Football on the brain!

I have football on the brain! As I'm writing this on Sunday, January 24 our precious Viking are going to play the Saints today for the awesome opportunity to go to the Super Bowl and we are all very excited right now. The last time the Vikings were in the Super Bowl was 33 years ago in 1976! I was 22 years old and that was a LONG time ago! (Update: We lost. We are not excited anymore!)

As I was thinking about the article for this edition of this newsletter I felt it was a perfect opportunity to reprint an article I wrote in January of 2009 called "What Does Goal Setting have to Do with Football?!"

Years ago I read the book The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen and my life changed forever. I started setting goals and reaching them; I started asking and started receiving and I started living a life I had only dreamed about.

But then I started getting lazy. I stopped writing my goals down; I stopped reviewing my goals daily and my quality of life started slipping.

But on Sunday, December 21, 2009 our whole family went to a Vikings game in Minneapolis. By the 4th quarter I was totally fired up. No, not about the game as we were losing but because of the tie-ins between the game of football and setting goals. I whipped my little pink notebook out and started writing! If you've heard me speak or have my Speak Now & Forever Get New Clients Home Study Programyou know how important this little notebook is!

Here I am at the game with my awesome family - back row: Bruce, Micah, Sean - front row: Me, Abby, Emily, Chris

Viking Game

What does the game of football have to do with Goal Setting?:

Start with a plan. An NFL football team doesn't show up to a game and just start playing. The team has had practices, gone over the plays, the coach has reviewed the other team, they have a plan, etc. And, the coach's plan is written down. Things may not exactly go as planned but there is a plan. It is key to write your goals down.
Surround yourself with supportive people. There were over 62,000 fans at the game PLUS the cheerleaders. Of course, not everyone was a Vikings fan but most were and definitely the cheerleaders were fans. Who do you have to support you with your goals? Some fans will come and go in your life and some will stay forever. My husband, Bruce, has been a Vikings fan since age 10 and a season ticket holder since 1972. He's the best kind of fan to have as he will hang in there no matter what. I'm SO glad he's in my corner!
Setbacks are normal. Rarely is a ball caught at the 1 yard line and run 99 yards in for a goal. So far in NFL history there has been 12 times a 99 yard touchdown has been scored. Usually when your team has the ball they get ahead a bit, then go back a bit, then go ahead a bit, etc. Same with the goals that we set. We work on them and move forward, then there may be a setback, and then we move forward again. Once in awhile we get a 99 yard touchdown but don't expect that every time!.
Take a timeout. When the going gets tough in a football game the coach calls a timeout. Same goes for us. Next time you feel yourself stressed out about your business and perhaps even life in general take a timeout. Go for a walk, go to a book store, take a nap, etc. Timeouts work. Our mind will get clear and usually the answer will come to us OUTSIDE of our office.
You're the coach. There are many positions on a football team. One person can't do it all. Occasionally, a quarterback will take the ball and run with it but he usually passes it to someone who is specialized in running the ball in for a touchdown. Who have you passed your ball to lately? Are you doing everything yourself? Start passing!
Listen to your inner ref. NFL football games have very experienced refs. We don't have professional refs in our life but we have our gut - I know that word isn't very lady like but yes, our gut. Are you taking the time to really listen to your inner self? Your gut will be right every time. If you've set a goal and it's just not happening take time to listen to what your gut is telling you and it may be the right move to drop that goal and try something else.
Stuff happens. Sometimes there's an interception during a football game. Have you had some interceptions lately? Health issues, kids need you more than usual, etc. Stuff happens. Take the time to take care of what needs to be taken care of and then get back to working on your goals.

Elizabeth's Assignment:

Make a decision that 2010 is YOUR year and set big goals with big payoffs.
Take action and write down your goals and get the action steps for your goals in your calendar as appointments.
Stay focused by setting time aside each day to review your goals and do 3 things every day toward achieving your goals. My wonderful friend and mentor, Mark LeBlanc, calls these 3 tasks your High Value Activities.
Do you struggle with this process? Would you like some personalized help? Save the date of Thursday, February 18 for my first-ever Growing Your Business with Confidence Virtual Day! We will spend the entire day together helping you with what you need to know and do to stand out and accelerate your success in your business! Watch your in box for more details coming soon but SAVE THE DATE OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18!!

Elizabeth's Recommended Tools:
The Aladdin Principle by Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield
Goals! by Brian Tracy

Note: This fall I joined Mark LeBlanc's Small Business Success Coaching Network. As a Small Business Success
Coach, I'll be teaching and sharing the concepts, strategies and ideas that have helped me get where I am today. Join
me and let's make the next year the best year of your business!