My team thinks I'm never in the office. And, if we're being honest, they have a point. Between travel, speaking engagements, video shoots and off-site writing days, I just don't spend a lot of time at my desk. I remember one particular week when I was with my team all day every day because we were launching a new product. They gave me so much flak those five days. They went on and on about how I was never in the office and how much more fun it was when I did come around. So I decided the following Monday, when I normally wouldn't be in the office, to surprise and delight my team with a box of warm donuts. I thought it was the greatest idea ever. I imagined myself bursting through the doors, while everyone cheered for this special treat. I mean, I really built this whole thing up in my head. As luck would have it, no one was there when I arrived. Not a single person. I was so disappointed. It turns out, I chose a time when every single person on my team was either in a meeting or working in another building. I had planned this surprise poorly. Even though the donuts were still great later on when everyone finally showed up, I was disappointed that my team hadn't been there for the grand entrance. The effect just wasn't the same. This story reminds me of what it often looks like when we launch something new like a product, service or business. We come up with a great idea and have high expectations for what will happen when we share it with the world. And then we launch and no one shows up. It flops and we don't understand why. Launches are important, so we have to get them right. Whether you're introducing a new product line, announcing an upcoming conference, or offering a new service, there are things you must do to have a successful launch-but there's also a lot of room to be creative. That's because launching is both a science and an art. If you want to create a better launch experience, one where people actually show up and buy, you'll want to incorporate three key elements. The Three Essentials of a Successful Launch 1. Relationships Sixty percent of sales occur after the fourth interaction with a potential customer.(1) It's because people buy from those they know, like and trust. That's why if you're going to launch anything, you need existing relationships to launch to. Otherwise, you'll be launching to no one. Don't get intimidated if you don't have any customers yet. Utilize your existing relationships to get started. Announce it to your Facebook friends, send an email to all your contacts, and ask your family, friends and church community if they would help you spread the word. 2. A Date A launch is an event. And just like every event, it must happen on a certain date. The last thing you want to do is drag out a launch over a long period of time because then there's no urgency for your customer to take action. Choose a date that people can put on their calendars, plan around, and get excited about. When you land on a date for your launch, consider what else is going on in your business and the world in that season. You want to make sure it's a good time for your customers to buy and you won't be competing with another event. 3. Anticipation Research shows that when we have time to anticipate something, we actually enjoy it more when it occurs. Makes sense, doesn't it? Half the fun of a vacation is counting down the days. This is why anticipation around your launch is critical to its success. Once you've picked a date, start creating buzz. Remember, it's not just a date. It's an event! People should be daydreaming about the release of your product or service like they fantasize about their upcoming vacation. At Business Boutique, we do this every year when we open enrollment for the Academy. We create new videos, write about the opening in our blog, and post about it on Instagram. We're likely talking about it everywhere...

Picture this: You're booked to speak on a college campus. The auditorium seats 1,000, but only three students show up. Yes, that's 997 empty seats. And the icing on the cake? The three students who bothered to show up only did so for the extra credit. Ouch. Or how about this: You're speaking at a conference for a bank, and even though there are enough seats for a few hundred people, only two show up. TWO! Are you cringing yet? To make matters worse, one of them talks-yes, talks, not texts-on her cell phone during your presentation. Oh, and that other attendee? He promptly falls asleep and snores the whole time. No, I'm not describing my worst nightmares. Unfortunately, both of those things actually happened to me. I mean, I can't make this stuff up! And, y'all, I have stories like these for days from the years I spent speaking in high school cafeterias, family reunions, libraries and strip malls. As an aspiring professional speaker like I was at the time, it would've been easy to get discouraged in those situations. And believe me, some days were harder than others. But really, it's natural to feel disappointed when reality doesn't measure up to your expectations-like when your business isn't as big, impressive or successful as you thought it would be today. Patience can be hard, right? I get it because I've been there. But you know what? Even in that season when nobody showed up for my speeches, when every audience was tiny, I always brought the same level of passion and energy. Related: Play to the Size of Your Heart Why? Because I believe there is something sacred in every season we go through. In other words, there is training in the trenches. It's during those hard seasons that something happens in you that can't happen any other way. It's like a rite of passage. So, instead of wishing away what you're going through right now or focusing on what's next, I encourage you to find contentment in the now. I know that can