down into manageable pieces and tackle it one piece at a time.THIRDLY...Prepare for those obstacles that you know will come up. You know what I mean-if you have decided to lose 10kg you know someone will bring a chocolate cake to work on the first day of your diet. So think about what obstacles will come up and a plan to tackle each one. If you slip up-don't let this make you totally give up. See it as one step back among all the steps you have taken and will take forward!!!!
Remember to reward yourself for every step forward you do take-this will keep you in action and motivated.LASTLY......GET SUPPORT...this is a must. It's much easier to stay in action if you feel supported and also accountable to someone. You could buddy up with a friend or relative (as long as you are definitely sure they will support you). Or for unbiased support chose a Personal Life Coach to keep you motivated and in action.Lisa Branigan specialises in coaching women who are stressed, tired and overwhelmed with their busy lives. Lisa is the author of "Life Solutions" a free monthly e-zine providing tips, advice and information on self-care and wellbeing.For further information:
Phone: +61 89757 3750 or 0439 828 594
Website: http://www.quantumcoaching.com.au
Email: lisa@quantumcoaching.com.au

It's not enough to scatter your articles across the internet - you've got to measure what you're doing so you can be sure that you're getting value from your effort.Here are some of my preliminary thoughts on what's measurable in regards to article marketing, (and what you measure should depend on your predefined article marketing goals, but you knew that already):Number of new of links to your siteThis is a big one of course, and just about the easiest to measure with a simple "link:" search in the major engines.Since I submitted "Build Links and Your Brand: Article Marketing Delivers" to 8 directories on January 26th Google has logged 24 instances of my article (I did have a little help from search engine expert Andy Beal's mention in his blog), MSN search shows 59 instances and Yahoo has me down for 10.Now, all those mentions aren't links... just instances of my article title.Google currently shows no links to my main blog site. Yahoo and MSN both show 14 to http://articlemarketing.blogspot.com.I'm also currently ranked 3rd in Yahoo for the term article marketing - woo hoo! Not bad for only 3 days. We'll see how long I stay there - things may change dramatically after an update. I'm currently nowhere to be found in MSN. Ditto for Google, except the post from Andy's blog about my article marketing blog that puts me at 4th for "article marketing."To give some idea of scale, here are the number of millions of results for article marketing per engine: 12 million in Yahoo; 17 million in MSN; 27 million in Google. I don't think Article Marketing is a phrase that currently generates much competition.Article submission sites like EzineArticles get the freshbot treatment because of their regularly updated content and I think that speeds indexing.Article submitted 1-26-05, searches conducted 1-29-05.Number of readers/impressionsTo borrow a bit from the world of online advertising you can measure impressions, that is, the estimated number of readers/site visitors who had the opportunity to at least read your article title and, let's hope, associate it with your business name.To get an idea of how many impressions your article may have gotten talk with those who republish your article. If you submit to EzineArticles you can see how many writers and editors have viewed your article's page.It's great to have your impressions high, but it's better to have them targeted to your audience (and by audience I mean customers... here are my thoughts on client as audience). The more care you give your content creation process the more your content will appeal to your target audience.Which brings us to...Placement in previously identified key industry mediaIf at the beginning of your article marketing campaign you identify key industry publications you'd like to be published in... and you get published or don't get published, that's something you can measure.This is more of a branding initiative than a linking initiative, though it can certainly generate at least one solid link. And once your article's been published and your editor says "go" you can submit it to your article submission directories of choice. And then measure links.Lead generation through reader inquiriesThis is a fun one. There are specific industries and products that are likely to sell well through article marketing... namely information products. If your primary goal for article marketing is sales though you should construct your article campaign in a particular way. Many of the same rules still apply, but the strategy needs to be a little different. Let me know if you have questions about creating sales generating articles. And you still have to follow responsible article writing guidelines.Email addresses gathered for newsletter signup/downloads/free serviceYeah you're being published in someone else's email newsletter but that doesn't mean you can't try to drive signups to your own newsletter! We had this happen when I worked at WebProNews, where we published all free content. One author's article marketing strategy focused on driving subscribers to her newsletter. I think, but I'm not sure, that it was Dianna Huff, who specializes in B2B article marketing. As an aside, be sure to check out her site.Pageviews to info pages on your siteIf you link out of your article to more info pages on your site you can measure for an increase in traffic on those pages. Have some kind of call to action on these pages though. Don't just boost page views for the sake of having higher page views. Get them to do something on that page, such as give you an email address or visit your products or services page.Requests from editors for articlesIf it's your