Keep Your Dreams in Sight

(Written by guest contributor Loral Langemeier)

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with such a great business idea that you sprang out of bed and made a mad dash for a pen and paper to write everything down as fast as you could?

You know… the kind of idea that flowed from your brain as voluminous as Niagara Falls! When you knew that this was the one. This one would lead you down the road to entrepreneurial and financial success. You knew what to do. The idea was solid. The vision was clear. Your heart was racing. There was so much to do; you couldn’t wait.

Your experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm all came together in one glowing certainty and you knew you could do it. Now all of your dreams would come true. Your life would never be the same old thing day after day ever again. Your family would be proud of you. You could quit struggling. Pay the bills with ease. Buy everything you ever wanted. Maybe even quit your job.

And be free.

Oh, happy day!

So, you thought it through, planned your strategy, and wrote out the process. You created worksheets, rough income projections, calculated how much money it would take to start… and…

Where could you get the money… and …

How could you find the time … and…

How could you do it all yourself…

STOP! You don’t have to tell me what happened next. I’ve heard it at least a thousand times.

Doubts crept in. Your clarity faded and your enthusiasm waned.

How many times has something like this happened to you? How many times have you stopped short of taking action? This could be the last time!

Let me offer a few tips to help you get that business idea past your doubts and into action:

• Are you confident that you can perform the tasks required? Is it something you know well? If you answered yes, you’re on the right track.

• If researching your idea proves its market viability and you can see how others have successfully pulled it off – you can too!

• If your worry is money, don’t let it stop you. Rethink your idea until you figure out a way to make it happen with what you’ve got. You can start a business with little or no money!

• If you have a regular job and you’re worried that you don’t have time to devote to operating a full-time business, start it as a side business, part-time. When your business brings in enough money to cover your expenses or replace your current income, that’s when you decide if you want to take it full-time.

• Think you can’t do it alone? You can bring in team members in many ways. You can find a partner, pay commissions, or pay for performance only.

• Don’t second guess yourself. Take ACTION and see where it leads. You’ll never know until you try!

• If at first you don’t succeed, don’t consider it a failure – it’s a learning experience and it gives you the chance to tweak your plans. Keep trying!

The bottom line? If your self-talk is killing your opportunities – change it. Believe what you experience when those great ideas hit you. Believe in yourself and take action. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

My best advice for you today is this:

1. Concentrate on what you’re really good at. Go with what you know.

2. Focus. Decide on one idea that can become your Cash Machine.

3. Earn as you learn. You don’t have to have it all figured out ahead of time.

4. Build a solid foundation before you go off in multiple directions.

5. Adapt as needed, but keep trying until you succeed.

You can start with nothing and create something of great value to others. And with that premise, you can build a great business.

Ready, Go!