Pat and Lorna's Blog » Life Lessons

SMART Goals

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:01:25 +0000

(Click on above Image for larger size)

At the start of each new year we sit down to write our yearly goals.

There are many, many ways to write goals… and many opinions on what works best. We have found one way to write goals that in our opinion makes a whole lot of good sense. We write our goals as SMART goals.

What are SMART Goals? As outlined in the mindmap above and in the descriptions below, SMART Goals are…

S	=	Specific
M	=	Measurable
A	=	Attainable
R	=	Realistic
T	=	Tangible

Specific: There is a greater chance of achieving a specific goal than a general goal. For a goal to be specific, answer the six "W" questions:

Who: Who is involved?
What: What do I want to accomplish?
Where: Identify a location.
When: Establish a time frame.
Why: Specific reasons or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

Measurable: Determine a concrete way to measure your progress towards the attainment of each goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as: How much? How many? How will I know if I achieve this goal?

Attainable: If the goals you set are important to you, you will start to figure out ways to make them come true. You will develop the attitude, abilities, skills and financial capacity to reach them.

Any goal is achievable if you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you the space to carry out those steps. Goals that seemed out of reach become attainable because you grow to match them.

Realistic: For a goal to be realistic it has to represent something that you are both willing and able to work towards. A goal can be high and realistic… it all depends on you. Make sure that each goal leads to substantial progress. If a goal is set too low, there may be little motivation to reach it. A goal is realistic if you truly believe it can be achieved.

Tangible: A goal is tangible if you can experience it with one of the senses… taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. If a goal is tangible it is easier to make it specific, measurable and attainable.

To make it easier for you to reference SMART goals and the criteria behind them, we have provided the following for your convenience:

SMART Goals as a PDF document

SMART Goals as an Interactive Flash File

ENJOY!

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Pat and Lorna Shanks are "SPECTACULARIZERS" of great audio content. They teach entrepreneurs, independent professionals and small business owners how to attract more clients and make more money using Spectacular Presentations and Robotic Internet Marketing. For more "Spectacularizer Tips", go to www.PatAndLorna.com or follow us on Twitter.

Happy New Year!

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:00:55 +0000

It's a New Year, and as always it is associated with new beginnings and new possibilities. What a great feeling that is! It's like starting with a clean slate or a level playing field with endless opportunities.

And of course it is the time for resolutions, plans and the setting of goals. Not only do people set personal goals, they set business goals as well. Great! It is much easier to direct a business when there's a plan or "road map" to follow.

Along with all the "usual" plans for a business…

What products are we going to produce and offer?

What pricing are we going to set on these products?

What's our marketing plan?

… an essential question to ask is "What is the focus of our business?"

Believe it or not, there is one answer to that question that can apply to any and all businesses.

That answer is… "To provide value to our customers."

Business success would be much more prevalent if this simple motto was followed.

This motto has been and will continue to be the focus of our business at TheCoolestCouple.com.

So to all we wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year! May 2010 be all that you hope for and much, much more.

We would also like to thank all of our friends, clients and customers for the blessing of having you touch our lives. You are all very much appreciated.

To a Spectacular 2010!

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Connections and Relationships… And Other Things We Are Thankful For

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:13:23 +0000

As we sat here in the comfort of our home office, we thought about how thankful we are to have a house to live in. Others are not so fortunate… they do not have a place to call home.

So then we asked ourselves… what else do we have to be thankful for? A LOT!

We've outlined a few of the things we're thankful for in this mindmap:

So who said Thanksgiving comes around only once a year? We can be thankful (grateful) for what we have all year round. Think about and write down what you are thankful for, it's a very uplifting experience.

For us, our connections and relationships are especially important. On a daily basis we connect with so many people… in person as well as through all the wonderful social sites and technologies. Without even really being conscious about it, we are continually connecting with others.

These people teach us, support us, enable our success, bring us more joy… and basically complete us as human beings.

That is why on our blog we invite you to "Be Social With Us"! It is also the reason we organize and manage our relationships inside our knowledge maps. It is important for us to develop new relationships and to keep our established relationships alive.

It's all about relationships… how do you stay connected?

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A Cool Look at Life – Even if You Ain't Never Been on a Horse

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:37:59 +0000

It's quite amazing… a country girl and a city boy (that's us), both getting a whole lot of insight from the content of this post.

