Red_notebook “If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend 6 of those hours sharpening my axe”
~ Abraham Lincoln (via Krista Green)

Last month I spent an entire week on what, on the surface, looks like it didn’t produce any actual income for me. I flew back east. The entire trip cost me almost $1000.00 and I didn’t sell a single product. I wasn’t hired to speak at a single event. The sole purpose of the trip was to create an annual plan for 2010 with my staff first and then with my business mastermind group.
 
What has come out of that week has covered the cost of it at least 10 times over just in the past three weeks. What’s coming for me in 2010 will pay for it more times than I can even imagine (although I’m imagining a lot, I’ll tell you that!). The one business venture that came out of my master mind planning will, I’m certain, change not only my life, but advance my passion and purpose in the world, which is to revolutionize the direct sales industry. I can’t wait to share it all with you as it unfolds over the next few months (I’ll share one of the projects with you at the end of this blog post).
 
I’ve done an annual planning retreat similar to this for the past two years. If you’ve been following me for over a year, you’ve probably noticed how much we’ve changed and grown in 2009. I attribute that directly to my annual (and then quarterly) planning.
 
So, I want to encourage you to consider setting aside just one day to create an annual plan for yourself. If you don’t know where to begin, just start by reviewing what you loved and hated about 2009 and then ask yourself what you want for 2010, for your life and business. Come up with at least 5 new projects/focus areas that you can get really passionate about in 2010. Then start working on a plan to make them a reality for you.
 
So, here’s the first of my many exciting new projects: Organizing rock star Krista Green and I are putting together a short, sweet organizing course which we’ll be offering twice (once in December and once in January). We’re kicking it all off with a free call called “Planning 101” which we’ll do on Thursday, Nov. 12th at 9:00 am PT/12:00 noon ET. You can sign up for that call here (and like we always do, we’ll make the replay available in case you can’t make it to the live call at that time).
 
Trust me, you don’t want to miss this call. It could be the beginning of the year (and life) of your dreams. Really!
 
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Julie Anne Jones is a success language consultant, a direct sales coach and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, visit her at www.julieannejones.com or check out her blog at http://julieannejones.com.