goal to have more involvement with your target market then be sure to accept all requests from editors for new articles. In fact, cultivate any relationship with an editor you can. This is one fantastic way of staying in front of your target audience and getting new ideas for articles.How can you increase this likelihood? Contact editors from publications within your target market. In addition, include a mention in your author bio that you'd like to work with editors to help them have happier, more engaged readers.Audience involvement/questionsThis is another fun one, and something I tried to promote during my time at WPN. The level of reader feedback I received led to my creation of the "Ask the Expert" section of WPN (now untended) as well as my proposal for the WebProWorld forums, now with over 50,000 members. (To be fair iEntry had rolled out forums before - they were just scattered across all our publications rather than targetted on the flagship. WebProWorld was definitely a home run.)So if you'd like to establish more of a relationship with the online audience in your publications contact their editor and see if you can field audience questions.What else is measurable?

Those are a few of my thoughts for article marketing measurables. Did I miss any? Let me know your measurable ideas and if I use them in an upcoming article I'll throw you a link with your link text of choice.Want to build links to your site and enhance your brand? Send article marketing questions to GFrench@gmail.com for free article marketing brainstorm, including article topic suggestions and key industry media identification. Garrett French is a search engine marketing copy writer for Websourced and conducts branding and link building research on his article marketing blog. If you wish to publish this article, please retain all links.

"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote in The Invisible Touch, "write a book." But writing a book can also be tremendously frustrating and unrewarding.Following are the 11 biggest reasons most first-time authors fail to receive the rewards they are due.1. Unrealistic expectations. Don't expect to get rich off your book, even if it's a success by publishing standards. The vast majority of books fail to earn out their advance.Instead, develop a personal marketing plan to leverage your career off your book. Instead of trying to make money on the book itself, use your book to open doors, promote your credibility and build relationships with readers.2. Writing without a contract. Never write a book without a signed contract. Instead, prepare a polished proposal and two sample chapters.Publishers are increasingly selective about the titles they accept. Often, less than 1 in 20 titles proposed are published. Writing a book that isn't accepted is not a good use of your time.3. No agent. You must be represented by a literary agent. Publishers rarely accept unsolicited book proposals. Unsolicited proposals are frequently returned unread or are simply discarded.The right agent will know exactly which publishers might be interested in your book. Agents can also negotiate terms more effectively than you.4. Weak titles. Titles sell books. The title of your book is like the headline of an advertisement. The title represents your one and only chance to attract the attention of acquisition editors or bookstore readers.Successful titles stress the benefits readers will gain from your book. Successful titles arouse curiosity and offer solutions. They often include consonants and alliteration (repeated 'hard' sounds like G, K, P or T).5. Title versus series. Focus on a series of books rather than an individual title. Publishers want concepts that can be expanded into a series rather than individual titles.6. Going it alone. Successful careers involve a nurturing support group of readers and peers. Your quest should include the support of your friends, other authors, book coaches, readers and others who will help you maintain your enthusiasm while providing ideas, assistance and feedback.7. 'Event' writing. Write a little each day rather than 'going away' to write your book. Stress is an author's biggest enemy. When you attempt marathon writing, you're putting an unrealistic burden on yourself. "What happens if I come back and my book isn't written?"8. Self-editing. Avoid unnecessary self-editing. It's far more important to complete the first draft of your book than to agonize over the perfection of every word.Editors will ensure that grammar is correct and ideas appear in the proper order. But they can't do anything until you submit the final manuscript.9. Failure to promote. Publishers are not promoters. Publishers are skilled at editing, manufacturing and distributing books. But they are not set up to give your book the marketing attention it deserves. A single publicist may represent over 100 books!If you want your book to succeed, you have to promote it as well as write it.10. Failure to back up and save. Save frequently when writing. Always save before printing. Never turn off your computer without making a copy of your files for off-premises storage. Never end a writing session without printing out a hard copy of the latest version of the chapter you're writing.11. Failure to plan future profits. Before writing your book, create a book marketing plan. Book sales should be just the first step in an ongoing relationship with your readers. Your plan should identify opportunities from consulting, newsletters, audio/video recordings, seminars, speeches and yearly updates.A book can, indeed, change your life. But you must take charge; take a proactive role in promoting and leveraging its success.Roger C. Parker knows the secrets to promoting your business one page at a time. Find out the simple way to keep in constant touch with your customers, while saving you time and money. Visit http://www.OnePageNewsletters.com for your three free reports.

