My Goals For Success In 2010
We’ll start off by wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It’s hard to believe but yes, it’s 2010 and I wonder how many of you have made New Years resolutions. I used to make new resolutions every year but that’s when I was much younger. Now I figure I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m entitled to have a few vices so no more resolutions for me. Besides let’s face it, most of us have blown it by the end of January.
Okay, now for the reason I’m writing this post today. As I was sipping on my coffee looking out the window at the snow falling (again) I paid a visit to a few blogs of people I know and they have already posted their goals for 2010. Congrats to those of you who have done so and best of luck reaching those goals.
When I woke up this morning I had no intentions of posting my goals for this year because I haven’t even thought about it. For crying out loud, it’s only Jan 2. I haven’t even had time to reflect on what happened last year.
Okay, give me 30 seconds.
Done.
Well that didn’t take long, but I didn’t need much time to figure out what went wrong in 2009.
It’s simple.
Even though I had some success it wasn’t quite what I had expected. I simply didn’t do what I set out to do.
I’m going to liken last years experience to a horse race.
Out of the gate I came out strong as I just finished Alex Jeffreys Coaching Program and was all fired up and ready to knock em’ dead. As I approached the first turn I was still going strong.
Coming out of the first turn onto the backstretch is when I noticed I was starting to falter.
I was losing my focus.
Halfway down the backstretch my legs started cramping and thought I was going to pull up lame but I kept on pushing.
As I started into the stretch turn I had worked out the cramps and regained my full stride again.
I had my focus back and was ready to finish the year with a bang.
Coming out of the stretch turn my legs felt it again and I turned wide almost into the outside rail.
Starting to lose focus again.
Going down the stretch I started to pull up again and was falling back in the field.
At the wire I had completely lost it and spit the bit.
I’ve completely lost focus now and was going in a different direction.
I want to start out the new year with blinkers on to block out any distractions and keep me focusing straight ahead.
With that being said I’m going mention a few of my goals for this year but as I mentioned in the beginning of this post I haven’t even given it a thought yet but these are what I came up with as I was writing.
- My list is just over 1,000 subscribers now and I’d like to hit 10,000 subscribers by year end. I’m aiming high. If you want to do an adswap let me know in your comment.
- My traffic has always been in spurts so I’d like to have a substantial increase in steady traffic to my blog.
- I’m really going out on a limb here as I haven’t created my first product yet. But this year I’d like to create one new product each quarter.
- Sometimes I go through long stretches without posting to my blog so this year’s goal is to write one post a week.
These aren’t all my goals as I told you I hadn’t given it any thought until now. But these are the four things that give me the most trouble. To some this may not seem like a lot but to me this is going to be a ton of work. If I can pull this off any other goals that I set for myself should take care of themselves.
Well that’s all for now. I’ll see you at the Race Track early in 2011.
BTW, if you want to put down your goals you’ve set for 2010 here in your comment please feel free to do so.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Tagged with: alex jeffreys • blog • list • subscribers • targeted traffic
Filed under: Blogging • List Building
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Hi Jeff
Happy New Year to you and please enjoy all your vices in 2010.
Notice your phrase “Starting to lose focus”. I’m not bad at keeping focus with things that I enjoy doing, but I struggle doing things I don’t like doing.
I hate the admin side of life. The filling in forms, sending emails, making sales phone calls side of life.
Perhaps my New Year’s resolution should be to do those things first.
BTW I’ve just put £5 on you for the 5.15 at Kempton.
Give yourself a good rub down and treat yourself to a nice nose-bag LOL
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog ..Ooh la la… =-.
Hey Keith,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment.
Happy New Year to you and I will do my best to enjoy all my vices in 2010.
One of the biggest things that make me lose focus are incoming emails from other marketers. It’s like I have this little voice inside me telling me I have to read them all. Well I started to get a handle on that a couple days ago by going crazy and unsubscribing from about 50 email lists. I don’t really buy anything anymore but I’m afraid I’m going to miss out on some vital info that will help me in my business.
