Research and results from past experiences prove goals are a very powerful tool in several ways. If this is true, why aren’t more people hitting their goals?

The secret lies in semantics. The truth is that what we think of as goals are not really goals at all, they are dreams. Despite the similarity between the terms “dreams” and “goals”, there is a dramatic difference between the two.

We all have dreams, but few of us have goals. We learned to dream as a child. We wanted to be a fireman or to have that great toy featured in the window of Lytle’s Pharmacy. As we grew our dreams turned to having a date with a certain “hot” individual or accomplishing some great athletic feat on the high school team. We entered the business world and the dreams continued - now they were trips to Hawaii, a huge mansion, an eight digit paycheck, or becoming the CEO. All of these are dreams, which one might achieve by circumstance or accident, but is the chances are slim for most dreams.

The key to success is to turn dreams into goals. By transforming dreams into goals we astronomically increase the likelihood of achievement. Before being acquired by Continental, People Express Airlines turned their dream of becoming a nationwide carrier in a single meeting. Someone mentioned the idea, the brainstormed, assigned responsibilities, and left the meeting with the determination that they would do it. Two weeks later a jet with the People’s Express logo took off from Newark International Airport bound for Los Angeles. What is most impressive is that at the time, a new route took an average of 2 years for approval, with 6 months being the shortest time on record - yet People Express did it in 2 weeks.

How?

They turned a dream into an actionable goal with a plan. Turning dreams into goals resulted in man landing on the moon, pilgrims settling in America, Atlanta hosting an Olympics, NBC moving from radio into television, and Henry Ford developing the automotive assembly line. The dream-to-goal process is relatively simple. It requires only four steps designed to take your dream into an actionable plan.

First, you need to assign a measurable action, then apply an element of time to your developing goal. Once the first two steps are complete, you need to validate your goal by assessing your resources to ensure you have what you need to attain it. Finally you must examine dollar and opportunity costs associated with hitting the goal. If these all make sense, your dream becomes a goal.

By developing the plan to hit your goal and evaluating the goal to ensure it is not too soft of too much of a stretch, you should hit your goals more than 95% of the time.

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement. Building on a strong retail background, Rick moved to full supply-chain involvement, working with hundreds of companies to improve sales, processes, and bottom-line results.

As Rick’s interaction in varied industries expanded, he became troubled as he increasingly noticed that people and companies had untapped or unfocused talent. Coupled with Rick’s passion for training and development, popular style of interactive workshops and seminars, and strong desire for continuous improvement, he founded Max Impact Corporation to be singularly focused on helping individuals and organizations achieve high performance.

Rick is a popular speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences. He has spoken in 43 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and in Canada and Puerto Rico. He is available to speak at groups of all sizes.

Contact Rick at 248-802-6138 or rick@getmaximpact.com

What will you do when February rolls around and you’re sticking to your New Year’s Resolutions?

Yes, that’s right you’re loosing that weight.

You’re paying off those credit cards.

You’re getting angry less often with your spouse.

Sound incredulous!

One of the reasons we groan at the mere thought of New Year’s Resolutions or setting personal and business goals is bad experience. Until just now hadn’t you all but given up on setting some viable goals for this coming year?

Why are we so lousy at sticking to our goals?

Well, when it comes to setting goals most of us fail to be SMART*!

But not this year! This year is different.

Because being SMART will change all that…and that’s a promise!

SMART goals do get results ~ even for the most ardent “unbeliever”.

This “secret” to outlining goals that truly leads to action and accomplishment may not be new but it works every time if we follow five simple principles.

Goals that get results must be…

SPECIFIC

Motivating goals are clearly defined so that we know exactly what we are doing and where we are headed.

For example: A set of missionaries sets a goal to…
‘Solicit 1 prepared referral from each church member visited.’

Although this sounds specific, if the missionaries take it one step further and define “prepared” they will be significantly more successful.

MEASURABLE

Knowing whether or not we are making progress is key to sticking to our goal. This requires that qualitative goals are somehow quantified by using percentages or numbers.

For example: A couple commits to communicate more effectively…
‘Three out four Sundays a month we will have Companion Inventory [structured process used to discuss pertinent relationship issues].’

