The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. We had a wonderful time seeing family and friends - many of whom we don't see enough of throughout the year. Unfortunately a change in weather caused us to miss out on three gatherings on the 28th so we'll just have to make up for it in the new year.

Now as the current year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection on what we did or did not accomplish throughout the year. It's also a good time to make sure you have set your goals for the new year. Goals are so important because they provide the benchmark for your success. It's much easier to get from point 'a' to point 'b' when you have clearly stated (and written down) what you want to accomplish. It's just like following a road map. If you've never physically written down your goals, together with a time line for when you want to accomplish them, then start today.

As you write these goals down, they become a part of you. Setting a deadline for when you want to complete them is equally as important as the goal itself. When you set that deadline, be sure to challenge yourself -- step out of the 'box'. As you follow your 'goal road map', you will clearly see whether you are on track. Review them regularly.

The key for setting clear, effective goals is understanding what you want and when you want it. For example, saying you want your dream house will get you nowhere. Five years from now, you will still be saying 'I want my dream house'.

What you need to do is visualize that house. How big is it? What kind of rooms? What style? Picture all the goodies, the furniture, the design - now set a deadline for when you want to have that dream house of yours. Of course, this kind of goal would be one of your long-term goals. Break down your goals into 'doable' tasks - immediate goals, medium-term and long-term goals. To be more specific, short-term goals are achievable within six months. Medium goals are between six months and a year. Your long terms goals should have a date to accomplish them within a five year period. As you accomplish a goal, always be thinking of new challenges for yourself.

Rather than the usual Feature Article, I'm going to share some of the tools and resources that I use pretty much every day as well as the links where they can be found. Keeping a good arsenal of reliable tools will increase your productivity several times over.

As you keep adding new goals, you will build a momentum that will make you unstoppable. Let's work together to make 2004 the biggest and the best year ever in our internet businesses. And feel free to share your goals or plans for your business in the Comments section directly following today's issue. Happy New Year to all.

Have a great day and keep on smiling.

Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT
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Today's Feature
by Lois M. Jeary, Your Publisher

Today I'll share many of the tools that I use in my business on a daily or regular basis. I sincerely hope that you will find them as useful as I have. One of the most common mistakes I come across are people who want to have a home-based business, however, they still seem to be stuck in the 'everything should be free' mentality simply because it's an internet business. The internet is not all free and it was never intended to be that way.

There are lots of useful resources that won't cost you anything such as open-source products that are free for the taking. If you do find a useful product and it doesn't cost you anything, check and see whether the site includes a 'donation link'. Send them something to show you appreciate the work they have put into creating it. You'd pay hundreds of dollars for some of these programs if you purchased them through a retail outlet.

Mozilla Firebird is an excellent browser with tons of options. Another good open-source product is Open Office. I have been able to virtually eliminate costly Microsoft products that require constant updates and security fixes because the software was released before it should have been.

You'll find a number of excellent HTML editors, text editors, anti-virus software, firewall protection -- most are free or offer reasonable upgrade prices. Take advantage of these products. But you have to be prepared to invest in yourself and in your education. Purchase products or services that will give you the most productivity for your time.

One product I would be lost without in today's email quagmire is MailWasher® Pro. Last week I received over 4,000 messages in my Inbox. Actually, most of them didn't make it to my Inbox because MailWasher® Pro has been set up with filters to weed out the garbage. The report for the current week showed that I received 6,505 messages and again, most of them didn't make it to my Inbox. I would be lost without MailWasher® Pro.

Autoresponders are another great time saver. I use AutoResponse Plus simply because it's a one-time purchase and I don't have to pay monthly fees.

Quikonnex has been a real blessing in disguise for me this year. The laws and regulations concerning spam - unsolicited commercial email - have had a lot of publishers wondering if their businesses would survive. While I took a step back and did some re-thinking for the re-writing of the home4success website, Quikonnex gave me the opportunity to stay connected with my readers while gaining more exposure each day. I'm looking forward to having the website finished - well, it's never actually finished - but being able to tie it in with my Home4Success Channel. Plus it's been a big boost for my business. If you need to stay in touch with a group of people, then Quikonnex is for you.

What I'm trying to say here is you are making a statement about who you are with your website, your ezine, in your tutorials, etc. The old saying goes 'you get what you pay for' - keep that in mind when determining whether to use a free script or pay for one, for instance. This will have an impact on your business. Does a free program run a bunch of annoying ads?

Be very picky about the 'free' resources you use. By the same token, be just as discerning about the products you offer. Make sure you know what they will do for your target audience.

One of the most basic things you should include on your website is your Privacy Policy. As the internet has evolved, it is important to include Terms of Use as well as a Disclaimer for your ezine. Not all of us are lawyers but you should be looking at including this information on your website. I use AutoWebLaw. It includes all the relevant 'legal' documents which have been prepared by Bruce Safran who is a lawyer with thirty years experience. You'll always have the documents you need at your fingertips.