I’ve finally come to realize I know enough now to run my business if I don’t ever read another email or ebook. I’m not saying that I know everything because obviously that’s not true and I need to keep on learning but I don’t need to read everything on the Internet. I need to concentrate on my business and the learning will take care of itself.
Is that all you could afford is £5. LOL!
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Hi Jeff,
I just had the best giggle for today. I love the horse race analogy. I am a big believer in breaking down goals to bite sized chunks. EG you want 10,000 subscribers then write the smaller daily goals you need to do to get to the 10,000.
I often find if I write big goals I never achieve them, but if I write lots of little goals I have more chance of success.
Hope your festive season was a good one!
See you back here soon!
Jacinta
.-= Jacinta Dean´s last blog ..Good Bye 2009! Hello 2010! =-.
Hey Jacinta,
I’m glad I could make you laugh.
I agree with you about breaking down your bigger goals into bite sized chunks. As I mentioned in this post I wasn’t really planning on listing my goals here it just kind of happened as I was writing. I will be making a new list before the end of the month. I’ll be breaking down the ones I listed here plus adding some other ones.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Hey Jeff,
I think everyone does lose focus at some point, that’s why you need to make plans for those goals and work at them daily.
The closer you are to your target the harder you will try to get it, making it easier to reach.
Great to talk earlier and hope the swap goes well for you.
All the best talk soon,
James
.-= James Howard´s last blog ..My New Year Started With A Bang =-.
Hey James,
You’re right, everyone does lose focus now and then and that’s why you need a plan as Alex has taught us. I will be writing out my plan in the next couple weeks to obtain the goals I mention here and also some additional ones I will be setting.
Thanks for stopping by.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Well, Jeff, all I can say is that lets not make the business of living too serious a matter. Carpe Diem. All talk of setting goals must not mar us from enjoying the gift of life.
Hi Jeff
I have been reading alot of blogs lately and everyone has been setting goals. I should really sit down and do that. I admit I haven’t been one to really write them down, but maybe I should this year. Maybe I should make that one of my goals.
I have to say your are right when you talk about the emails. I get a lot of emails on things about how to start a business how to make money online and you really can get bogged down with reading them and checking them out. Like you said you know enough now just put what you know to work. If you keep reading those emails you won’t get anything done.
You have been successful and you will be this year also.
Good Luck!
.-= Jim Hardin´s last blog ..Nutritional Value of Passionate WordPress Blog Bread =-.
Hey Jim,
HAPPY NEW YEAR and thanks for stopping by.
Yes it’s that time of year when everyone is making new resolutions and goals but if you don’t write them down I can assure you they won’t happen. I’m speaking from personal experience here. I’m not saying just because you write them down that you will stick to them but at least you will be held accountable by anyone that reads them and most importantly yourself.
Even if you just write them on a piece of paper and stick them in front of your face by your computer where you can see them everyday. No one else has to see them but if you see them every day you will make yourself accountable.
And YES, emails are the biggest culprit. It’s in our makeup, we just have to open those emails as they come in because we’re afraid we’re going to miss out on something great. Believe me, there’s nothing that great that can’t wait until the end of the day.
Reading email is my biggest hangup but I’m fighting hard to only read them twice a day. Once first thing in the morning and the last thing I do at the end of the day. At the end of the day I just skim through them and pick out a few that look like I need to tend to then. The rest will be taken care of in the morning.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Hello Jeff
Everybody losing focus and needs a helping hand.
Internet marketing can be very loanly experience and you feel down harted. I go into the AJ forum and try and pick myself up, and Ive also started a community where there is a Guaranteed way of getting Opt In’s
and many people talk with each other. Ive found that really helps pick people up when the down and keeps pushing them on
Thanks
Dean Oram
.-= Dean Oram´s last blog ..HOW To Build Your Own Online Business For Ever!! =-.