This couple is doing more than hoping they’ll communicate better they are taking measurable action to assure they do.

ATTAINABLE

Assessing where we are, is critical to determining where we can go. Sure we must set lofty goals that make us stretch, but if a goal is unrealistic we will abandon it in frustration somewhere along the way.

RELEVANT

Making sure that our goal leads us toward an overall, long term objective keeps us on track. Effective goals are in harmony with our Vision & Values.

For example: Business partners who both want quality family time…
‘Joint weekly production goal of $xxx must be met in 5 working days.’

A goal outlined in such a manner focuses on generating revenue without loosing sight of why it is needed in the first place.

TIME BOUND

Setting a dead line for completion with detailed, practical steps leading from here to there, and regular check points to evaluate progress goes a long way to eliminate, “I’ll do it tomorrow”.

So there you have it, five straightforward principles.

To get started, jot down your general goal and work it with the SMART system. Yes, it will take a little more time. You may also want to set fewer goals. It is far better to have one or two highly effective goals than to have 10 you’ll give up on.

This New Year as you set goals, be they personal or business, make them SMART goals.

God bless you and may 2006 bring you joy and great rewards and be the foundation for great things to come.

*for more information about SMART and other great stuff check out ‘Leadership for Saints’ by Rodger Dean Duncan & Ed J. Pinegar available at Amazon.com

Margrit Harris, Your Relationship Expert, provides Helpful Answers to Tough Relationship Questions for life and business.
Business clients include Wachovia Securities, Morgan Stanley and a variety of small business executives. While life clients range from college students to seasoned professionals. Author of StrataTips, practical weekly free Relationship Advice, and the popular goal setting ebook VisionRoadMap. Visit StrataTeam’s estore today.

Fashion has been an integral part of mankind ever since the first civilizations started dressing in their traditional attire. Over the years, fashion accessories have developed to add the extra bit of glamour and style to our lives. Of these, purses have been the most popular ones.
A purse is a small bag usually used to carry money, keys, makeup and other essential items. The concept of a purse has evolved over the years. The first purses were restricted to being utility oriented carrying pouches. As the years progressed, these handy bags combined fashion with utility. With a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, purses became a standard part of a lady’s attire, whether casual, workday wear or a formal, elegant evening gown.
Today designer purses are in vogue. These items are some of the most sought after accessories by fashion conscious women around the world. These bags add that extra zing to ones wardrobe as against a common handbag. Purses come in a wide variety and tend to compliment almost every type of attire. Designer purses are primarily characterized by a famous brand name. DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Burberry are some famous brands that make designer purses. Apart from an upscale brand name, these purses are noted for their quality and design. Designer purses are durable and long lasting in nature. Their designs can feature anything from different colors and hues to sequins, beads, embroidery or even jewelry. Regardless of the selection of design, these purses offer elegant styles that fit every occasion.
Unarguably, the most distinctive feature of all designer purses is their price. The style and glamour comes at a price, hence most of these purses are beyond the reach of a common woman. Moreover, many would consider spending such huge amounts on a purse as impractical. When picking a designer purse, one should also consider the functionality aspect. Despite their high price, designer purses attract thousands of buyers each year, making it a very lucrative industry.

Purses provides detailed information on Purses, Designer Purse, Wholesale Purses, Sequin Purses and more. Purses is affliated with Discount Perfume.

If a chic handbag is advertised among discounted designer handbags, you need to figure out if it is the real McCoy. Is it a genuine designer handbag or a knock-off that would naturally be available at a significantly lower price? One needs a discerning eye to spot a genuine, discounted designer handbag in a market flooded with fakes.

If you have a favorite designer, visit boutiques and malls that sell the brand and inquire about off-season discounts. During this period, everything is up for grabs with irresistible ten to ninety percent discounts. The idea of a sale took birth to get rid of the season’s surplus and make room for fresh stocks. You may have to buy a season ahead, but you will get the desired look, with extraordinary savings. Watch newspapers for end-of-season sales, particularly at stores that you know carry brands. This is to ascertain that you purchase a genuine handbag instead of an overpriced look-alike.