The most common place to buy martial arts or self defense equipment is in the local dojo. Most dojos, training centers, etc., have a small store where you can buy or order the martial arts or self defense equipment you need for your practice.Buying your martial arts or self defense equipment at your local dojo has a lot of advantages. You will get expert advise from your teacher. He knows your needs and what type of martial arts or self defense equipment you are going to need for his classes. He will also be the best person to advise you on the quality of the different brands due to his years of experience with many different suppliers.The negative part of buying martial arts or self defense equipment at your local dojo is the price. Buying only a minor wholesaler, the discount margins are very small and this will reflect itself in the prices your teacher has to charge for the martial arts and self defense equipment he or she sells.The second possibility is buy your martial arts and self defense equipment at a local specialized store. The advantage is a lower price than in your local dojo or gym, you can touch, feel and try on the equipment before you buy to see if you like it and if the size fits you. You can get some advise from the salesperson about the different brands of martial arts and self defense equipment they sell.The downside is the fact that most salespersons in those shops are non practitioners of the martial arts or self defense so they have no practical experience with the equipment they sell. This may lead to mistakes that will cost you money.The third way to buy your martial arts or self defense equipment is to shop for it online. There are many suppliers to be found online that will ship the goods to your doorstep. To find them just type: martial arts or self defense equipment in google or any other search engine and you will get thousands of listings for this term.The advantages are obvious: no need to leave your home, low prices and shipping to your doorstep but the inconveniences are also very obvious: You can not feel, try or touch the equipment before finishing the payment and receiving the shipment of your martial arts or self defense equipment. You won't be able to get advise from a real person, face to face. Some suppliers will be happy to assist you in your selection of martial arts or self defense equipment by email or phone. If you have to return an order for whatever reason you will have to take care of the shipping and packing and refunds can take time to be paid.So before starting to shop for your martial arts or self defense equipment take a look at the above and consider what is the best way for you. Some people will be limited to one or two possibilities and others can only buy their martial arts or self defense equipment online but wherever you go to buy yours, consider the warranty and the refund policies of all 3, the local dojo, the specialized shop and the online supplier.This can save you a lot of headaches. Things do break and sometimes it just isn't manufactured as it should be so warranty and refund policies will help you determine the professionalism of the seller and save you time and headaches.Peter Vermeeren is a traditional martial arts teacher for over 30 year. His websites can be found here: Martial Media Productions and Kamikaze | martial arts | fitness | self defense

If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicitywindfall awaits at the end of the year - but you need to startworking in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest,the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reportersassigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sourcesof information:
1. Phone interviews with local store owners
- and -
2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.
Let's deal with Point 1. Here's a cool trick: In earlyNovember, write a letter to stores and major websites that carryyour product. Remind them that they may be hearing fromjournalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that theyconsider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out afew reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best orwhatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an e-mail or give you acall if a story results that mentions your product.