Hey Dean,
HAPPY NEW YEAR and thanks for your comment.
As you say, Internet Marketing can be very lonely but it doesn’t have to be. I think the main reason it’s lonely is because family and friends don’t understand what it is we do as online marketers. That’s why we have to reach out to our peers like in the AJ Forum you mention. I am a member of that forum but I signed up and never went in. I need to start using it for moral support because there’s a lot of people in it that I know. Problem is I can’t even remember the URL for it. I’ll have to ask someone for it and start getting involved in it.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Jeff
Totally agree with your points. I am very much the same, and have stalled slightly due to a move and then some lethargy but am now back and ready to roll with more detailed plans and tasks.
One thing that does resonate is your insightful comment that you know more than enough now to run your business – I totally agree! Its all too easy to buy product after product and then not follow through properly or take action, and like you I have done so in the past partly through fear of ‘missing out’, but won’ be anymore unless I can justify the business need.
All the best for 2010 and speak soon
Tom
.-= Tom Harvey´s last blog ..2009 Draws To A Close and Looking Forward to 2010… =-.
Hey Tom,
First off thanks for stopping by with your comment.
I think there’s a lot of marketers out there just like me that have purchased way too many products and continue to do so. If they’ve been marketing for a year or more they probably have all the information they need to be successful right in their heads. Stick to what you know, quit buying all those products and start running your business. Yes, their will be other products that you want to buy but you can wait until you make a few bucks so you’re not pulling the money out of your pocket. Get your business going and let IT pay for those new products.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. Mark Twain put it right : New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
Hey Jeff,
I found your blog over at dean holland and I just want to say you are doing great. I also want to wish you all the best and success for 2010. Please come by my blog at caseygentles.com when you have some time and drop a comment.
All the best
…….
Casey Gentles
.-= Casey Gentles´s last blog ..First Update On My 80K Goal – Article Marketing Tips =-.
Don’t you hate it when we loose our focus with our goals? I have had such experience every now and then but I don’t get foolish by actually heeding to it. This year I’m planning to create my own product.
Let’s do our best in actually doing. I believe you will succeed.
I think the New Year Goals are all about aspirations. We aspire to be better than the way we were. Sometimes these aspirations lead us nearer to our goals, sometimes not. But to aspire is the main function.
Setting goals and aspiring to achieve them should be the main purpose. Else we would all be ruddderless boats.
Hi Jeff,
I think your blog looks great and I can relate to your desire to create products. This is the key! Create at least one product that people will want to buy.
Before that, provide a free download for subscribers maybe to give them a taste of what to expect from your product offerings? That’s what I am doing.
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..SEO and Web Bots =-.
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Yes, I feel it’s a necessity to have your own product. I’ve been doing fine with MRR/PLR products but there’s nothing like having a one of a kind product. It’s something I’ve put off long enough and I need to start cracking the whip and create one.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Jeff,
it seems like you can create a free subscriber bonus around your claim of:
“I’ve been doing fine with MRR/PLR products”
I have no idea what you are talking about here, so you may want to offer me and other people a PDF explaining all this in return for subscribing to your list.
I use Open office to create my PDF document, http:aweconsulting.co.uk to get the code for the download software and direct responders for the email subscriber solution.
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..SEO and Web Bots =-.
Hey Andrew,
That’s a good idea you have for creating a product explaining how to use MRR/PLR products to either build a list and/or make money. Of course this has been done before many times over but I could put my own spin on it. But at the moment I have too many irons in the fire and can’t keep up as it is. Maybe at some later date.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Jeff,
if you put your mind to it, it takes not much time at all to create a PDF guide on how to do something. Since you are already writing articles for your blog it will be easy for you to write the content but hard to take the plunge and actually publish the product I suspect
Take the leap!
p.s. I love Robert Plank’s blog for his take on this.
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..Hiding Affiliate Links =-.