Another source for discounted designer handbags is the Internet. There are several websites selling designer handbags that are marked “sale” or “reduced price.” Many buyers end up settling for a style similar to their favorite designer, owing to the fact that mass-produced handbags are easier to come across due to bulk manufacture and are priced lower.

There are a few things one must keep in mind when purchasing discount designer handbags. Be clear about what you want and what you are willing to pay for it. Seasonal favorites will be tempting when they are on sale, but have a short lifecycle. If you want to get more than a few months’ wear out of your handbag, go with classic styles. Additionally, ask yourself if you are looking for a brand or a particular style. The answer could save you considerable effort and money.

Designer Handbags provides detailed information on Designer Handbags, Wholesale Designer Handbags, Discount Designer Handbags, Designer Inspired Handbags and more. Designer Handbags is affiliated with Designer Handbag.

Comfort and style work together this season, especially when it comes to Fall 2005 boot fashions. There’s more room in the toe, the heels are lower and more comfortable, and from knee boots to ankle boots, the length of the boot is all over this season.

Wearing skinny jeans with boots, wearing cropped pants with wedge boots, putting on a short miniskirt with ankle boots, and corduroys with a pair of sexy clogs all have one thing in common. They are hot trends this fall. It is a good way to keep your feet warm and look hot. If you’re casual, trendy, edgy, or preppie we’ve found the perfect boot fashions for Fall 2005.

Western Boots

Western boots are casual, stylish, and look great with denim. Check out our Denim Guide for some style ideas. Dress up the look with a pretty dress or wear them with a denim miniskirt for the rockstar look. They’re easy to wear all day while running errands, geting some food, or meeting up with friends for a night out.

Frye boots started it all. They’re a classic, but if you have a tight budget then try something affordable but just as cute like the ‘Rodeo Drive’ by Penny Loves Kenny. They have an edgy look and are definitely a great value. If you prefer suede over leather, check out the Via Spiga ‘Blizza’.

Wedge Boots

Wedge Boots are more dressed up than western boots, but they are more comfortable than stilettos. These are perfect for the office during the day and a trendy restaurant at night. Wedge boots look great with cropped pants, gauchos, and capris. Wear a tunic top and wide belt on your hips to complete the look.

‘Image’ by Chinese Laundry have a really sophisticated and trendy style. They are perfect for work and since it’s a wedge heel you can wear them all day long without the discomfort of stilettos. For a more casual look try Michael Kors ‘Snowflake’ boots. These go great with denim and a matching jacket. Wedge boots are also great for those of you in snowy states - they’ll keep your feet warm and comfortable without sacrificing your style.

Ankle Boots

Ankle Boots are the edgiest of the boots this season. They go well with sexy skirts and dresses that show off your legs, or put try them with bold colored tights and a miniskirt for an instant pop. It’s feminine yet funky - perfect for the club.

French Connection ankle boots are a slouchy suede boot that you can easily dress up or down. Refresh your look by reusing your summer mini and keeping warm with a pair of tights. Tights will hide any imperfections while elongating your legs to make you look taller. For the edgiest club look check out the ‘Pony’ by Carlos Santana. It will really set you apart from the crowd, or get a pair of Via Spiga ‘Bellarivas’ for a classier, more sophisticated style.

Clogs

Clogs are comfortable, easy to get into, and sexy when worn with tight corduroy pants, a faux-fur jacket, and some silver hoop earrings. These clogs are a more stylized version with sex appeal - metal rivets, a shearling trim, and wooden platforms dress up the classic clog. It’s an earthy flair for an urban girl.

For a comfortable heel try the ‘Kalie’ by Ugg Australia. They have a short heel and can be worn barefoot and without socks for extra comfort. For a dressier look try Michael Kors ‘High Shearling Clog’. They have a very high heel to make your legs look a mile high.

