So Full Of Twilight; Dreams That Glitter…
I’ve had trouble thinking of a title for this blog post – previous entries have had song lyrics that have been in my head at the time. One of my favourite songs is Girls Aloud – Call The Shots, so I decided to go for a line from there. After all, dreams that glitter are probably the best ones to be going after!
Did you have a good New Year? Any horror stories or random misadventures? Mine was a quiet one, I was at home with one of my closest friends watching other people’s fireworks. I personally find the whole NYE celebrations to be a lot of hype and then little substance. Why spend a fortune to go out somewhere and be surrounded by random people when you can spend it with the people that matter to you instead? That’s my view on it anyway.
I’ve been without the internet for the past few days, so I apologise if I’ve been delayed in responding to you – I shall be catching up over the next couple of days with everyone. I’ve delayed putting up my Profit Pulling Platform as I knew I wouldn’t be able to check it was working properly until I could get back online.
As it’s New Year, it’s an ideal time for reflection and planning.
I don’t do resolutions as I’m practically perfect in every way (ok, so that’s not entirely accurate) – but I did see Mary Poppins on TV yesterday so I couldn’t resist adding that line in!
Planning however is something that doesn’t come that naturally to me. Oh, I have ideas of how I want things to be, or what I want to do, but I often don’t give myself the structure that’s needed to be able to achieve these ideas and dreams. So is it any wonder that year after year, I end up with mostly the same results? The only time that things have changed for me is when I have felt passionate enough about something to take proper action and yes, you’ve guessed it, PLANNED what I needed to do to get what I wanted!
So I find myself in the position of knowing that I need a plan if I am to succeed, but not quite knowing where to start. I know Alex breaks his plans down into a year, then 4 x 90 days, then that first 90 days into 3 months, and then that first month down into 4 weeks, and then that 1st week down to days. I know that this will be fundamental to organise myself sufficiently to make progress, and not just be a busy fool. I also know this will help me in my current job, as I’m nowhere near as in control there as I need to be either.
What am I lacking then that I know what to do, but I haven’t done it? Discipline. I like to think it takes a reasonably self-aware person to be able to realise that they are the only thing hindering their success, and that therefore I am the only person sabotaging my otherwise guaranteed progress and inevitable success. Honestly, I need to give myself a good talking-to! And no, that isn’t an invitation for you to lecture me by the way.
How do you plan? Do you follow Alex’s method outlined above? I’d be interested to know how you create the map for your own success.
What about accountability? Do you have an accountability partner where you can both check that you (and they) are following their plan?
I’d love to know what your thoughts and preferences are for this, so please leave a comment & let me know!
Until next time…
Nikki
Filed under: Online Business
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Twitter: TheGazzMan
says:
Well Nix – a lovely post so full of thought. But I kept looking at that darn quote rotator you have installed. Very clever but – oh-so-distracting (like certain pictures that one gets to see from time to time). Some things you just can’t stop looking at.
Anyway – slap – I’m glad you had a quiet time at home. I did too. Played cards all night – euchre.
Oh God! I keep going back to that rotator – and yes, I saw your little addendum to the Oscar Wilde quote – very funny.
Okey, dokey. Good to see you back.
Gazz-Man
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Hi Nikki,
Thanks for the advice about the Analytics plug in I shall get onto that. Hope you have a great and prosperous new year.
Cheers for now.
Alan…
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Twitter: TheGazzMan
says:
“I can resist everything except temptation” – Oscar Wilde PLUS what you wrote Nix. Too funny.
Gazz-Man
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Hi Nikki,
Happy new year girl, and I’m sure it was more exciting over there is Bristol then it was here in London.
)
) et cetera, et cetera, et cetera (yul brynner film, ring any bells?) and of course annouce it on your blog and get all of us F-500 minus 360 to hold you accountable.
Hey, planning was never my things either, I was and sometimes still am a perpetrator of putting things off but now that we’re on board the AJ project I guess discipline is something that we all have to deal with, it’s just great that there is 500 of us out there (now dwindled down to a 1/3 of that – shame) that can help each one of us hold ourselves accountable to our plan.
I also had the problem of not knowing exactly where to start with my plan but I guess the best thing to do is first decide what is your ultimate goal for this year – what’s the one thing you want to achieve by the year 2010.
Alexs’ 2008 goal was to earn $250,000 and he doubled that (the lucky bastard
Breaking it down from there into quaterly chunks and then monthly and weekly and daily is a hefty task and does require a bit of time planning. So I suggest you do your first 3 month breakdown first up to April and mention what you want to achieve by April in regards to amount of subsribers you want per month, number of posts per week, videos made per day (only joking
Easy stuff, eh?
Right, lets get cracking!
regards
Guy
[Reply]
Nikki Reply:
January 6th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hi Gaz-Man so you like the quotes then?! They’re some of my favourites, I will be adding more at some point, might even add my brilliant quote that I left on your blog (my one about clarity coming from seeing what you DON’T want…). As for providing distractions – er, this is me you’re talking to – would you expect anything less?!
Hey Alan, glad I could help!
Gaz-Man – yeah, you know it! And it’s so true for me! Temptation is just what I’m all about…
Hey Guy, thanks for sharing your planning techniques, I’ve just had a rummage over on your blog to see what’s going on, and I see you’re making yourself accountable by putting your plans / goals online for all to see. I think that’s really what I should do as well, although I’m still considering the accountability partner idea (see Gaz-Man’s post here - and my comment which is first in the list).
