:: picture courtesy of the Merlin Mann Blog ::

I loved this web page so much, that I use it as the “Home” page any time I open a new browser tab or window– so I really have to ask myself, is what I’m doing right now really what I need to do? Tough question. Tough answers.

Owning your own business gives you the freedom to eliminate the boss constantly looking over your shoulder. The problem is that you have the freedom to eliminate the boss constantly looking over your shoulder. It is amazing how willing we are to be complicit to helping someone else meet their goals or bottom lines, or stay focused on their stringent timetables, but as business owners we can become so distracted from our own.

When I used to peddle lipstick many moons ago, we used to talk about IPAs. IPAs stand for Income Producing Activities. When you had so many IPAs, you could noticeably see a change, or shift, in your business– be it in sales, growth in team members, or other incentives. The key was to keep you accountable and to keep you working. I’ve modified an IPAs sheet for you to use as you will– make a copy for each week to keep yourself working and accountable. For each day of the week, write down the letter for the IPA you participated in for that day. Set a reasonable goal for yourself: how many IPAs can you participate in per day, per week? How many IPAs do you need to do to meet your goal? Whatever your goal is, the only way you can reach it is by staying relevant and staying productive. Download the IPAs worksheet and let me know how it works out for you!