This article is from Grooveeffect, an urban style, music, and events guide created by Ivy Rashid and Sean Mulholland. We live in San Francisco but were born and raised in Chicago, both melting pots of diverse cultures and people. Ivy is of middle eastern discent with an Indian/Arab background, and Sean is the son of Filipino and Irish immigrants. With such a rich history we’ve learned to take our influences from many different areas. Our heritages, the industrial/grunge scene of the early nineties, the rave scene of the mid/late nineties, the indie hip hop scene, and even a bit of high fashion as well. We’ve been a part of it all, and we stay true to our personal style.

You can also view this article on our site by visiting our Fall 2005 Fashion Boot Guide.

There is no question the fact that the triumph of a firm is attributed to the work done by the employees, however one disaster can easily wipe out all your efforts and reduce the financial profits to zero. Thus, to avoid such an instance, you are advised to insure your organisation, whether it’s a small firm or a giant corporation. Yet, please take into account that smaller businesses are a great deal more likely to need business insurance protection in today’s harsh world. This is preliminary because smaller organisation owners will have put their entire lives & pay straight into the firm.

A couple of the topics typically protected by nearly every business insurance covers include: natural disasters, Tsunamis, mechanism or apparatus crash that closes the firm, loss of money due to worker blunder and court cases brought against the organisation.

There are scores of insurance firms, which have covers that include both protection for all chief property & legal risks in one group package. You can also acquire a separate policy covers. Such a policy is called a business owners’ policy (BOP). Large enterprises may well buy a business-related policy.

BOPs consist of office insurance for buildings & kit belonging to the organisation. If there is any loss of earnings caused by disruption of systems and trade because of disasters such as hurricanes, it can be protected under the Business Interruption Insurance.

There are a collection of policies, which insure the firm’s legal duty for the damage it could cause to others. It’s the result your firm’s failure to do the business operations. It can as well be the actual injury or property damage caused owing to imperfect goods, faulty fittings and errors in services provided.

Despite this, BOPs don’t cover against professional liability, auto insurance, staff compensation or health and disability cover. Instead separate policies are required for professional services, commercial motor vehicles and employees. In general, floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks are not covered in the business insurance. Always make sure before you purchase a policy! Buy public liability online with no hassle.

Risoul is one of the finest skiing domains for lots of play and relaxation. Risoul is a lovely spot and provides the vacationer climbing, water sports, mountain biking, festivals and so much more for the group to savour. As the snowfall begins to lie on the pines and mountains, and the rivers start to freeze, Risoul switches its feel from vivid fall colors to glistening white with bright blue skies. Risoul teems in sports ” sleigh rides, snowshoeing and telemarking. If you normally look for luxury ski chalets Chamonix then why not check out here?

Risoul was voted the no. one skiing resort in Europe for many years by skiing journals and avid skiers. It rises a lofty 2600 metres into the air, it with 95 slopes, the best is 4.5 miles, and altogether there are 520 kilometres of skiing. There’s slopes for novices and intermediates, and 54 slopes for advanced boarders. Risoul’s lift systems handles 18000 snowboarders per hr and so there is no wasting of time standing to get skiing. One is able to choose the cable car for a supreme overall view of the domain and the surrounding resorts. For the hungry visitor, there are countless restaurants that provide gluwein and goulashes, snacks or full meals.

I have finally come to the conclusion that blogs are the only way forward. I have held off for months into entering this regime due to the fact that finding interesting material to write about three or four times a week would be quite taxing, but I have just the entered the portal so at least I will be putting my brain to more use.

Blogging seems to have taken over the internet, all the old style business websites seem to have disappeared or have been resigned to the depth of the search engines leaving a myriad of websites all fighting to gain some recognition of their worth.

Two of the main searches on Google consisting of (work at home) and (make money online) have changed completely, it seems we no longer cater for needs of the searcher looking for a plain old business opportunity.

The searches now consist mainly of blogs or websites giving loads of advice on what to do and what not to do.

Everyone has taken literally the advice of many and filled their websites with text which on many is not particularly interesting but seems to please Google.
It seems that keywords are the dominating factor and it doesn’t matter what rubbish you fill your website with as long as you have loads of keywords to please the search engines.

You could have the best business idea in the world but if you havn’t watered it down with keywords that are unnecessary in reality then it is doomed to failure.