be challenging when you've got big dreams. But I promise, it's possible to be content with where you are today without giving up on your goals-it's a both/and situation. That could look like super-serving the 200 Instagram followers you have today while working to turn that into 200,000. Or giving a heartfelt speech to five people while working on the marketing plan to grow your following. It's both being content and striving for more. Related: Dream Bigger for Your Business I've told you this before, but it's worth repeating. If you're not faithful with what you have and where you are today, God can't trust you with more. That's exactly why-no matter if I'm speaking to two people or 2,000-I bring my all to every single speaking engagement. Don't despise your small beginnings, embrace them. Practicing contentment makes it much easier to hear what God is teaching you in each season. Here are three ways you can start doing that right now: Three Ways to Practice Contentment  1. Control Your Thoughts You have more power over your mind than you think. I know this is hard, especially when you're scrolling Instagram and see that one of your girlfriends has a brand-new kitchen or is on a fancy vacation. Do you know what you're doing in that moment? You're comparing someone else's highlight reel to your current reality. Stop doing that! Comparison is a recipe for discouragement and resentment. Related: The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude 2. Focus on What You Have When you look at what you already have, it is so much easier to have an attitude of gratitude. I love how 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to Christ. When you feel comparison creep in, kick those thoughts to the curb and focus on what you're grateful for instead. The truth is, you and I have more than most people. We live in the greatest country in the world with more money, resources and technology than we know what to do with. So stop...

Some people think I help people find their calling. But I'll be the first to tell you that's not what I do. It's just not my thing. The idea that there is only one purpose I was put on this Earth to do is paralyzing. I actually believe there are many things I could do that would get me excited about going to work on a Monday morning. And I think the same is probably true for you. Related: Why You Shouldn't Worry About Finding Your Calling That's why I don't deal with callings. Instead, I help people discover something they're really good at and enjoy doing, so they can turn it into a business they love. I love this because when people know what they're passionate about, they begin to live intentionally in their purpose. They become more thoughtful and action-oriented because now they know exactly what to go after. Rather than just reacting to whatever life throws at them, they set goals and carefully evaluate the steps needed to get there. This is important because when you decide to live on purpose in your purpose, you'll experience more fulfillment and success. Why? Because nothing will push you to work harder than whatever it is that fires you up. So let me ask you: Is this the kind of life you're living today? I know it can be hard to feel sure, which is why I have three clues you can look for to figure this out. How Do You Know If You're Living an Intentional Life?  1. You're Living in Your Gifts and Strengths I believe God made you 100% unique. There's no one else on this Earth who has your combination of voice, style, perspective, experience and interests. Understanding and utilizing the gifts God has given you in your business is critical to your success. Like I said earlier: When you're not working in your strengths, you not only won't enjoy your work, but you'll also lack the motivation to push through the rough patches. And let me tell you, there are a lot of those in business. If you could use more encouragement around using your God-given gifts in business, download my free 7-Day Devotional in the Resources section below. 2. You're Passionate About What You're Pursuing Just like your strengths and your gifts, God also created you with unique interests, values and passions. I love dancing, but I hate details. I get really excited about adventure and being outside, but I'm not a fan of math, history or science. I'm passionate about people and relationships, but I'm not crazy about politics. But you know what's so fascinating? There are lots of people out there who do get excited about the things I don't like. So what gets you excited? What makes you light up and come alive? What gives you energy and joy? Take your time thinking and praying over these questions. It will help you identify whether you're actually passionate about what you're doing. Related: How to Find Your Passion and Grow a Business You Love 3. You're Making a Difference God didn't create any of us to be an island-off on our own unconcerned about the rest of the world. In fact, I believe He created us to live and work in community. It means He gave us our unique strengths, gifts and passions for the purpose of blessing other people. When you focus on the needs of the people you're helping and serving, you're making a difference. You're impacting someone's life, and that's a clear indicator that you're exactly where you need to be. This week, I want to challenge you to look for specific examples of each clue in your life. Are you living in your strengths? Are you passionate about what you're doing? Are you making a difference in some way? The list you compile should tell you one of two things: You're doing exactly what you should be doing right now. It's time to start making small changes that will lead you where you want to be in the future. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New How to Cultivate a Life of Purpose with Lara...

