For the last decade, I’ve been slugging away in the entrepreneurial trenches. During that time, I’ve learned innumerable lessons about life, liberty and the pursuit of an empire. I’ve been on television and splashed across magazines. I’ve sat in thatched roof huts in West Africa and been flown to Dubai for press junkets. I’ve also had my ass handed to me on a plate. More than once. If those experiences have indelibly burned two things into my brain, they are these:
- An entrepreneur’s empire-building efforts are inseparable from every other facet of her life. Your entire being is interdependent and intricately woven together.
- When you set your entrepreneurial boat out to sea, it’s going to move. Whether you’re in control or not- thanks to the winds and the tides- that sucker is going to be in motion.
So you can surrender yourself to mercy of Mother Nature or whip out a compass, chart your navigational path and go full steam ahead to Success Island. Your pick. But I’m uber-confident that you want to be the captain, yes? Enter the 2013 Goal Mandala.
In Buddhism, mandalas are geometric figures which represent the universe. At Lucky Break Consulting, they’re wheels that represent the path you’ve charted for your life + empire.
Step 1: Look first at the box on the top left. Meditate on how you want to feel as 2013 draws to a close? Empowered? Peaceful? In control? Respected? Successful? Fulfilled? Whatever it is, jot it down right here. Be as specific as possible. The rest of the Goal Mandala should be built in to support and facilitate these emotions. They’re the actual end game. The Holy Grail, if you will.
Step 2: In the next two boxes, write a few reminders to yourself. Make simple plans for what you will and won’t do in 2013. I vow to take better care of me. I vow to get control of my empire and ride it so Success Town. I refuse to listen to negative self-talk. I refuse to let fear hold me back from my dreams. You get the idea…
Step 3: Look at each wedge of your Goal Mandala and define a short-term, mid-term and long-term goal for each area. I’ve inserted some deadlines to keep you on the straight and narrow. I like action and you need momentum.
Health: mind, body, energy
Establish a more regular sleep cycle. Exercise regularly. Lose 20 pounds. Get control of an addiction. Eat better. Wheatgrass shots every morning (better you than me).
Environment: your physical space + possessions
Establish goals that transform and empower your dwellings and things. Reign in the clutter. Purchase less. Live more simply. Keep the house a bit tidier. Find a new home.
Business: your empire
If you’re working a traditional gig while building your business, then restrict this wedge exclusively to your empire-building efforts. What tangible goals have you set for your entrepreneurial adventure?
Friends + Family: interactions with those you love
You can’t make goals for someone else on your mandala! This wedge should focus on you. Mend a torn relationship. Weekly game nights with the wee ones. Regular date nights with the Mister. Once-a-month wine soirees with your girlfriends. In that case, may I be invited?
Spiritual: religious, mindset, daily infusion
Whether or not you’d dub yourself “religious”, we’re all spiritual beings and connecting with the divine should be a regular gig, no matter what form your divine takes. Attend church services more regularly. Meditate daily. Yoga twice a week. Journaling. Weekly nature walks. You name it…
Financial: both how you interact with money + financial benchmarks
Balance your checkbook monthly. Save $6,000 this year. Pay down $6,000 worth of debt. File all those quarterly tax returns on time. Feel in control. Score a line of credit for your business.
Remember to make your goals SMART:
S – Specific
M – Motivational
A – Attainable
R – Relevant
T – Trackable
Now, tape your completed Goal Mandala to your bathroom mirror, refrigerator door, etc. Someplace highly visible and hard to ignore.
Step 4: Immerse yourself. Infuse those goals into your being. Build the empire and the life you’ve always imagined.
Do you feel like you are the captain of your entrepreneurial adventure or are you just drifting along? What goals do you want to set and chart a course for in 2013? Share with us in the comments and be sure to welcome Lela to OMHG as a new contributor!
