Create a Blueprint for Your Success

By Joanne Victoria
Posted Friday, January 21, 2005

Having a strong foundation enables you to build a thriving, profitable life and business. A simple method to create this foundation is with Discovery, Vision, Planning and Benchmarking, the four cornerstones of your life as well as your business.

Discovery is defined as examining where are you now and where are you going. It helps to look at everything as if you were a beginner. Always know why you are in the business of your choice. If your strategy is not clear, you won't recognize the destination when you get there. This is the time to bring in your outside Vision Team.

Vision is who you are about and what your life is about. This is where you determine values you need to experience on a continuing basis. Vision is also where you become the expert in your field and decide the purpose of your business. Remember, the smaller the niche, the larger the reward. Abandon any preconceived beliefs you have about this or any other business. They can restrict your thinking. Live out of this new vision, not your past comfort.

Planning creates the strategies that help you arrive at your destination. A simple system is to - Show Up, Be on Time, Keep Your Word and Tell The Truth. It's like riding on that train, sometimes there are hills to climb; sometimes there are curves and other times you're flying rapidly down the mountain to your destination. In any instance, you must remain focused on what you want and where you are going.

Benchmarking helps you stay on track. Once focused, you set up a system for accountability, self-management and self-renewal. You can create outcomes or optimum wants that may be on the outer edge of possibilities or a result that is far bigger than you think is attainable. Going into new territory can unlock your potential and increase your development. When outcomes or optimum results are achieved, you can acknowledge success and learn to be satisfied. Again, put it in writing; the outcomes, the results and the acknowledgement.

Rules require exceptions, so even if you follow the above and create a strong foundation, you must be prepared for chaos. Chaos can aid in your personal and business development if you have eliminated all toxic people or commitments from your life.

Chaos can then become the opportunity to progress rapidly into new territory. You can be the architect of your own life.

With a strong foundation, you can build anything.

About the Author
Joanne Victoria, CEO of New Directions in Sausalito, CA, works with small business owners who want to achieve more focus, more balance, more fun and more abundance and still be true to who they really are. Check her website at: (http://www.JoanneVictoria.com) for more articles and programs. Tel: 415-491-1344.