It's hard to believe that nearly five years ago, Business Boutique was just a dream in my heart. Wow. That's hard to grasp on so many levels, but especially because Business Boutique is such a huge part of my life now. But, y'all, talk about humble beginnings. All we really knew is that we wanted to create a place where women could get the support and training they need to make money doing what they love. That's it. So we went straight to the source: women who knew they were made for more. We talked to a lot of them and asked what felt like millions of questions. And we noticed something interesting. All of these women seemed to describe their pursuit of "more" in different ways. Some called it a side business. Others referred to it as a side hustle. Some even called themselves mompreneurs. Suddenly, we knew coming up with a name for our project that perfectly encompasses what all of these women do-and one that clearly communicates exactly how we can help them-was absolutely crucial to our success. No pressure, right? In all our meetings and brainstorming sessions, my leader Dave Ramsey kept referring to a small side business as a boutique business. But that name didn't feel quite right. Would people immediately think we only help people start boutiques? I mean, we were going to help them grow a lot of different things. We continued to run into this wall until I decided to pray about it. I know, it should have been the first thing I did. But unfortunately, it was my last resort. My prayer that day was this: Lord, what are we going to call this? We can't call it Boutique Business because we're not helping people start boutiques. We're helping them grow a lot of different things. How do we describe this market when these women describe themselves in so many different ways? He answered me that very day. I heard God say: Flip it. It's not Boutique Business. It's the Business Boutique. And you're not describing what all of them do. You're describing what YOU do. You are the place where women come to get help with their business-any type of business. Y'all, I knew in the moment that Business Boutique was it. I immediately sent a text to the team telling them we were supposed to flip the name. It was like this lightbulb had finally come on. And everyone agreed. Of course they did! Because it was God's idea. And you know what? God is full of really good ideas. That's why I invite my faith into my business every single day. Seeing God's fingerprints all over Business Boutique takes the pressure off me and reminds me of who's really in control. Have you invited God into your business yet? I'm here to tell you it's never too late. Seeking God in Your Business  Too often, we keep our personal lives and our business lives separate. We are so faith-filled in our personal lives but, for some reason, we get all practical and non-spiritual in our business. It's as if we believe God doesn't have any part to play-as if He can't provide for our business, doesn't understand the industry, or can't help us scale it. The truth is faith and business go hand in hand. Guess who gave you the gifts and skills you use in your business? Guess who gave you the finances needed to start your business? Guess who gave you the courage to finally do it even though you were scared? That's all God. The business you own is actually God's business. Do you see a pattern here? God is already in your business because God is in you-and you are in your business. I want to challenge you to start thinking about your business as a place where you can invite God to partner with you. Our business problems are not outside of God's control. He wants to be immersed in every aspect of our lives, so don't leave Him out of this part. I created this 7-Day Devotional to help you do just that. I pray this devotional will help remind you that God cares not only about you, but He also cares...

