keeping your eye on the prize - staying focused

Resolutions have been made; the big ball has dropped in Times Square - and now it's time to get to work.
Here on the Lonesome Road, the big buzz this year is "Staying Focused." I joke about having the attention span of a flea, but the time has come to quit using that as an excuse for not getting things done, for not staying organized, for not staying focused, and for not keeping my eye on the prize. This will be the decade of determination, and even harder work to achieve my creative and business goals.

How do I plan to accomplish this?

• De-clutter! I've already begun de-stashing unneeded supplies and it feels great in two ways. 1. - I get rid of something I don't need and 2. it's a good feeling to know that it will be used by someone who wants it.
• Don't jump on bandwagons. I've experimented with other online selling venues and ended up feeling scattered and spread thin. What works for others doesn't necessarily work for me, and I've eliminated all but one online venue. Yes, at some point I will actively create my own website but for now, owning my own dotcom domain name re-directed to this venue is a start while I forge ahead creating my branding, relationships and own successes.
• Focus on your talents and improve on them. Sure, I'd love to learn lampworking, basket-weaving, soap-making, and much more (actually I do know how to make soap but don't). But I simply just don't have time and I'm already too easily distracted. I don't need to invite the things that undermine my focus.
• Throw away one thing every day. This isn't as easy as it sounds, but I've been good so far. Yesterday's throwaway was a gimme: my 2009 day planner.
• Learn to say no. Also not as easy as it sounds.

I hope 2010 finds everyone keeping their eyes on their own prizes, whatever that prize may be. Good luck - wishing you success in the new year and new decade!
Angie

gettin' out the branding iron

As part of my ongoing efforts to streamline my business strategies and to find what works most effectively, I've decided to jump headfirst into "branding" Lonesome Road Studio. For, as I read on garrreynolds.com, "If you don't brand yourself, you can rest assured that others are branding you."

As I research the topic, I do find that I've already taken some of the many but fairly simple steps to branding myself, such as purchasing my own .com domain name, participating in social networking (not just tweeting haphazardly, but really trying to participate in a helpful, interactive way) and blogging. But I do find that I have a long path ahead of me, and the path can be daunting and a bit overwhelming if not navigated in an orderly fashion. Fortunately, I discovered this helpful Personal Branding Worksheet of steps to be taken in the process of branding yourself.

Not only is branding a type of "tooting your own horn," it's also about discovering the music you enjoy and play best on that horn. I'm positive that I'm going to enjoy following this worksheet each step of the way; I'm certain that I will learn new things about myself and I know that this can only help in my aspirations to become the best business owner that I can be.

It is my hope that others will reap the benefits of this course as well.