Doing a search on (make money online) I found the no1 spot was occupied by a website that said Offline for maintenance it has been in this position for over a week and consists of three blocks of adsense ads, if this is all we need to do to get top spot how much easier life would be.

Going back to blogs as a newcomer to the scene I still have to determine whether my blog should consist of business tips or advice on websites or just simple every day nonsense. What do people want to read ?

You can get every sort of advice and help on the web about anything and every thing so it seems strange that people keep repeating the well meant advice and of course people keep reading it.
If its nonsense they want then even that can be found on the web.

Oh well I will simply write about what comes into my head at the time of writing and hope that someone somewhere will think! well that’s a novel idea, or this is a load of rubbish, as long as it provokes some sort of interest good or bad then it was worth writing.

I don’t profess to be an expert on anything to do with the internet I have just learnt by my mistakes and experience, but here is one piece of advice for all of you who want to make money from an affiliate program or your own creation and that is: do not depend on your website to spread the word unless it is near the top of the searches. You have to spend money to make money so advertise it for all your worth, if you don’t have the money to spare then visit every free ad site you can find and advertise there.

It may not be so effective as paid advertising but it can work, if you would like a list of hundreds of free ad sites on the internet then a visit to my website will give you what you are looking for it is number 1 on the list below and of course the list is free.

Author and Webmaster of http://www.sylviawh.co http://piginthemiddle.blogspot.com My Affiliate program http://www.woweeitsfree.com

It’s no great secret!

No great secret that is, unless you haven’t discovered
what many seasoned webmasters and just plain ordinary
folks have found out.

“There’s gold in them there blogs!”

Yours for the mining, or we should say writing.

Many people have discovered and are benefiting from
the connection between blogs and Google Adsense.
A lucrative connection that’s earning them extra
money each month as they receive their checks from
Google. It’s putting a big smiiiiiiile on
their faces.

What’s even more amazing, all this can be set up
at zero-cost to anyone who can use a cursor. It’s
a totally free system that can earn you money each
and every month.

What gives? What’s the connection?

Actually, there is no big secret, anyone can
set up a blog or blogs and put Google’s Adsense
code on them. If you’re new to the Internet or not
a webmaster — these things may have to be explained
further.

Blogs are online journals where anyone can write
on any subject or topic that interests them. Blogs
are extremely popular with Internet users, with
an estimated 60 million or more blogs on the web.
Any and every topic (news, hobbies, sports, etc.)
is covered in these blogs.

Creating a blog couldn’t be easier, there are many
online blogging sites that will let you set up a
blog of your own for free. The two main biggies
are bloglines.com (owned by Ask Jeeves) and
blogger.com (owned by Google). It only takes minutes
to create your own blog.

Or many webmasters who don’t want to go the ‘free
route’ can use a system from wordpress.com and
place or host the blogs on their own sites. It will
give you a lot more options. Regardless which method
you use, once you have your blog up and running, you
will need to get a Google Adsense account here:
https://www.google.com/adsense/

Google Adsense is an advertising system where you
as the publisher places the Adsense code on your site.
Google then uses this code to send targeted ‘keyword
guided’ ads to be displayed on your site. If someone
clicks on your Google ad, you earn a portion of the
ad revenue. These ads come in many formats and sizes.
Chances are you have already seen these ‘Ads by Google’
on many sites that you have visited, you may have even
clicked on one or two!

Advertisers wanting visitors or customers to their sites,
buy these ads using the Google Adword system. Commonly known
as Pay-Per-Click advertising. This system is based on
keywords, these are the words people use to search for
things on the Internet. Because they are ‘keyword based’
– these ads match perfectly with the content on your
site or blog - delivering well targeted visitors to the
advertisers.

Google’s Adsense program is very user friendly. Google
lets you customize your ads to match the ‘look and feel’
of your site. Google also gives you some good advice on
‘where’ to place these ads on your site to increase your
click-thru rate. It would be a good idea to read this
section before you place the Adsense Code on your site
or blog.

Google also lets you track your adsense code on 200
different urls (channels) so you can see which web pages
or blogs are earning you money. As part of Google’s ‘TOS’
Terms of Service, individual publishers (that’s you!) are
not allowed to discuss any Adsense earnings they get from
Google. So mums the word.