Now, on to old-fashioned publicity. When to contact the mediadepends on the publication or program's lead time (how far inadvance of publication or airing the material is developed).Magazines like Woman's Day have a lead time up to six months, soget materials to them now. Newspapers have a lead time as shortas a week for feature material, so send materials in November. Inbetween are wire services, medium-lead magazines, "in-flight"magazines and others. To learn the lead time of a particularmedia outlet, call the editorial department. If that doesn'twork, try the advertising department.
What you send should be kept simple -- a press release about yourproduct/service, a pitch letter explaining why it's such a greatgift idea, and, if applicable, a disk with color product photos.See our articles "How to Write a Great Pitch Letter" http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp and "How to Write aGreat Press Release" http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.aspfor more details.
As you craft the materials, think about where yourproduct/service fits. Based on its nature, cost, rarity orusefulness, it may work with a variety of typical Christmas Giftstories such as: Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas, Gifts forTeenagers, Gifts for the Person Who Has It All, Gifts forExecutives, Gifts that Relax, etc. By suggesting a category foryour product, rather than simply stating "Here's a product thatwould make a nice holiday gift", you're making yourself stand out-- and maybe even giving the journalist an idea for a story anglethat he or she wouldn't have thought about otherwise. Eitherway, your chances of getting coverage are greatly improved.Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades asone of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZineand subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter forPR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp , he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoringbig publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips andmuch, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:http://www.publicityInsider.com

The biggest challenge facing any online business today is how to generate enough traffic and leads for the business to succeed.By the time the online business owner is through with paying to establish their new business, there is hardly any cash left for the most important task that has to be undertaken by every brand new enterprise, which is advertising to generate leads and ultimately badly needed customers and clients for the new online business to take off.It gets worse because many people, who launch online businesses like joining lucrative affiliate programs, do so without spending any money and also expect to succeed without ever having to reach for their wallets.And even if the online business entrepreneur were to have a generous advertising budget for their brand new online business, most of the initial efforts would mostly end up being a waste. This is because in most cases the entrepreneur will not know enough about the business at this stage.The answer to both situations is posting free articles all over the net with a well written resource box that has all the information to help lead loads of traffic to your site.Posting articles has taught me a lot about what works and what does not work. I must admit that it continues to be both an entertaining as well as a highly profitable experience for me. And it can be for any online business entrepreneur. All it requires is that you ensure that you install a meter on your web site or blog to carefully track the traffic that you are attracting with your articles.Then you must really be prepared to test and test and test again. Even when you start to experience some minor successes with your articles, that is in fact the time you should increase the number of tests you are carrying out with your free articles marketing campaign.Tests teach you a lot and with each new test you introduce, you learn something new and valuable that you can use to improve your business even more.And what is more, when you have found a way to build up your opt-in email list as you go along (this can easily be done by offering some valuable information or e-course available only via email) you will actually be growing your client data base. Growing the list of your prospects and clients whom you can email regular updates to later is extremely important.It is important to ensure that your articles are both interesting and useful to your target market. Avoid any sales letter-approach here. In fact the more you sound like an expert genuinely out to help, the more successful your articles marketing campaign will be.You can of course find loads of valuable information on how to write articles (even if you are not a writer) and where to post them at my blog. See the resource box of this article for the address.Christopher Kyalo is a writer/marketing expert who has made money online only by posting free articles. Visit his blog NOW which is loaded with valuable free information at; http://www.big-online-story.blogspot.com

It is an unfortunate fact of life but, unfortunately, toddlers and biting frequently go together. It is a painful time for both the toddler and their parents and trying to stop the toddler from biting can be quite a challenge.Toddlers and biting may be a difficult challenge but there is hope for a cure if you are patient and consistent. First you need to understand why your toddler bites. The primary reason that a toddler bites another child or their parents is because of frustration. The toddler is now aware of his/her needs but frequently lacks the ability to successfully communicate those needs. Another reason that toddlers bite is when they are stressed. New situations, new environments, new people or playmates can all stress a toddler and biting maybe their reaction to it. Being hungry or tired also add to the toddler's stress.If a toddler bites out of frustration it is important to start teaching them the exact words they need to use in order to express their wants. Simple phrases like, "I want..." work best. If a toddler bites out of stress the best medicine is preventative medicine. Try to avoid putting the child in positions where he/she will likely to become stressed, a stress that may result in biting.When your toddler bites it is important that you respond immediately and appropriately. You need to let the toddler know that biting is not acceptable social behavior and that it needs to stop. Teaching the toddler appropriate means to handle stress and frustration are the best tools to handle toddlers and biting.Maria Gonzalez is webmaster of Parenting Made Easy, a site dedicted to helping new parents.For more great articles on parenting visit our Parenting Articles page.