Hi Jeff,
Thank You for Your Thoughts!
i am the same, in the last 2 weeks, I realized that I am loosing Focus, and have too much Stuff already, but it is good for learning, Now every day is a total fight, not to look in to all this emails, because I think, I could miss something.I tell myself, I have the best Business Change with what I have, ( to build my Business), and concentrate on this! It helps, believe me.Hopefully soon, You willsee my own Blog out there about Natural Health Products,Herbs….
I am still working on it in my Mind,need to find a way to get a nice Site together, but everything in its time.
Thank You for the videos,I love them!
Have a Wonderful Week,
Christine Lammermann
crislam47@gmail.com
Hey Christine,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a nice comment.
Don’t worry about losing focus as that’s going to happen. You just have to make sure you gain it back some how.
You will have a blog about Natural Health Products. Don’t think about it anymore. Just Do It! Get yourself a WordPress blog but make sure you get your own domain name for it. Install WordPress and make your first post. Don’t worry about the way it looks right now. Just get something up and running and get a few posts on it so the search engines can find it and then you can worry about making it look nice later.
The biggest reason most people don’t get started is because they try to make everything perfect before they put it on the Internet. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Hi Jeff,
Good stuff, Setting goals is such an important thing to do before you set off doing anything. Your right it is so easy to lose focus. I would always encourage everyone to regain focus and to set goals. The new year is such a great time to do this – I suppose the challenge is ensuring you can stick by them. The sense of achievement is so immense when you do stick by them! . Keep up the good work. 2010 will be a great year I’m sure.
Warmest Regards
Andrew.
The idea is to set goals, achievable or otherwise, is to be considered only afterwards. Else what is the function of dreaming and aspiring higher that that which is reachable.
The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit.
Hey Jeff,
did you create your product yet?
I joined IM Elite and they have an excellent boot camp series of videos about creating an info. product if you are interested.
I expect to post more about this on my blog.
Andy
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..Money Making Template =-.
The setting of goals is the first step for achieving what we aspire for. Our aspirations cannot take wings if the goals do not supply the air below the wings.
i hate new years goals – they have never worked out for me – I do far better with monthly golas
Me too, I just get on and do things, why beat yourself up over goals that you failed to achieve?
Just keep working and doing and results must happen.
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..Building Links =-.
You’re right Andrew. Believe me, I don’t beat myself up when I don’t meet my goals because the goals are set high to begin with. But I have to have something written down to at least hold myself accountable a little bit. If I make the goals great..if not..well I just keep on plugging away and eventually I’ll get there. Kinda like the tortoise and the hare. (I’m the tortoise)
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Hi Jeff
I made the first comment on this post and it was almost half a year ago that I made that comment.
When I realised that it was May I thought of this post and wondered how your plans, dreams and ambitions had progressed.
How about an update Jeff.
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog ..Flying in formation =-.
Hey Keith,
I wasn’t really planning on posting an update on this post until halfway through the year. I will tell you this though, I’m not on target. My list has grown but not as much as I’d like but hopefully that will pickup as soon as I finish the two products I’m working on. Both will be used for list building. One’s an ebook and the other is a video course. Both should be done soon so I should at least make my goal of creating one new product every three months. The other main goal I had that I’m way off is posting more often. In fact I went the opposite direction.
So there’s a hint to what’s going on with me but I’ll reveal more at a later date.
Thanks for asking Keith.
Later,
Jeff Sargent
Hi Jeff
I’d noticed that you hadn’t posted much but if you’ve been busy!
Sounds as though you have created two great products… that’s two more than I’ve created. LOL
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog ..Flying in formation =-.
If we do not aspire high, we wont be anywhere close to achieving any goal whatsoever.
I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to set clear goals or a path which you wish to tread and then work hard at it. There is no getting around it. If you do, you’ll win—if you don’t, you won’t.
Thank you for inspiring me to write my goals today !
I now have to make sure I action every thing I have committed myself to.
To your success in 2010