The words below may be simple… but oh so true. It rolls right into our favorite saying, "Life is simple, people complicate it".

It's amazing how a simple way of looking at things can bring such deep insight to life.

So please enjoy… we definitely did!

Cowboy's Guide To Life
by Bob Hardison

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
Life ain't about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
Don't sell your mule to buy a plow.
If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there with ya.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you. You cannot unsay a cruel word.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to swaller.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with looks at you in the mirror every mornin'.
Don't worry about bitin' off more 'n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Remember: Don't squat with your spurs on.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Keep skunks and politicians and lawyers at a distance.
It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
If it don't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably ain't.
It's better to be a has-been than a never-was.
Meanness don't jest happen overnight.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to git dirty.

And our additions to the list

If you step in a cowpie (shit), make sure it's well aged.
Don't say "giddyap" before you have your boots in the stirrups and your hands on the reins.

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Maybe You Can Look Back Now And Laugh… And Maybe NOT

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:44:45 +0000

Have you ever had to cancel any service? Hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

For anyone who has ever canceled a service we think you will find this skit outrageously funny. It hits so close to home it’s hard not to. Since so many people can relate to this video we thought I would share it with our readers to enjoy.

Tells us in the comments below, has this ever happened to you? We would love to hear about it.

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Alex Mandossian Discusses What Abundance Is

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:33:31 +0000

Our good friend Alex Mandossian discusses what abundance is. Watch and listen to what he has to say and then please tell us what you think abundance is.

Please click the image below to start that presentation.(Opens in a new window, duration: 4 min, 24 sec)

To get more Abundance in your like check out the Virtual Abundance Expot.

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Content Presentation with Your Market in Mind

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:00:51 +0000

There is an amazing amount of great content out there… including yours. But… does it have maximum reach? Are all the people in your market able to effectively consume it? After all, that is the goal of any information marketing business… which is every business.

Understanding how people receive information is imperative for optimizing the reach of your content. If they are struggling to absorb your message, they won't find any value in it and they sure won't find any success in implementation.

Here's how people receive information – also known as their learning modalities:

Visually: (55% – 75% of the population) These people learn by seeing. Reading text, charts, graphs and watching any type of video are some of the ways by which these people learn or consume information.
Auditory: (20% – 30% of the population) These people learn by listening or speaking. Listening to recorded audio, hearing a live speech or reciting are ways by which auditory learners consume information.
Kinesthetic: (5% – 15% of the population) People in this group learn by doing or touching. By writing, typing, clicking the mouse, or any other type of physical action, information will make way more sense to these individuals.

The message here is… don't put your content out in one format only. If all of your content is presented as audio files, then over 60% of your market will not be able to effectively take in what you are saying. That's a huge number of people that won't "get it".

So look at many different means to present your content. For example, there are Spectacular Presentations, teleseminars with PDF handouts, DVD's, questionnaires, live workshops, seminars, etc… the ideas are virtually endless.

If you visit www.HubAndSpokeVideo.com, not only will you experience a great marketing message, you will discover many interesting and effective ways to present your content.

Remember, it's not what you want, it's what your market wants… and adding value for your market is what it's all about.

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Pat and Lorna's Spectacular Adventure

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:44:19 +0000

It is said that the best things happen when least expected or unplanned. Well, last week we found out how true that is.

On the Saturday night following the TSS Reunion we were graciously invited to dinner by Jeff Herring along with Maritza Parra and Mike and Susan Stewart. The dinner was superb… we had good food, good wine and fabulous company.

The next morning at breakfast they extended the invitation to join them on their trip to the Napa Valley and Indian Springs at Calistoga. We couldn't say no… it sounded like so much fun. So we rented a car and were on our way.

The next two days were packed with speed wine tasting (so many wineries, so little time), fabulous meals, a mud bath (oh so spectacular), a campfire, and most of all the absolutely fantastic friendships we formed with Jeff, Maritza, Mike and Susan.

The best wine tasting experience (I'm sure we'd all agree) was the one where we all joined in on a sing-along lead by Mike Stewart on guitar. Simple and spontaneous… and so much fun.