A few months ago, I read a very interesting article in The Washington Post about a researcher who studied 400,000 knitters. She was learning about my favorite topic: how these women turned their hobby of knitting into a business. She discovered an interesting phenomenon that I've actually witnessed for years now through Business Boutique. Before I launched Business Boutique, I conducted my own research on women with businesses. I noticed an interesting theme: When it comes to turning your hobby into a business, a sense of community plays a key role in women doing it scared. When we have camaraderie and support, when we can lock arms with other women and do it together, we're more likely to launch the business we've been dreaming about. Related: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared This woman's research reiterated that reality. From the 403,168 individual knitters she studied from 2007 to 2014, the ones who joined a group to craft socially were 25% more likely to start a business.(1) When asked what it was that transformed these women from pattern makers to pattern sellers, the most common answer was that someone they knew had encouraged them to sell their work: Many had already been modifying patterns and designing their own yarn gnomes and cat costumes, but until they heard from others, they lacked the confidence to step out on their own.(2) I was blown away by this. Not because I had never heard of this phenomenon before (my own research proved it), but because this principle of needing community is still true in a specific industry like knitting and on a massive scale like a study of 400,000 people. There's no doubt that entrepreneurship can be intimidating and lonely. But that's where the power of building community comes in. I see this every single year at our Business Boutique events. When you bring 3,000 women together from all over the country who work in all types of industries and are in different stages of business, there is a special bond created. Here's what happens: These women walk into the room with all kinds of feelings, fears and questions about their businesses, and they think they're the only ones who feel that way. But once they hear the speakers on stage and connect with other women struggling with the same things, they realize, I'm not so crazy after all. Community opens our eyes to the truth, gives us the confidence and support we need to take the next step, and cultivates a place to belong. It's everything we need to stop letting fear hold us back from making our dreams a reality. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New The Three Types of Community You Need  No matter what stage of business you're in, if you don't have a community around you, I want you to make building one or getting into one a top priority this month. You should be a part of three different types of communities: 1. People in Your Shoes This means people walking in the same shoes as you are or those in the same type of industry or business you're in. When you come together, you feel a unique connection that you wouldn't feel with someone in a completely different business. This will be your network of people who understand exactly what it's like to do what you do. When you get together to knowledge-share with this group, you exchange very specific advice on things like: handling difficult customers best practices, policies to protect yourself and vendor recommendations marketing strategies specific to your target market managing the seasonality of your business 2. People in Other Shoes This is a group of people who have different perspectives from you because they work in different industries. It is so beneficial to have this community, because oftentimes, we get too close to our business. We can get so deep in the weeds that we truly can't see the forest for the trees. But when you seek support from those...

When I was pregnant with my first child, we were so excited to find out the gender. When we learned we were having a boy, we immediately started brainstorming cute boy names and colors and themes for his nursery. We even bought outfits­. There were so many things we could plan, build and create because of that one piece of information. Believe it or not, this same scenario is true for business too. There is one piece of information that can and does dictate every other decision you make: the problem you solve. Related: The One Thing All Businesses Must Have While knowing the problem you solve is crucial to success, too many companies operate for years before they ever figure it out. Many of you started your business from a hobby. It's a great strategy. But when it's a hobby, it only serves you. Once you turn your hobby into a business, it needs to solve a problem for someone else. Before I go any further, please don't get intimidated by the word problem. Just because you create hair bows or paint canvases doesn't mean you're not solving a real issue. Too many people think that because they're not doing something people need, they're not solving an actual problem. Here's the truth: No matter what you do, your product does solve an issue. You might just have to dig a little deeper to find the problem your business can solve. Related: How Jessica Turned Her Problem Into $70K For example, if you make hair bows, you're solving a problem for parents who want their daughter's hair accessories to match their outfits. You're also solving a problem for the countless little girls who don't grow hair until they're toddlers. Their parents no longer need to clarify whether their baby is a boy or a girl because she's wearing an adorable bow on her head. I know my mother was grateful for hair bows when I was a bald baby! That's a real problem you solve! Or, in the other example, you create custom paintings. You're solving a problem for people who don't want to purchase art for their home from a big-box store. There are those who want a one-of-a-kind piece of art with a personal story behind it. And guess what? That's what you offer. When you identify the problem you solve in your business, you learn so many other important pieces of information as well. 3 Things You Learn When You Identify the Problem Your Business Solves  1. Your Target Market Your target market is the group of people who have the problem you solve. You can't identify that group if you don't know their pain points, what they struggle with, and what they're looking for. When you identify the problem you solve, you know exactly who to market your product or service to. You no longer waste time and money trying to sell to people who aren't interested in what you have to offer! 2. Your Value Proposition Identifying the problem also gives you your basis for figuring out how much your product or service is worth. This is the foundation and justification for how much to charge. Why does your product or service cost that specific amount? Well, it's because you solve this specific problem. Oh, and by the way, the problem you solve is the only thing your market cares about. The only reason they will pay you is because you solve a problem for them. 3. Your Marketing Language Your customers' pain points should be exactly what you talk about in all of your messaging. Whether you're writing marketing copy for your website, creating brochures for a trade show, or making connections at a networking event, the problem you solve should be the main thing you talk about because that's all your customers care about. Related: The Basics of Building Your First Website If you've been running your business for a while, don't think this exercise doesn't apply to you. No matter how long you've been in business, I want you to take all of your marketing messaging and run it through this filter: Does this...

