Secret #2 of the 9 Inner Secrets of Personal Success
Okay let’s continue where we left off yesterday (and look to the bottom for the winners of the cool InternetLifestyle.com hat – 12 of them!)
Secret #2: Set your plan
I’m going to show you my initial plan I used to build my first Internet success – InstantSalesLetters.com.
I use the Franklin Covey planner system and I highly recommend it. Notice from the list there was my long-range goal and then there was my intermediate goals. Which then get translated into your daily task lists.So where are you going?
Be specific. Write it down. Don’t be afraid to write it down.
How are you going to get there?
Get those intermediate goals set up first. Because if you get the little building blocks going, it’s a lot easier to get to where you want to go.
And you’ve got to be specific. You can’t just say, “I want to make a whole lot more money online.” What is that, like $5 more? Nobody knows what that is. And you think, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know exactly what that means.” But you don’t know what it means. You’ve got to write it down and be specific.
And when you write down your goals, always write down “or more.” So if you say, “I want to make $100,000.00” I always say, “I want to make $100,000.00 or more by so-and-so date, or sooner,” This gives yourself that opportunity to remove limitations.
Dream a little. Have fun. You get to set the rules. I try to create as much fun as I can with whatever I do with promotions that are a bit over the top. For example, at my 30th Bday Bash we had cake, sang happy birthday and even had a ‘gag gift’ contest where a dog won. Or my Underground Online Seminar event that’s all spy related theme. Our customers appreciate having fun and not just learning.
What’s the use of doing all this, unless you’re going to have fun with it?
Now the next part of your plan is that you need accountability.
I have a personal trainer I work out with. Before, the kids I would work out early in the mornings, three times a week. I used to stay up until like 3:00, 4:00 in the morning sometimes, working on a new idea. And I can tell you, if I’m not paying my trainer, I’m not getting up at 8:30 in the morning to go hit the gym. But I have this trainer to be accountable to. So now, I can’t let this guy down.
It’s important to have somebody else that you’re accountable to. Try to find a friend or someone who you’d be really embarrassed if you didn’t do what you say you are going to do. Embarrassment can go a long way to helping you achieve what you want.
[Side note: I'm strongly considering having some sort of "Super 6 Week Challenge" for business and personal goals and anyone can join in and together we'll have accountability. That might be part of InternetLifestyle.com - let me know what you think.]
Okay next post I’ll cover secret #3…Do One Proactive Thing a Day
***
Now the first winners of the InternetLifestyle.com hats - I couldn’t just pick a few of you so there are 12 winners! Please open up a ticket at www.surefiremarketing.com/support and tell them you won the hat and give them your address. Look forward to seeing you sport the new lid – send over a pic 
Here are the winners:
Brian Diez
Frank Lee
Andrew Wee
Doug Lamb
Shane from Canada
Pam from Australia
Mari Smith
David Rachford
Bonnie Cehovet
Mike Geary
Tom Brownsword
Mike Hill
July 25th, 2007 at 11:31 am
I love the idea of the six-week accountability….sign me up!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Hi Yanik;
“Super 6 week challenge” for business and personal goals
sounds like a great idea.
Byron
July 25th, 2007 at 11:48 am
I would love that super 6 week challenge Yanik. Thanks so much for putting together this blog; it’s the best.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Hey Yanik,
Nice! I look forward to getting the ‘lid’!
Your post encapsulates the whole idea of the Internet Lifestyle.
I think “fun” is the buzzword, and like Tim says in the 4hour workweek, the noveau riche need to enjoy the journey as well arriving at the destination.
The “old guard” will just slog away, hoping to reach the destination one day…
I remember watching the Underground videos and I could see that Jim lilig and Kaczper had fun along their journey and it showed in their presentations too.
I’ve conducted time management courses and tried the strategies, but perhaps my working style doesn’t lend itself to a disciplined approach.
I’ve kinda resorted to slogging it out for a couple of days of intense effort to pump the projects out, stringing it out for a couple of hours each day just doesn’t seem to produce the same quality.
Speaking of fun, I hope you don’t mind that I swiped your snippet about taking time out for Harry Potter Book 7 and using it on my sales page at:
http://www.whoisandrewwee.com/temp/harrypotter/
[sorry, I couldn't find a contact me tab, so I'm pasting it here. You can remove it if I shouldn't be dropped links here]
I gave the full Internet Lifestyle URL in the guide, cos I didn’t want the sale page to “leak” too much.
Cheers!
July 25th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Yanik:
OMG! I won a hat! I love to win … no matter what it is.
Thank you!
And yes, sign me up (waving hand as high over my head as 5’2″ can get!) for the six weeks accountability!
