Point blank, if you don’t make time for this, you will end up having what’s most important to you either slip through your fingers or just out of reach. You also need this in order to maintain healthy work and family relationships.
The difference between your workload and your limit is your time to breathe, think, recharge, reflect and plan. If you are currently exceeding your limit of time and energy (or are coming pretty close) then this WorkingMom.com series is for you. Super-busy working moms, I’m asking you to pay attention.
Let me be very clear. This is not a criticism of your current schedule, lifestyle and priorities. As a matter of fact, this whole subject preaches to me as much as it does anyone else. So don’t feel like you’re a kid in the principal’s office. I’m designing this because I feel for you.
Even with the holiday season behind you, I know many of you still feel trapped, rushed and harried -and may even wonder if it’s possible to feel any other way. I’m telling you, there is hope! As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, think of me as your personal assistant. And part of my job description is to step in and help you achieve even greater success. The good news is that just by making some small adjustments and assessments, most of you can maximize your life in the “here and now”.
For the last decade I have watched working moms and observed the struggles. By and large, the failure to periodically take a moment to think things through, have some breathing room and plan things out is the primary culprit for most of the working mom duress and angst. Fortunately, this is easy to fix. I’ll explain.
It all comes down to a lack of one thing...
 This is where I’ll refer you to Eric Holmlund, of www.ericstips.com He’s a well respected internet marketer, entrepreneur, speaker, author and friend of WorkingMom.com.
Working moms, there is something you cannot succeed without.
Sounds like a pretty bold claim, doesn’t it?
No, don’t worry, I’m not going to try and sell you something. What I’m talking about is something intangible, yet it is absolutely vital to your success.
I’m talking about VISION.
What is vision?
I’m NOT talking about the ability to see with your eyes. Let’s see if I can explain it…
I would describe it as being able to “see” a clear picture of your fulfilled goals in your mind. First of all, most people don’t even have goals. But even fewer have a clear vision of seeing those goals achieved.
Imagine your life as a very difficult jigsaw puzzle. Your vision would be kind of like looking at the box cover with the finished picture, while putting together the puzzle.
Without that box cover, you could go through long periods of confusion and difficulty before getting the pieces put together properly. If the puzzle was large and difficult enough, you could spend your entire life putting it together. But with the box cover, you have a road map. You know where you’re going, and you can chart your path to get there.
Back when I was in college, I read the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , by Stephen Covey. Out of the seven habits, “Habit #2? has stuck with me more than any of others. That habit is simply this…
“Begin with the end in mind.”
I can honestly say that virtually every success in my life has come AFTER having a vision for it. I was blessed to learn this lesson at a young age, and as my vision continues to grow, I find myself in new places I wouldn’t have previously imagined.
For example, back when I was still in high school I was a distance runner. At the beginning of the track season I made a goal to become the 2-mile state champion. But it was much more than just a goal. I had a clear vision of myself crossing the finish line first, and standing on the top of the awards stand.
That vision never faded, and I kept it in my mind almost constantly as I trained. When I won the state championship at the end of the season, it was like a fulfillment of destiny. I had already been there in my mind, and now I was just living it out.
So has every one of my visions in life been fulfilled as I expected them to?
Certainly not, but many of them have. If I hadn’t won that race, it wouldn’t have negated the entire value of the vision. After all, the vision was a large part of what motivated my training. The point is that if I HADN’T had a vision, I wouldn’t have achieved that goal.
The same is completely true of my business life, family life, and other parts of my life. Long before any of my successful product launches, I had a vision of them. Before even starting to create a product, I had a vision of the end result. I could “see” the product, the sales page, and even the amount of profit that I would make from it.
If you’re trying to build your life or your business without a clear vision of where you’re going, it could end in disaster. The Bible also talks about it…
“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)
Maybe you can’t see past your next mortgage or rent payment right now, and as a result you’re focused on NOW, just trying to get by. Beyond these “micro” visions, don’t ignore your “macro” vision. In other words, what is your vision for your LIFE?
Regardless of how young or old you are, you need to start seeing it now, or you will not end up where you want to be.
My personal challenge to you… yes it’s a contest!
I want you to take a moment to tell Sabrina about your vision.
It can be a vision for part of your life (like your business, family, or fitness level), or it could be the overall vision you have for your life.
I want you to write it right now and post it to the comments of Sabrina’s blog.
This is YOUR vision, and there is NO wrong answer. Nobody is going to make fun of it. It can be detrimental to share your vision with weak-minded individuals who may try to discourage you. On the other hand, it can be very helpful to share your vision with someone who can encourage you and keep you accountable.
We’re not going to follow up with you or keep you personally accountable, but I want you to post your vision for three reasons.
My Three Reasons...
1) It will cause you to put a little thought into it, and clearly define your vision.
2) We can inspire others, and be inspired. No matter how big or small your vision currently is someone may be impacted by it.
3) It will give Sabrina an overall idea of what kind of things she needs to focus on to help working moms achieve their goals.
And she’s also going to give away a nice prize. After a few days WorkingMom.com will randomly select one of the people who have posted their vision and send the winner timesaving Robotic floor cleaning system – a $399.00 value!
WorkingMom.com is doing it randomly because there are no wrong answers. There is also no reason not to do it, because everyone has an equal chance of winning. Here is what the winner will get:
iRobot® Scooba® Floor Washing Robot
|
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
- iRobot® Scooba® Floor Washing Robot
- One 8-oz. bottle of Clorox® Scooba cleaning solution
- Measuring cup
- Rechargeable Rechargeable APS Battery
- Power Supply
- 1 Virtual Wall (requires 2 D batteries, not included)
- One-year manufacturer's warranty
- Documentation
- Owner's Guide
This is a value of – a $399.00! |
WorkingMom.com will mail it to the winner, anywhere in the world.
So go ahead, post your vision Sabrina’s blog.
And have a great day!,
Sabrina O'Malone
---------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE
PASS THIS NEWSLETTER ONTO YOUR FRIENDS.
If
they like it, encourage them to sign up to receive it themselves.
http://workingmom.com/mail.html
We want to revitalize and equip massive numbers of Working Moms to
reach out to those who are struggling. The newsletter is an ideal way
to keep in touch with them.
|
|
|
Consumer Reports has no commercial
relationship with any advertiser or sponsor appearing on this Web
site. Copyright © 2000-2005 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
|
By
Sabrina O’Malone
http://www.WorkingMom.com
|