Passion is so important in everything you do. When you're passionate about something, you perform a million times better. This is true whether you're working at your day job, cooking dinner for your family, or launching a side hustle. That's why, today, we're talking about how to find your passion. There's no better time of year to discover this. A new year means a new you! You know that I'm passionate about helping women step into their God-given gifts and make money doing what they love. But before you start making money doing what you love, you have to discover what you love. So how do you do that? Three Strategies to Find Your Passion It's not as scary as it seems. I actually have three different strategies you can walk through to help you find your passion. Here's what's great about a strategy: It isn't a formula or a fancy equation to make a passion magically appear. It's none of that. It's simply an approach-and it's a flexible one. Maybe one strategy works for you or maybe you'll use a combination of all three. Dig deep into these strategies, and I bet you'll discover something amazing. Related: How to Find Your Business Idea The Self-Focused Strategy This strategy takes a look inside-you guessed it-you! Now, this isn't about self-centeredness. But it is about taking a good inventory of your past to discover what you've been uniquely created to contribute to the world. That inventory is usually a combination of your past, education and experiences. This is actually how Business Boutique was born. Before Business Boutique, I was a speaker at Ramsey Solutions. The company wanted to transition me into an official Ramsey Personality role, but before we could do that, we had to figure out what my focus should be. So, I sat in a boardroom with Dave Ramsey, my husband, and a ton of other leaders in the company. We spent hours going over my background to see how I could best serve the marketplace. In other words, what should my focus, market and message be? We looked in a few different places. First, we looked at my story growing up with a mother who was scrappy and built a successful business from scratch (a unique experience). Then we looked at my education: I studied business and marketing, and I'm a Certified Business Coach. We also looked at some of my other unique experiences, like how I started a couple of side businesses to help make ends meet. Finally, we looked at my strengths: My natural strengths are in speaking, teaching, writing and coaching people as they step into their God-given dreams. Can you spot the patterns? Business was all over my background, and when we looked at the marketplace at the time, we saw businesses launching at a crazy rate. The problem was that so many entrepreneurs didn't actually know how to run a business. They just had great ideas. When we put that all together, here's what we came up with: There's a lot of people who need help with business. I am a really good teacher, and I have a background in business. So Business Boutique was born. Related: Recognizing Your Gifts Now we have a podcast, a book and an online business training academy. We've even created an amazing goal planner, a sold-out event and two courses. But it all started with an idea on what I uniquely brought to the table. If you take a deep look at your past, experiences and education, I have no doubt you can find something you're passionate about. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started: What is your story? People are often passionate about something in their history because they've lived it. What are your strengths? What comes effortlessly to you? We are naturally more passionate about things we're good at. What do you get really excited about? What do you get really mad about? When you pay attention to your emotions around an issue, it's a good indicator you're passionate about that one thing. Look...