Our last day together was spent visiting Alex Mandossian at his home, a wonderful experience that we are so grateful for, and having our last fantastic supper together down on Fisherman's Wharf.

This whole adventure proved to us that worrying about plans or all the other obstacles we could have imagined, didn't mean a thing. Going with what felt right and "seizing the moment" turned into an adventure of a lifetime and most importantly, friendships of a lifetime.

We are going to carry this on into the rest of our lives and into our business. Go with the flow, go with what feels right… yes add plans into the mix… and create something spectacular!

In the infamous words of Mike Stewart… "This don't suck!"

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Happy Birthday Alex Mandossian

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:00:39 +0000

This presentation is for our good friend and mentor Alex Mandossian. Every year he teaches his Teleseminar Secrets course and every year he teaches us about smuggling donkey's. Well, this is our donkey story for this year, called "The Man, The Boy and The Donkey".

And a very special Thank You goes out to our good friend Tara Reed for doing the artwork (The Man, The Boy and The Donkey). You can tell she likes balloons. You can visit Tara at her site Tara Reed Designs. (Just kidding about the balloons Tara)

Enjoy this donkey story. Happy Birthday Alex.

– Pat & Lorna Shanks and Tara Reed (and the Donkey)

Please click the image below to start that presentation.
(Opens in a new window, duration: 3 min, 24 sec)

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Remember the "Know, Like and Trust" Factor!

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:00:06 +0000

When two people meet, is the first invitation, "Would you like to go for dinner?" or is it, "Will you marry me?" It's pretty obvious that it is the former.

Well, maybe it's not so obvious… when it comes to connecting with people online it seems that maybe it isn't. It appears that a lot of people don't understand that people have to get to know, like and trust you before they'll "check out" your offer, give you a testimonial, or tell other people about you.

Appreciation… one word, but so much power. Show people that you appreciate them first… for whatever it is they do. They choose to follow you or spend some time on your blog or website. It doesn't have to be a huge thing.

"Thank you for following me." Simple, but so very effective. Yes, we may have an amazing offer, or trying to grow our list, but there's time for that later. First things first… the other person.

Sometimes the shortest path to a destination is going the other way. To help ourselves, the shortest way is to help others first. Think first, what can I do for you? The other side of it… what's in it for me, will come.

Okay, so back to the "know, like and trust" factor. Offer others assistance, show interest in what they do, have some dialogue with them… and before you know it, they will know, like and trust you. Then they will be thrilled to take advantage of your amazing offer, provide a persuasive testimonial and tell everyone on their list about you and your business.

By getting people to know, like and trust you first, you and your business will flourish. Karma? Most definitely!

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Lee Ann You Are A Spectacular Person And We Are Blessed In Many Ways

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:00:21 +0000

We both have been blessed in our lives, our first was meeting 27 years ago in a parking lot at a rugby game which started it all for us.

But we have been blessed in many other ways too;

With our family (Our oldest son Brendan celebrated his 19th birthday today)
With our close friends and,
With our Internet friends that we have met through Twitter or at seminars,
With our business SpectacularPresentations.com

So when we see something that is Spectacular that touches us in one way or another we feel that we need to share it with you.

This is a video montage that was created by our friend Lee Ann Price of LeeAnnPrice.com. We met Lee Ann at Armand Morin's Big Seminar this past fall. This is Lee Ann's first video, so please tell her what you think. The Trackback to Lee Ann's blog post is here.

Please click the image below to start that presentation.
(Duration: 2 min, 44 sec)

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Meet a Spectacular Inspiration – Nick Vujicic

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:00:09 +0000

Some people see something that's Spectacular and do nothing. But when we saw this message that is both Spectacular and Inspirational (which touched both of us) we felt we must share it with the world.

We invite you to watch this video of Nick Vujicic… if this doesn't inspire you to "Get Back UP" even after a small downfall, then ask yourself… are you living?

We look forward to giving Nick a hug one day, because if you check out the video you can actually watch a man with no arms or legs hugging.

He inspired us with his message and his heart, and we want to share it with you. Enjoy and "Get Back UP"!

Please click the image below to start that presentation.
(Opens in a new window, duration: 2 min, 40 sec)

We look forward to your comment below to tell us what inspired you…

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How Social Networking Gave Us a Warm, Fuzzy Feeling

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:27:48 +0000

This is how Social Networking using Twitter gave us a warm, fuzzy feeling as well as some warm jackets…

To get the full details on how we got these wonderful Ezine Articles jackets please read this post here.