Owning your own online business is a lot of work.
Don't let anyone tell you that it's not.Daily tasks can include reading emails, handling
orders, advertising, promotion and the list goes on.
Very often at the end of the day you could have just
as many projects as you started out with and quite
possibly the list grew in the process.Typically, on a day to day basis, many business
owners end up putting most of their time and efforts
into performing these mundane, every day tasks
leaving little or no time for the things that can help
them grow their business such as marketing or
promotion.Of course, growing your business is a big part of
how you acquire customers and make sales; but
how can you focus on marketing and sales if you're
constantly tied up with the daily tasks that consume
so much of your time?The key is automation. Particularly if you promote
electronic products, however automation is important for
any type of products you market. It automates such
routine tasks of responding to emails and customer orders
allowing you to focus on the things that help bring in customers and make sales.Here are just a few of the benefits :- Customer questions can be instantly responded to creating
satisfied customers who will be impressed with your
fast, professional service.- Automated follow-up e-mails will allow you to keep in contact
with our customers allowing you to notify them of other
products you sell which can boost your revenue.- Automating your ordering process will allow you to sell your
products or services at any time of the day or night allowing
for more sales, and more profits.- Instantly confirming orders and fulfilling your
customers' orders for electronic products like software
and e-Books can produce happier customers who are more
likely to buy from you again and again.The two biggest time consumers for online businesses are
customer response and order fulfillment. Think for a moment
how much more time you would have to promote your business
if these daily tasks could be automated.What's the best and easiest way to automate this process?
By using Autoresponders.Autoresponders are automated e-mails that are pre-written to respond to incoming emails that you receive from customers or visitors to your site. The beauty of autoresponders is that
you can use them to respond to a variety of questions or information that your customers or viewers may have.
They can assist you with most any email needs you have simply by setting up different email response addresses.Here are two of the best ways to utilize autoresponders:1. Automate your customer emailsCustomers can generate a lot of email on a daily basis and
many of the questions and information needed can be the same. Email autoresponders can help because you can develop a comprehensive email, write it once and your process is automated.For example, autoresponders can help you set up a
'frequently asked questions' email by creating an email
address such as 'faq@mysite.com'. Here you can invite viewers to ask questions about your products. You can then automate
a response email that contains answers to the most common questions you're likely to receive about your products, services or ordering process. You can save yourself countless hours of responding to questions and at the same time, increase the chances of a sale immediately.Autoresponders can also help you gather email addresses for your weekly news or sales letter. Simply set up another email address such as 'newsletter@mysite.com' that will capture email addresses through a form on your website. Now you have email addresses that you can sell to each and every week.You can set up endless email addresses for whatever information you want your viewers to receive and their responses will all be automated.2. Automate your customer serviceAutoresponders can also help with order fulfillment. This is where you can find yourself spending lots of your time because, after all, orders are the bread and butter of your business It's also a very critical part of your business so automating
it can help reduce the amount of error and confusion, particularly if your business is growing at a rapid pace.Depending on your products, order fulfillment systems are an excellent idea but autoresponders can also help out particularly if you sell electronic products such
as e-books, software or online services.- Confirming Orders
When a purchase is made online, buyers need confirmation. They want to know that their order was successful and that payment was received. Autoresponders can reply automatically to all orders and can include all the pertinent order information
that you wish to send.- Provide shipping information
If you are shipping your products to your customers autoresponders can notify buyers that their products have shipped, how they were shipped and when they might expect it.- Follow-up
This is your opportunity to provide that bit of extra good will. A follow-up message is a great promotion gesture. It's
a way for you to provide a little extra customer care by following up on how your customers enjoyed their products and, most importantly, thanking them for shopping It's also
an excellent way for you to announce new products or information so they'll think of you again next time they're shopping.Once you've implemented autoresponders into your online business, you'll never look back. Emails can be written once and sent automatically. It's the easiest and most efficient
way to help grow your business, allowing you to spend your
time more efficiently and make more sales.Elizabeth McGee has spent 20 years in the service and support industry. She has moved her expertise to the world wide web helping businesses find trusted tools, enhance customer service, build confidence and increase sales.