Blessings,
Bonnie
July 25th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Great post about goals. I find that many people don’t understand that you need to be specific about goals, both in terms of amount (exactly how much money, or extra time with your family, or size of the house) and time frame.
I also suggest that to really be powerful, take the next step to translating your goal into a vision. The difference is that a goal is about time and money, but the vision is described in the 5-senses and feelings, and how your life would be different if you had that thing.
I find this is really powerful for me, because just saying I want to take home another $10K/month is not motivating if I don’t figure out how I would spend the money – in my case, I am going to hire a part-time housekeeper (20 hrs per week at $20/hr), go on two major first class vacations (cost $15K/trip), make a major donation to my college ($5K/year), among other things.
And yes, accountability is very powerful. That’s where my mastermind group and coaches come in to keep me on track.
I am also interested in the six-week challenge, too!
Thanks,
Elizabeth
July 25th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Yanik,
You are so right about really write out what you want down to the very last detail and always add that and more in your goals. I am so very glad that you have made this website. I have been a fan of yours for years and I have to say you are one of my mentors. Thank you so very much for really sharing what your ideas and feelings are about this subject. Thanks once again so very much Christy……..
P.S Yes I think you should do the accountability challenge I would be very interested in that…..
July 27th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
This site is turning out great.
I love that you are sharing so much great information with us.
Thanks
July 29th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
[quote]Now the next part of your plan is that you need accountability.
I have a personal trainer I work out with. Before, the kids I would work out early in the mornings, three times a week. I used to stay up until like 3:00, 4:00 in the morning sometimes, working on a new idea. And I can tell you, if I’m not paying my trainer, I’m not getting up at 8:30 in the morning to go hit the gym. But I have this trainer to be accountable to. So now, I can’t let this guy down.
It’s important to have somebody else that you’re accountable to. Try to find a friend or someone who you’d be really embarrassed if you didn’t do what you say you are going to do. Embarrassment can go a long way to helping you achieve what you want. [/quote]
This absolutely works. Finding an accountability partner that’s willing to work with you push you to new heights, far beyond where most people can go on their own. Or at least faster.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Yanik – you should be charging for this stuff!
For me, the accountability (like you with your trainer) really got amped up when I got into a “high-level” coaching program.
It’s truly amazing, what you can accomplish within 6 weeks when you have accountability partners, and product launches.
I’m really looking forward to the cap, I’m going to call it my “Millionaire Manifesto Thinking Cap” for use when I think about opportunities with my new website: http://www.millionairemanfiesto.com
Best regards,
David Rachford
July 30th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Hi Yanik
I also won a hat thank you so much for the opportunity. If anyone is interested in an easy way to start writing your goals and being grateful. I have created a downloadable ebook which is really popular and works amazingly for me.
Yanik you are so right about the power of tithing and gratitude. After watching the movie The Secret 8 mths ago I decided to design a gratitude journal so that I could start writing in it every night before I went to bed. Since starting my gratitude journal my life has just turned around for the better.
I have had to most amazing opportunities come my way
I have met people who want to work with me on joint ventures
I have come up with some fantastic ideas that have turned into successful businesses
I have won things
I have made money on the stock market
the list goes on and on and it is purely from being grateful for the things I already have in my life and for what I am about to have in my life.
Since then so many people have asked me what I am doing and I told them about my journal and they kept on asking for one so I created the journals to sell and – there you go another opportunity that I never would have thought about 12mths ago.
Gratitude and goals really helps to keep you on track and to create a positive mindset which I believe is a must to be successful.
I also have been giving 10% per year to my favourite charity personally for a long time and when I started my online businesses 6 mths ago I carried that over into my business plan.
Success to me is about living the lifestyle I want with my family and helping others less fortunate to fulfill their dreams – it is so much more rewarding when you see a smile on someones face because of you.
Thanks again Yanik for the opportunity to participate in the competition.
Anyone interested in getting started with a gratitude journal can visit my website at http:www.yourjournal.com.au
This is not an advertisement, just an opportunity to help others who may be finding the process of a gratitude journal a bit hard to get their head around.
Have a great week everyone and I wish you all happiness and success in your personal goals.
Pam from Australia
July 30th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
[...] Secret #2: Set your plan [...]
September 17th, 2007 at 12:26 am
I love the idea of a 6-week accountability-fest. I’m about to join a GKIC Mastermind Group here in Boulder because aside from all the great marketing advice and exposure to other business people I’ll get, we’ll be holding each other accountable for what we say we’re going to do.
Bring it on!
David
January 1st, 2010 at 3:51 pm
[...] Inner Success Secret #2: Set your Plan [...]