Here's the truth about money: The more you have, the more impact you can make. So why wouldn't you want to make a million dollars in your business? Well, for many of you, it boils down to what you believe. So much of what I teach you is to believe. Believe in yourself, believe that you can do the thing, and believe that God put that dream in your heart for a reason. Remember when you were a kid and you believed? Maybe you believed in Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, even flying reindeer. You believed you could be anything you wanted to be. You believed anything was possible. Maybe you even believed you would be a millionaire when you grew up. But something has changed since then. Something happened as we grew up and became more reasonable and more logical-we stopped believing. At some point in your journey, whether you realized it or not, you stopped believing and you settled. You probably thought, Well, I'm not going to dream too big because I don't want to end up disappointed. If you don't believe something is possible, you're never going to try. When you set goals for your business, you also create a plan to achieve them. It's the same with being a millionaire. If you set a goal of becoming a millionaire, you have to create a plan to make it happen. It's as easy as that. You have to be careful of the words you tell yourself. When you hear those negative thoughts in your head saying, I'm not enough, you just need to have a positive thought prepared to tell yourself, I am enough. I got this. Related: Ep. 58 - Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Working Through All the Feelings About Wealth We all have perceptions of what we think it takes to be wealthy. We even have perceptions of what we think it means to be wealthy. Should I feel guilty for having money? No! Is it even okay to have wealth? Yes! Yes, it is okay to have wealth! Listen, when God blesses you with His resources, it is up to you to steward these resources well, and He will bless you with more. Imagine the impact you could make if you had an abundance of resources. The bottom line is that you need to be a good and faithful servant of God's resources. Imagine being able to give like never before and change your family tree. Now that right there is what it's all about. Building wealth in a smart way, slow and steady, for the right reasons is the way to go, and you can do this. Don't get me wrong: It's okay to enjoy nice things. There is nothing wrong with that. But the true joy in building your wealth comes from being able to give generously and leave a legacy for your family. Related: How to Set Prices How to Make a Million Dollars in Your Business with Chris Hogan Chris Hogan is the national best-selling author of Retire Inspired, host of The Chris Hogan Show, fellow team member here at Ramsey Solutions and last but not least, my good friend. So, before we get started, let me tell you a little about Chris. You know those people that walk in the room and just own it? The people that have everyone's attention because you just feel their presence? That's Chris Hogan. It's more than his booming voice that commands attention. It's his contagious passion to help people understand how to build wealth and live the life they've always wanted. To say he gets people fired up is a huge understatement. So, in this episode, Chris Hogan and I are going to get you to believe again. Because you may not realize it, but you already have exactly what you need to make a million dollars in your business. The Largest Study Ever Done on How to Make a Million Dollars Steve Jobs once said, "I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."(1) But don't just take Steve Jobs' word for it-the research backs it up. In the largest study ever done on millionaires, Chris Hogan...

It's exciting to plan for the future, set fun goals, and dream big for your business, but you also need to figure out how you'll reach those goals. If you don't know where you are, it's hard to know how to get to where you want to be. Today, I want to talk about how you can assess and evaluate where your business is right now so you can see the path to where you want to be in 2019. Make sense? Great! Let's get started. End of the Year Business Review Organizing and evaluating the major projects you did in 2018 is a great first step toward planning for 2019. Start by creating four columns and sorting projects into these four categories: right, wrong, missing and confused. RIGHTWhat worked well? What was a huge success or helped you gain momentum? These are things that you want to maximize, amplify, and do more of next year. WRONGWhat didn't work? Did you have a setback or a challenge? Did some of your results disappoint you? If so, it's okay! Making mistakes shows you are taking risks and pushing the limits. The important thing is that you learn from your experiences and stop spending time on these things. MISSINGWhat opportunities were overlooked? Was there something you should have done, but didn't? Maybe it was something you didn't know you should do at the time, but you know now. These are things you are going to add. CONFUSEDWhat needs a little more explanation or better processes? Was there something you had to help customers or your team understand multiple times? These are the things you should clarify. This is a great exercise for your business as a whole, but I'd also recommend you do this for the main areas of your business: sales, marketing, operations, money, team and time management. Evaluating your business's strengths and weaknesses will help you finish the year strong and start the new year even better that last year. Related: Ep 61: Learning From Failure: How to Dust Yourself Off and Move Forward How to Wrap Up the Year and Finish Strong with John Felkins John Felkins is one of our very own Entreleadership Executive Coaches here at Ramsey Solutions. John is on a mission to help business leaders reach their maximum potential. He guides leaders and small-business owners to cut through white noise and helps them make real progress on their journey to becoming the best, most accomplished version of themselves. John Felkins started his professional life as a project management engineer and realized his passion was actually coaching and consulting. After creating a consulting firm, he went to an Entreleadership event, fell in love with the principles, then quickly joined the Entreleadership team to help launch the highly successful Entreleadership coaching program. In this episode, John Felkins and I discuss how to work in your sweet spot and how to wrap up the year and finish strong. We talk about: Why it's important to use your gifts with your work and not force yourself to do a job that doesn't come naturally The main things you need to identify and assess in your business before the year ends Practical questions to ask yourself to end the year strong The metrics to know now in order to improve your business next year Knowing your business vitals and why that's important for your profit and loss Identifying the actual cost of doing business, so you can make adjustments to improve in the future Why putting your phone down will help you avoid distractions and serve your customers better Related: How to Stay Focused and Eliminate Distractions in Your Business Get a Running Start on Your Year We all know the holidays are a crazy busy time of year. Before you know it, it's January, and you aren't sure how to start tackling all those New Year's goals you set for your business. You still have a few days to get your plans in place, so figure out where you want to be and break down what you need to do to reach that goal....