In a nutshell, we were tweeting about how Ezine Articles was going to give their authors with 5000 followers a jacket. We made a comment (tweet) about how Ezine Articles was allowing their authors to automaticlly post their approved articles to twitter.

You can check this out at Twitter.EzineArticles.com. We are in the Top 10 followers with published articles.

EzineArticles.com raised a challenge to its authors to have 5,000 followers on Twitter before the end of 2008. The reward? A very warm Ezine Articles fleece jacket!

Here we are in the front of our house with our brand new Ezine Article jackets from Chris Knight and the Ezine Article team. We are having a chinook today, it's (-0c/32f), but we are having winds of 39km/h (24m/h) and wind gusts of 50km/h (30m/h).

Those white streaks in front of us is the blizzard that was occuring at that time.

So thanks to Chris Knight, the Ezine Article team, and of course you our followers; without you this would not have been possible. But it also shows you the power of social networking. Thanks to all of you.

– Pat & Lorna

P.S. They are very, very warm!!!

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Busy? Set up Systems to Aleviate the Stress

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:56:51 +0000

In the past few days we've been extremely busy! Sometimes it's hard to believe that life can be THAT busy.

Check out this scenario… family time, important time-sensitive project, and day-to-day business activities… all at once! We don't believe we are alone in this predicament. Have you been there… or somewhere like that?

The cure for this situation? Systems!

While you are working to get your project completed, the other activities in your business start falling behind. But they don't have to. If you set up systems to handle your regular business activities they can happen almost automatically.

Write down the activities you do in one day, then do it again the next day, and the next, and so on. After a few days you should be able to discover which activities you do over and over again… on a regular basis. These are the activities that you can and should systematize.

If these activities can be completed automatically for you or if the time to do them can be cut to a fraction of the normal time, wouldn't that be beneficial? We believe it is.

Some activities that we've developed systems for:

Blog Posts – We write a few when we have time and then have them scheduled to come up in our blog on specific dates.
Spectacular Presentation Creation – We have a specific system and assigned duties when it comes to presentation creation.
Article Writing – Our system for writing articles at times also involves outsourcing, which is another way to get things done faster, better, and with the least amount of effort on your part.

These are our examples. Think about it… what can you systematize?

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Staying Warm with the Power of Social Networking

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:16:51 +0000

EzineArticles.com raised a challenge to its authors to have 5,000 followers on Twitter before the end of 2008. The reward? A very warm Ezine Articles fleece jacket!

With only about two weeks left in the year, we were about 590 followers short of that target. And… with the temperatures hanging around the -25 degree Celsius (-10 degree Farenheit) mark, those fleece jackets were looking very inviting!

So, feeling motivated (and cold), we sent out a few messages on Twitter asking others to help us reach the 5,000 follower mark.

Wow! We were blown away with the results! In a few short days we reached our goal. And now, with two days left in the year, we have a grand total of 5,584 followers.

Previous to sending those messages our followers list did not grow anywhere near that quickly. It was, in our opinion, a miracle… or at the very least, a huge learning.

It was solid proof to us that there is power in social networking. Think about it, if it worked this well to increase follower numbers, what else could be accomplished? Anything! There is power in numbers and in people working towards a common goal. All it takes is someone to ask for help or raise a challenge that others believe in.

To answer a much-asked question… can social networking help your business? We believe it can. There is a lot of help and support available through the social networking channels.

But one last word… karma. You can only get out of something what you put in. By being involved in social networking and by offering your help and support, you may be pleasantly surprised what will be available for you when you ask.

To follow Pat and Lorna on Twitter, go to PatAndLornaOnTwitter.com.
To follow Pat and Lorna on Facebook, go to PatAndLornaOnFacebook.com.

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What Do You Choose Today? We Choose LOVE…

Pat & Lorna Shanks — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:23:00 +0000

What do you choose to do when something touches you.

Well we choose to share it with you.

Please click the image below to start that presentation.
(Duration: 6 min, 30 sec)

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

– Pat & Lorna

P.S. Lorna I Choose You Always (– PAT )

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