Visit Elizabeth's websites at: http://www.pro-marketing-online.com; http://www.homenotion.com

Are you looking for ways of persuading your web site visitors to buy your product or service? Or for ways of writing a sales letter so that you sell more?Then you need to understand why people buy in the first place.People buy things because they want to. Not necessarily because they need to.We don't need to buy expensive designer clothes, for instance, but we want to. Because we want to look good, and great clothes makes us look good. Why do we want to look good? In many cases, simply to attract the opposite sex.This is why so many designer clothes ads use sex to sell.It's simple, but it works. In a magazine ad ? by placing a guy in a particular designer suit next to a couple of beautiful women, the readers subconsciously thinks that by buying that suit, he too will attract beautiful women.Emotion makes you buy. Wanting to achieve something makes you buy.You need to trigger the reader's desire for your product. Not necessarily by focusing on your product, but on how his life will change when buying this product.Focus on the potential customer, not your product.You can't force people to buy. Unfortunately, some of you might say.But why force someone, when you can make them want to buy voluntarily? With much better results? Trigger their emotions so that they want to buy. Make them want your product. Feed them with emotional triggers so that they get excited about the project. Let them so the sales job.How to trigger their emotions?Tell your reader how his or her life will change after buying your product. Are you selling power shower heads? Tell them how fantastic you'll feel every morning using these heads. Describe it. Compare your power shower heads to the ordinary, cheap shower heads.Show them how the features of the product will benefit the buyer.Appeal to his or her emotions.Are you selling cars? Let the prospect sit in the car, let him drive the car. Point out all the little details, like the high quality leather that is used on the seats. (Don't say a word yet about how much this costs extra.) Paint him a picture...describe to him how wonderful it'll be to drive this car every day. Describe how the product will change his life.Make them want your product.But in order for the emotional appeals to work, you need to use logic, too. Because the prospect must justify his uncontrollable urge to buy.After the initial emotional appeal, give him all kinds of logical reassurances of why it's OK to buy. Tell him how much money he will save using your product, tell him you've reduced the price of your product so that if he likes it he'd be much better off buying straight away, tell him that you will give him additional bonuses if he buys immediately, and the best trick of all?Tell your potential customer that he can return the product to you at any time and get a full refund if he's not entirely happy about it.This is the ultimate logical appeal.If he wants your product; if you've made him want your product - the main thing holding him back is money. If you take away this risk, he's got nothing to loose.Use emotion to get your readers to desire your product by showing them how they will benefit from the product. Use logic to take away their resistance to buying. Use logic to take away all the risks.About The AuthorSteve Atlas writes regularly for the Internet Marketing Dictionary - http://www.internet-marketing-dictionary.com

Do you know exactly what actions you need to do today to be on track to reaching your big, long-term goals?Do you know which actions should be done first to make today a success?If not, don't worry about it right now. By the end of this article, you will have the tools and techniques you need to answer a confident YES to both these questions.By the way, most entrepreneurs and small business owners cannot answer Yes to both these questions. Many of them hop from task to task and work very hard at their businesses, but the results they desire don't happen.You may be wondering how these these people can work so hard, yet not achieve their long-term goals. One big reason is that hard work alone doesn't make a business successful. There are many other factors that come into play.Two of the most important factors are these:1) Using a daily task list2) Doing "Big Rock" priorities firstYou've probably heard of using a daily task list before, but do you do it? I used to overcomplicate things by writing down my tasks all over the place -- sometimes in my day planner, sometimes on post-it notes, sometimes on spare sheets of note paper, etc. By doing it that way it was easy for my mind to get distracted and not make much progress toward my big goals each day.What I've found works best for me is to keep my daily planning system as simple as possible. What I do now is keep one sheet of paper as my Master Task List and another
