Could Setting Limits Make You MORE Successful
July 7, 2011 in About ACEInspire, Become a Mumpreneur, Featured, Headline
When you work for a company or any employer they are in charge of the direction of the company and the targets, you’re paid to work for X amount of hours, and, if you’re lucky you may get a few bonuses along the way. When you work for yourself whether it be freelancing, making money online, passive income or whatever, it is important to establish what’s ‘enough’?
I think so.
If you don’t have an end game you could work for 24 hours a day and never feel that you’ve achieved enough. Everyone seems to set targets whether it’s monthly earnings targets, subscriber targets, sales or email list targets. I’m thinking that perhaps it’s equally important to set limits. To cap our goals, to feel satisfied at what we have and not yearn for more more more, not immediately anyway. Some may scoff and argue that this will stifle ambition and hinder success but I think it may have the opposite effect.
For example, lets say I set myself a target of earning £1000 a month what happens when I get to that point? Most people would automatically move the goal posts and strive for £1500 a month. What happens when you do this (immediately) is;
1. You never have that sense of achievement. Stopping, taking stock and celebrating gives you a chance to register the success and this ‘registering of success’ is an enormous confidence well that you can draw on in difficult times. If you move the goal immediately all you’ll have is that feeling of never meeting the goal, and this can lead to low self confidence and a constant feeling of failure or falling short.
2. Moving the goal too quickly will also lead to a drain in energy. It took a lot of effort to get to that goal, chances are you need and deserve a break to feel refreshed enough to work towards the next goal. A bit like a fallow field, give yourself a break and you’re going to produce better results in the longrun.
3. It gives you a chance to reflect on your business without worrying about money. Taking a step back is important as all sorts of improvements become apparent that could actually make you more money without you meaning to. Use the time to look at how cost/time effective you and the business is.
Okay, so I think I’ve established that targets and limitations are important if you really want to succeed. This year I set my target at £2000 a month, and to be honest I’ve already achieved that, instead of just striving for more right now I’ve chosen to slow down, take stock and decide carefully what I’d like to do next. Being a mumpreneur isn’t all about profit and income, it’s about a lifestyle. The lifestyle that allows me to take time off this morning to attend my daughter’s assembly, the kind of work that allows me to take time off this evening to see Elton John, yay!
I’ve gotten to the point now where I have autonomy over which projects to take on as I’m not purely driven by money anymore. Choosing projects that will fulfill me creatively and fill a need for my clients is my priority. It’s a liberating position to be in.
By slowing down and not moving my goals posts I’m acknowledging the success that has been achieved so far and enjoying the rewards a little for the hard work that has been put in.
Finally, feeling that you don’t have to work actually increases your desire to work, a lesson I learned while I was on the outside of the working world looking in (while I was a stay at home mum). By allowing yourself some time out on achieving your targets what is likely to happen quite quickly is that you naturally want to get started again, the key is waiting for this feeling to come and not just forcing bigger goals on yourself. Don’t forget when setting goals that you need to make them measurable, so give your income targets a time limit ie. £2000 a month to be achieved by end of 2011. Whether you achieve the target or not you now have an end point at which you can assess your progress and take some time out, even if you’ve fallen a little short.
Do you set limitations? Are you taking time out to appreciate the success you’ve achieved so far?
“Within days of signing up to the Online Business Success Course I finally (after 2 years!) got my business website up and running with a business blog where I now post 3 or 4 times a week. I also know how to use Twitter and Facebook more effectively – all of which has introduced new people to the business. Delivered in small bite size daily emails, it’s been easy to manage the course workload – even when busy with all my new clients. The Online Business Success Course has definitely been a good investment and has helped me rethink the way I work. Now I’m bursting with ideas as to how I can increase my income through different income streams – in fact, I need more hours in the day to action them all!” Heather Stewart
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