In This Issue...

- FEATURE ARTICLE: Will You Be Pushing or Pulling This Year?

- COACHING
- TELECLASSES
- RESOURCE LOUNGE
- VIRTUAL CONNECTIONS

It's a new year and there's a lot going on here at The Solopreneur Zone. January 1 was the launch of the new Coaching Membership program giving solopreneurs incredible business support at a price that won't break the wallet (it probably won't even dent it)! See the Coaching section of this newsletter for more information.

This month, I'm launching a program that is very near and dear to my heart. One of my core philosophies is that the universe is infinitely abundant. Because of this, I want to share the financial abundance I experience from doing the work I love.

As a part of the program, I will be sharing 5% of my profits from monthly coaching membership fees with two organizations that support disadvantaged women who are working to create better lives for themselves: A Hand UP Coaching http://www.ahuc.org and Dress for Success http://www.dressforsuccess.org. Additionally, I will be sharing 50 cents every time a new solopreneur subscribes to the Solo Flyer. Thanks to a kind mention in Michael Neill's Coaching Tip ezine http://www.successmadefun.com, I had 86 new subscribers last month that might never have found my publication. Because of this, I started the program retroactively to last December and $43 will go to the organizations we support!

If you'd like to support these organizations and share the Solo Flyer with those in your network, send them a copy of this newsletter. I'd love to say we shared $1,000 this year because of all the new subscribers to our community.

Throughout the year, I'll keep you updated on where the money is going and who it is helping. It is so much more powerful when we can see our contributions at work in concrete detail. I hope to tell you how many suits we've helped purchase or how many women will receive coaching over the year.

Thank you for being a part of The Solopreneur Zone community.

Have you set your goals for this year?

Ahh...it's that time of year again. A time for new starts. A time for looking toward the future. A time for new year's resolutions. If you are like most of the population, you've probably resolved to do something better this year than you did the last.

Punishing Yourself for What You Didn't do Last Year isn't Very Motivating

Though not all of us do this, many of us create goals based on some sort of a penance for our shortcomings. We quietly hope that this will be the year we finally get that website up or begin making 20 cold calls per day (even though we hate cold calling). While there's nothing wrong with improvement and getting things done, most of us set goals that we have to push through instead of ones that draw us toward them.

What if your goals were so compelling, you jumped out of bed every morning to work on them? Doesn't that sound better than forcing yourself to work toward a goal that doesn't excite you?

What Really Motivates You to Get Things Done?

Do you sometimes catch yourself striving, pushing, bargaining, guilting or trying to otherwise coax yourself into taking the steps necessary to achieve your goals? Do these techniques work to motivate you? Some of us can be motivated by negative consequences and get things done. But if you could choose, do you really prefer that technique?

What really motivates you? Is it accomplishment, completing things, or knowing you've done something new? What if you tied these motivators to your goals instead?

Copy That Formula!

Think for a moment about a time that you easily achieved your goals -- with very little effort, and maybe even enjoyed yourself. What was different about that time? Did you set the goal differently? Did you plan differently? Did you have a different attitude toward the goal or achieving the goal?

Copy that formula! It's amazing how often we forget what works for us personally and instead try to do things that work better for others. If it works for you, do it. There's no such thing as a right way to achieve your goals.

Maybe it's the Goals Themselves...

Think about the types of goals you are setting. For each goal, stop and consider why you want it, what it entails, and how it fits with where you want to be in the next 1-5 years. If you have a few goals that don't fit with your values or what you truly want for yourself and your business, why are they on your list?

Treat Yourself Like an Employee

Many of us hold ourselves and our businesses back because we don't separate ourselves enough from the business. If your identity is tied up with the business, it will be held back to your personal development level. If you can see the business as its own entity, you'll be more able to pursue the goals that are right for the business without letting your personal fears get in the way.

When you identify too much with your business, you often end up pushing through your goals because they are put through your personal filters and worldview. Setting goals for the company instead can often bring your vantage point up a little higher and make it easier to be pulled toward your goals.

It's best if you see yourself as an employee of the company. That doesn't mean you have to be the copy person -- you can still be the CEO, but even a CEO is an employee of the company -- they care about the company, but do not inextricably identify with it.

Flexibility is Key

Even when you're comfortable that you've set goals that suit your values and future plans, leave room for flexibility throughout the year. Remember that goals are just that, and may change or evolve as the year unfolds.

If you catch yourself pushing toward a goal, stop and re-evaluate it. Ask yourself why you feel the need to push and what could be adjusted to have the goal pull you forward.

Have you heard about The Solopreneur Zone's new Coaching Membership Program? Members will have access to me during my open coaching hours, access to a growing group of business advisors (marketing/PR, web design, virtual assistance, etc) and hours of recorded and live teleclasses and group coaching opportunities.

To make sure the program gets off to an incredible start, it's launching this month with a core group of 20 members. If you'd like to be one of the Founding Members and be the first to join, I'm offering the membership at only $150 per month.

After the first 20 members have joined, the membership will go to a budget-friendly $225 per month. However, the Founding Members' monthly fee will never go up. Ever.

Sound intriguing? Here's a link to the details about the program to learn more http://solopreneurzone.com/Membership.htm . You can also attend a 45-minute informational session about the program to make sure it's for you. See the Teleclasses section below for dates and times.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to do About It Michael E. Gerber. As I mentioned in today's article, most of us get too caught up in our businesses and are unable to see them for what they are (for better or for worse). Developing an appropriate relationship with your business is just one of the all-important frameworks Gerber gives entrepreneurs in this must-read book.

iPowerWeb www.ipowerweb.com This is the host I use for The Solopreneur Zone website. I chose them not because of their extremely low rates (a little less than $100 for a prepaid year of hosting), but because of the storage space that came at that price. With all the teleclasses I deliver and format as Real Audio, I use up my space requirements very quickly. This package comes with 800MB of space! If you have a simple website with basic text pages, you'd never need this much space. However, if you plan to store large databases or recorded files like I do, this can be a welcome alternative to paying over $100 per month with other hosts.

For a complete list of resources we love (growing weekly), visit the Resource Lounge at http://www.solopreneurzone.com/Resource_Lounge.htm

NEW: Have you signed up for The Solopreneur Zone's Yahoo Discussion Group?

This discussion group was created to support you in trading questions, ideas and tips with other Solopreneurs. Why go it alone, when you can build your business more easily with the support of others? Questions, thoughts and ideas should be directed to the entire membership. I will read the messages regularly and contribute my thoughts to the discussion when appropriate.

The group will be moderated by Angee Robertson, Administrative Consultant for The Solopreneur Zone, to make sure you only receive messages from members who want to be an active part of this community.

Join Today, by visiting our home page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solozone

*Have you checked out The Virtual Water Cooler? It's a free monthly community teleconference call where you can share ideas and questions with peers from around the globe. Join our next call on Thursday, January 29 from 3-4pm ET (the call will be one hour earlier now). For details visit http://www.solopreneurzone.com/WaterCooler.htm

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PRIVACY POLICY: The Solopreneur Zone never sells or gives out subscriber names or email addresses.

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Copyright 2004 Dawn Nichol, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Solo Flyer publication as long as you keep the entire publication intact.