I’m also trying to give / get a lot more discipline in my current job as well – if I can make these changes (i.e. to become more focused, disciplined, and actually PLAN some stuff), then I will be reaping the benefits all round and it will become ingrained as a habit.
Thanks for all your comments as always!
Nikki / Nix
[Reply]
Hi Nikki,
I like your mixture of creativity, instruction, and friendliness on your blog. It’s like a little place to curl up with a cup of coffee or tea and have a chat with a good friend.
All the best in 2009,
Theresa
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Twitter: TheGazzMan
says:
I gotta say Nix that I snickered at this:
That was VERY funny and it made me laugh!
Gary
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Hi Theresa,
What a lovely compliment! That’s very kind of you to say so, and I’m glad that you enjoyed your visit here!
Gaz-Man, yeah, you know it! All in the best possible taste of course!!
Nikki
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Twitter: TheGazzMan
says:
You’re a BAD girl. But I LIKE you!
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Hi Nikki,
Can you give our other friend Gary a kick when you next see him? He’s on the verge of turning into Bad-Gary again. At the moment he’s in Sore-Loser-Gary mode but you know what he’s like it’s anybody’s guess who he will wake up as later.
He’s foolishly trying to start a ‘war’ with me again. Silly s*d, you’d have thought he’d have learnt his lesson last time after I sent him away licking his wounds, but no he’s back for more. This time I think he means business. He’s playing dirty, stopping my attacks (comments) at the first line of defence (comment moderation).
Unfortunately, I sent one over earlier today which had a mal-functioning explosive device on it (another URL I was referring to in my comment). Well that’s seems to have bu***ered him up and got him in all of a tis. You’s see he’s a bit slow on the up-take our Gary and not quite worked out what his own troops are up to (my comment is stuck in his moderation queue and he needs to release it !!!). I think anything I now try and launch at him is suffering the same fate. One out all out until, he gets his finger out and gets his troops back into line.
So when he next stumbles this way can you give him a bit of a nudge or whatever? Or better still go incognito over to his site and launch an undercover attack (post a comment pointing out what he needs to do with me my pending missiles). That way he’ll get your message and realise he’s got work to do
Garry Parkes
http://garryparkes.com/
Garry Parkes’ Official Alex Jeffreys Student Tour
Passport stamp #022 of 500
[Reply]
Nikki Reply:
January 8th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hi Garry,
I think it’s because you’ve changed your email address or something, as I had to moderate your comment as well, so I think it was recognising you as an ‘unknown’. Or maybe my blog is just playing up – who knows.
The idea of me going incognito anywhere is quite a laughable one – I don’t do subtle I’m afraid! I will certainly pass on your message though, I’m sure one of the Gary’s (good or bad) will be here at some point. Although after what I did to and with Bad Gary last time, he may still be recovering…
Check me out – I’m no.22 on your travels!!
Nikki
[Reply]
Twitter: TheGazzMan
says:
Hi my little RANUNCULUS (that’s YOU Nix),
Oh, Parkesy, what a desperado! What the HELL is he doing? And he thinks I have multiple personalities. Jeez.
Thanks babes. You say you don’t do subtle? Heh… heh… REALLY!
Gazz-Man
[Reply]
Hey Gaz-Man,
I know, who’d have thought that subtlety wouldn’t be a virtue of mine?!
When I was 13 one of my classmates told me I was “as subtle as a flying brick”.
I live by that!!
Nix
[Reply]
Twitter: TheGazzMan
says:
Well, darls… heh…heh… you MAY have been a brick then but you ain’t one NOW! No ma’am. Certainly NOT!
Regarding subtlety (curious word that – everything about it)… um, have a look at what I wrote over on Parkesy’s blog. Now I know why you chose purple for your Nickelodeon colour scheme. LOL!
Gazz-Man (the good, the bad and the ugly)
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Gaz-Man I think Parkesy’s site is down at the mo, it won’t load it – guess there’s too much traffic or something, so I can’t go see your comment yet!
Nix
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Twitter: stephen_bray
says:
Nikki,
Don’t worry too much about planning every day for the next year, I mean frankly that’s b***ocks. We don’t even know if the Internet will be here in a years time?
No instead analyse what’s needed immediately and break up your day into small chunks to handle the essentials.
Don’t try and do everything, instead nibble away at all the basics.
Today I realised that my office was looking like a computer repair shop, all wires and boxes. Rather than attempt a major clear-up I simply allocated 10 mins to clearing and cleaning tasks before sitting down to do several 50 mins blocks on the computer.
Guess what, the rooms cleaner and I’m more focussed when on-line.
Even found time for some fruit-cake
Stephen
http://twitter.com/stephen_bray
[Reply]
Hi Nikki,
Awesome posted!!! :O) I just want to say, I am not a great planner :O)~ What I do now is plan my goals for each day. Make videos, post on my blog, submit to social bookmarking sites. I make small goals each day. In the future i will get better at this. I have to remember when i go full-time in my online biz, I have to be disciplined. If you need help with anything just ask. I am here to help :O) When you get a chance check out my blog and tell me what you think.
Thanks
Steven :O)
http://steven-de-gracia.com
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