sheet of paper as my Daily Task List. And I carry both sheets of paper in my pocket at all times.Your Master Task List is a list of all the tasks that you want to do for your business. This list grows and grows as you think of new ideas and plan out the achievement of your long-term goals. Of course, when you finish a task, you cross it off the list.Your Daily Task List contains just your tasks listed for today. You should write out your daily list once a day, either just before going to bed or right when you wake up in the morning.But here's the critical part of this daily list. You only list the most important 3-5 tasks that you want to do today to move your business forward. Don't list all the little things -- just the big ones. Some people call these tasks the "Big Rock" items.The term "Big Rocks" comes from a demonstration that time management professionals have often done in front of a room. It goes something like this...Imagine you are sitting in the audience and in front of the room you see a large, clear crystal vase sitting on a table. The vase is empty and several rocks are sitting beside it. As you look closer at the rocks, you can see that they basically can be grouped into two
different sizes -- big and little.The presenter in front of the room tells you that the vase represents the amount of time you have each day and the rocks represent all the tasks you want to get done. He goes on to say that what most business owners do is to do the easy, smaller tasks first. And as he
says this, he puts most of the smaller rocks into the bottom of the vase.But when it comes time to get the big tasks done, they don't fit into your day anymore. And as he says this, he begins placing the big rocks into the vase, but none of them can fit.He then says, "Let's try it again, but this time with the big rocks first." He empties the contents of the vase and puts all three of the big rocks in. And they fit this time!Then he puts in the little rocks and they all fit too! The little rocks find resting places between and all around the big rocks. Even though this is a simple exercise, it has a profoundly important message for you and your business. And that is this...Focusing on doing your Big rocks first everyday is one of the keys to big results, more profits and more free time! As you plan out your day today (or tomorrow if you are reading this late in the day), make sure to pick your top one, two, or three big rocks and attack them as soon as you can during the day. If you can't do them right away, at least schedule the time to do them in your planner so you can set aside time today to get them done.In his bestselling books and seminars, Og Mandino has often said that one of your secrets to success is to live each day in a daytight compartment. This means to live your life focused on what you can accomplish in the 24 hours that are in front of you right now. Live today as if it's all you have and focus on the top priority tasks that you need to complete before the 24 hours is up.Og's discussion of daytight compartments also refers to not dwelling on mistakes of the past or worries about the future. Instead, focus your efforts on what you can do today and you'll see the results start pouring in for you as each productive day passes.The great Earl Nightingale once said that "Successful people form the habit of doing what failures don't like to do. They like the results they get by doing what they don't necessarily enjoy."Earl is saying that you'll often be faced with having to do unenjoyable tasks from time to time. And a lot of the time these unenjoyable tasks are your big rocks for the day. So instead of procrastinating, go out there and get it done!Tom Hopkins said it a little differently:
"Every evening, write down the six most important things that you must do the next day (for your business). Then while you sleep your subconscious will work on the best ways for you to accomplish them. Your next day will go much more smoothly."Take a tip from the experts like Og, Earl, and Tom and go out there and make it happen today. Take the time to write out your Daily Task List for the day and carry it with you everywhere. And when you complete one of your Big Rocks, cross it off the list with a smile!Matt Zembruski (aka "Mr. Momentum") is the author of this article and publisher of the Massive Momentum Now newsletter. Subscribe today to get your free audio special report called "The #1 Reason Why Businesses Fail and How You Can Avoid It!". You will also discover a proven step-by-step system that gets you results...guaranteed. Free subscription if you visit our site today. ($197 value) http://www.mrmomentum.com