It’s Friday, and many people take Friday and relax at work, or think about the weekend, or try to get out of doing a lot of work.

My tendency, since I don’t usually tutor on Fridays, is to do the same. I do think it is important to have a time in your week for reflection and refocusing of priorities, and not to JUST do things to make yourself feel busy. I seem to have an ebb and flow in my week since I have my own business, and I like it that way. I try to stay balanced and spend time both working and projecting what I want my upcoming month to look like.

Now having your own business is like baking a cake – what ingredients do you want in it?
But as important as gathering the ingredients is – what you want your life to look like – it will never pay off unless you find a way to monetize those activities. I have learned this over years of forming my own path to success. Organization is very important, especially for someone like me that has a lot of things going on, but when you are organized, then you must move to action. You must focus your energy what is called “IPA”s – Income Producing Activities. Busywork will never pay the bills. Action is like the baking of the cake – you can put all the ingredients in there, but you must – at some point – bake that cake to see any result.

I have read a couple of Andy Andrews’ books and I really enjoy his way of looking at life, through him as well as his characters. Here is a video I got from Heather O (in my Inside 919 circle of friends – thanks Heather!) that show why “taking action” is so important to your life and your decisions really do have consequences. You will never be fully prepared, and you will never know the outcome until you do ONE thing – TAKE ACTION.

What ACTION are you going to take today that will bring a “Charge!” into your life? You can radically change your life and your outlook on your future through deciding TODAY that you will DO something – tell me what that is below – I really want to know!

So…another year is just about over and you are thinking to yourself…What have I accomplished this year?

I know – I am in the same boat, and I feel like growth IS a process. You don’t change your rudder 90 degrees all at once, you change it slowly, incrementally…especially if you are hoping to reach your destination and not take lots of side trips or go in circles.

An entrepreneur is an interesting creature – “creativity” over “herd mentality” (as my friend Christine Alexander would say ) is paramount to success in the life of a true entrepreneur. If you are doing what everyone else is doing – you are part of the “herd”. But with focus and time away from distractions/naysayers/worry about paying the bills – that’s the best way an entrepreneur can find that spark of creativity.

Do you want to be “different”? Accomplish something in life that is meaningful? That is my driving force and I believe many of you out there have that dream as well. But dreams are only as good as the feet they stand on. So give yourself time to dream, to envision a better world for you and for others, then point your focus in that direction. YOUR direction. Give yourself “permission” to do things that others might not understand (“what? you don’t work 9-5? how do you make money?”). Think about your future and what you want it to be like. If you WANT to be your own boss, find a way to do that – either by creating your own income through talents you possess (I started a tutoring company this year and I am finally finding some stability in ongoing client relationships – www.carytutor.com). Or you can decide to look into one of the many direct sales/network marketing companies out there, which have minimal startup costs but require you to really find out what you are “made” of – how can you translate your love of the product or service to others in a unique and different way?? By being YOU – there is only ONE you!

I am passionate about green products, so over the years I have joined a few different companies. Now I am with Arbonne International, and I LOVE the women (and men) that work with this wonderful company. I am so excited to be able to share quality, life-changing products with women (and men) that work, and the opportunity to make a great living is here too!

Can you see yourself doing this? Not 9-5, but on YOUR schedule. Around the kid’s soccer practice, or husband’s work hours, or getting together with girlfriends to have a fun spa party. I don’t know about you, but I work harder when I am working for myself

So find a way that you can promote YOU to the community. Be the leader, not the follower. Find something you are passionate about and find a way to make money doing it! That way you will have an AMAZING 2011 and you will feel like your life is heading in the right direction – maybe not all easy waters, but certainly worth the ride!