However, one of the ‘keys’ to making ad revenue from
your Google Adsense account has to do with ‘keywords’.
Obviously, some keywords are worth more than others,
that is - certain keywords or phrases that people type into
search engines will pay more. For example, which one do
you think will bring in more revenue to your Adsense
program — someone searching for a home loan or someone
searching for a baseball cap.

Many webmasters or bloggers use sites like www.overture.com
to see what advertisers are paying for certain keywords.
Just as important, it will also give you the number of
searches made by surfers for your chosen keywords
or phrases last month.

The real trick is to set up a blog or blogs on popular
(heavy traffic) topics or keywords that pay the most money
to publishers like you. Also, it’s best to create a blog or
blogs on topics that will keep your interest for years to
come. You do have to write interesting stories, facts,
information on your topic in order to bring visitors and
traffic to your blogs… so pick something that you’re very
passionate about.

Submit your blogs to all the blog directories, here’s a
good place to start:www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

Once you have a regular flow of traffic to your blogs,
you will see a regular flow of adsense income coming to
you each month. The more traffic or page impressions you
get, the more you could possibly earn.

Blogs use RSS to syndicate their content. RSS stands for
Really Simple Syndication, the standard format for syndication
of content from online blogs, news sites, forums and other
web sites. Google has introduced a system where you can
place your Adsense Code into your RSS Feeds. You have to
apply separately to get into this program — it’s only
in Beta yet. But the potential for RSS Adsense could be
very beneficial to bloggers, imagine getting your Adsense
code syndicated to thousands upon thousands of
subscribers or web sites.

Google has also gone so far as applying for a patent on
RSS ads. This patent could give Google control of RSS
advertising. The application was filed by Google employee
Nelson Minar and is currently under review by the U.S.
Trade and Patent Office.

Regardless of whether or not Google is successful in this
application; the potential of RSS Adsense is great and may
have far reaching implications in the very near future. This
could also prove to be a very lucrative system for both Google
and the ordinary webmaster or blogger.

A very lucrative connection indeed.

Everyone is profiting from Google, find out how you can too! Click here: Google Cash File

Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins. Get a Free Desktop Calendar & Planner compliments of
the Author and DATEwise. This article may be freely distributed if this
resource box stays attached.

Blogs are an easy way to get your voice out onto the Net. For the Web-It-Yourselfer, custom blogs are a great way to learn about web technologies and create something from the ground up.

With a little bit of tech savvy anyone can create their own custom blog. When choosing blog software or a blog service consider the following:

Support -

Implementing new software will create a lot of questions. Does the software have a support site/forum? How large is the user community? Is the user community helpful?

Is it Free? -

There really is no need to pay a lot of money for either the software or a service. Free doesn’t mean cheap. There is quality, free software available.

Easy Customization -

Is the software flexible enough to allow for customization? Can the colors be changed? Can style sheets be used? Are there custom plugins available that are developed by the user community? Is there a robust set of functions that can be employed to accomplish simple tasks? For example, some software offers one simple function that will produce a long list of links. This saves on the need for a lot of coding.

PHP based -

Don’t worry, it is not that scary. The combination of HTML and PHP can create a highly customized blog. Especially for those who like to dig around in the code, PHP driven software can provide a valuable learning experience.

Links -

Is the software able to manage links? Maintaining links manually in HTML is a tedious task. Any software that makes this easier is at a definite advantage.

Posts and Pages -

If you are familiar with blogs, you know that an entry in a blog is commonly known as a post. Can regular pages be created from the software as well? This allows for ultimate flexibility.

Content Management -

Can the software control elements for most or all of the website? Now, most blog software is not meant to accomplish this task. Search around and see if the blog software can be used to be a basic content management system. Some software is incredibly flexible and can accomplish this task.

It is said that a new blog is being created every second. Why not take the time to investigate blog software that will enable a blog to stand out from the crowd?

P.F. Flyer develops Recommended Web Tools, a web resource for web design beginners. View the complete free blog software article for recommended resources.