Alright y'all. Let's face it: Distractions are a fact of life. You're going to face them in every area of your life and your business, and the honest truth is that if we don't face them, they're going to keep us from getting things done. I want you to reach your goals and achieve everything you want in the coming year. So let's talk about how to stay focused and eliminate distractions. All human beings are wired to be curious. We naturally gravitate toward the new, even if that keeps us from doing the things we need to do. But not all distractions are created equal. Three Categories of Distractions Let's think of distractions in the form of a stop light. STOP.Red Distractions: The distractions that you should ignore. STOP. Proceed with caution.Yellow Distractions: The distractions that cause you to slow down and think about. GO!Green Distractions: The distractions that demand your attention. Red Distractions Squirrels These types of distractions, like a squirrel zooming in front of you on a walk, divert you from your main task at hand. They might be new ideas, shiny objects, something more fun, or simply something that is going to help you procrastinate. For me, this is a normal occurrence. They steal my attention away from what I'm really supposed to be doing. I am working on one idea or objective, something new pops up, and I focus on that instead. It's easy to get derailed by these types of distractions. But honestly, they are just squirrels. These go in the Red Distractions category because they are the types of distractions that you need to stop letting steal your focus. Technology You knew I was going to go here. I can't talk about distractions without calling out the main culprit and source of distraction for so many of us. Technology notifications distract us all day long. It's a text when you're in the middle of a project or a quick browse on Facebook when you really should be writing marketing copy. Most types of technology distractions are examples of those that you can and should ignore. Those notifications come in 24/7, and they're still going to be there when you get done with your task at hand. How Do You Handle Red Distractions? Red Distractions are the easiest distractions to avoid. You shut it out, put on blinders, and force yourself to focus. This is a matter of will and discipline. If you want to get anything done, set yourself up for success. You need to eliminate any possible chance for these distractions to come at you.  Put on noise-canceling headphones, go to a room or coffee shop by yourself, close all the tabs on your computer, hide your phone, and get to work. Force yourself to focus, and you'll finally start finishing. Yellow Distractions There are no hard and fast rules for ignoring these distractions. Proceed with caution, like you would at a stoplight. Stop and think before you let them steal your focus. People Around You You're going to encounter all kinds of people who have the potential to distract you-customers, team members, vendors, friends or family. When you have people in your life distracting you, you must stop and think before allowing them to steal your focus. Do their needs demand your attention, or can you set up a boundary until you have the space and time to address them? Related: How to Say No And Stand Your Ground Kids in Your Home Yes, kids are people, but we all know they present a different level of distraction than the other people in your life. Nothing can derail your plans like your kids. (Can I get an "Amen!"?) Let's be honest. When your kids need you, it's because they need one of two things: They want to play or they need help. Again, think about what is most important in that moment. Are you up against a deadline and you need to tell your kid you'll play with them later? Or are you in a place where you can be present and seize a moment with them? Related: Look For Distractions...