I spent several days last week with my mastermind group, part of the Smart Women’s Institute of Entrepreneurial Learning. This was a decision on my part to play bigger in 2010. I decided if I wanted to grow my business to the next level, I would have to take a big step and play with bigger people. And the people in my group are big players. That’s part of why a mastermind is, as Martha says, a good thing. People who want to play big often have bigger ideas. I came away from this group with one big idea that I never considered – and it was right in front of me the whole time. If you think about it in sports terms, if you are a tennis player, you want to play with someone who is better than you are, so that you improve your game. It does take courage to take that leap. If you remember, one of my words for the year is challenge, and this will do just that for me. And, my group reminded me not to get so wrapped up in my challenges that I forget the joy (my other word for 2010) as I move forward.

Here are some tips to help you take the leap and think bigger this year.

1. Take action. Is there something big you want to do but haven’t taken the plunge? What are the big things on your goals list? This could be entering your quilt in a big quilt show, sending your patterns to a large distributor, contacting the local gallery about a show or getting your teaching proposals to a major show promoter. You won’t be able to get bigger if you don’t take action. So, put aside the “what ifs” and go for it. You can’t win if you don’t play.

2. And, speaking of action, be bold and daring. Remember our goal is to think bigger. Don’t take safe action, take action that scares you a bit. I have the following quote from Eleanor Roosevelt on a magnet on my refrigerator where I can see it every morning: Do one thing every day that scares you.

3.  Act as if. I learned this many years ago. Act as if the situation is as you want it. Exude confidence and success. You’ll be surprised at how often when you “act as if,” you get “as if.”

4. Toot your own horn. Many times women are reluctant to share their successes. I know, many of us were raised that way. It’s time to put aside that attitude and pick up that horn. If you don’t blow your own horn, who will?

5. Schedule time to grow. This can be with a mastermind, such as mine, or networking with a small group of like-minded quilt, art or business professionals. It can also be setting aside time to read, learn new things to either build your business skills or work on your mindset. Here’s a book I like that will help you utilize the power of thinking big: The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.

Good luck with your big, bold action as you move forward. Personal and professional growth happen when we are willing to take that leap and think big.

The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here.

Tags: Business planning, goals

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 10:29 am and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.