Take the time to build a library of resources, ebooks and tools that you can share with others. The 12 Days of Christmas offered several excellent ebooks - some with resell rights. Because of the popularity, the publishers who contributed have agreed to keep the links up for a couple more days. This is a great opportunity to add to your library for 'give away' bonuses or even for resale purposes. These links share thousands of dollars worth of products - a great way to start off your business. The links will be up for a couple more days - after that they are gone.

I highly recommend Corey Rudl's Insider Secrets 2004. In my opinion, the biggest bonus is that the course provides the information you need - it's over 1,000 pages - and uses a Quick Start Guide that takes you to the information you are looking for without having the read the whole thing first.

How many times have you downloaded an ebook or program and then forgot about it? Insider Secrets 2004 puts an amazing amount of information at your fingertips. The step-by-step approach makes it perfect for the newbie netrepreneur who is new to internet marketing as well as the seasoned pro who is always on the lookout for money saving and time saving information. You will gain a much better understanding of automation techniques, payment processors, how to grab the bigger market share, ways to reduce your costs, troubleshooting your website and sales copy -- the bottom line -- how to operate a successful internet business. Stop wasting time trying to make the pieces of the puzzle fit together. You'll be using this handy reference over and over again.

You should also have a good understanding of website optimization. You'll find a simple, straight-forward report in Hitting The Search Engines. Here's another opportunity for a good product with resell rights.

The advantage of having resell rights for a product or products is that the money will come directly into your pocket. It's a simple way to start your business. Another addition to your income source is choosing affiliate programs that offer good products. Always keep in mind your target audience.

Start writing good, quality, content-rich articles and get your name out there. Create your own ebook. If you took advantage of the 12 Days of Christmas package, you even have your own ebook compiler. Produce some of your own 'how-to' tutorials about a product or service you offer.

Web Design Mastery is another excellent reference for detailed information about creating and designing your website. There are loads of copy and paste code to make your life easier. Shelley Lowery walks you through, step by by, to create a workable template with good navigation for your website. This trio of ebooks is another resource you will refer back to over and over again.

For computer security, everyone should have Steve Gibson's site bookmarked. Gibson's Research Corporation. You'll find many useful tests to check your computer's liability when it comes to matters of security. This is another site I highly recommend.

The bottom line is find the products and services that will increase your productivity and don't be afraid to invest in them. These will save you hours of valuable time. You are running a business so you can write off these off as valid business expenses at tax time.

Do regular backups of your data files and save yourself a load of grief. Here's Handy Backup which is what I have been using. I stopped using the Windows back up process a few years ago. It's been my experience that something, somewhere seems to change in the process when Windows changes their operating system. I've lost too many backups because of this quirk.

One more suggestion: Start placing a value on your time while you are working. For example, if your hourly rate is $50.00 per hour and you sqaunder two hours -- you just cost yourself $100.00. This will help you stay more focused and be more productive with your time.

The special holiday promotion from the creators of Site Build It has being going strong. So strong in fact, they have agreed to extend their Two For The Price of One offer to January 5th, 2004.

Site Build It is the winning 'no technology required' package that doesn't just help you build a website, but provides all the tools you'll need to run a successful business when you are done.

This is a terrific deal - especially for those of you who have been putting off getting your website up and running due to the extensive learning curve for HTML, CSS, search engine optimization, etc. SBI takes care of all that for you.

With the holiday special, you'll have two years for the price of one and Ken Evoy says they won't offer this kind of deal again. Don't put it off - Buy One - Get One Free today.

It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not.
- James Gordon, M.D.

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music -- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
- Henry Miller

It is possible to fail in many ways ... while to succeed is possible only in one way.
- Aristotle

Always Create Your Own Dreams and Live Your Life to the Fullest

- Susan Polis Schutz

Do you save every file you create into your My Documents folder? Try setting up sub-folders inside the My Documents folder. Why not make one for each "category" of document that you have.

For example, you could have a folder for letters, one for invoices, another for sales letters, and so on. It makes keeping track of stuff much easier. Here's how to set it up:

1. Click the Start button, Documents, My Documents (XP users: hit the Start button, My Documents). This should open your "My Documents" folder.

2. Create a new folder with an appropriate name (Right-click any blank area and select New/ Folder from the resulting menu.)

3. Finally, drag any documents that belong in that folder to it. That's it. You can create as many of these little sub-folders under the "My Documents" folder as you need.

With the end of the year coming, you may want to make yearly folders, too. For example, at the end of this year, make a folder called "2003Docs." Then move everything you've made (folders and all) into that folder. This gives you a fresh start for the New Year.

With thanks to Bob Osgoodby of Tip of the Day.
http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm

P.S. I already do this but I never thought about creating a yearly folder and putting everything from the current year into it. Now that's a great idea.

Be Amazed

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