​As we move from one financial  year to the next it brings to life an opportunity to set our business and ourselves up for success.  Failing to plan is planning to fail.  There are some great workshops and courses available (check the Connect Her Collective FB page for events) which can assist you on the right path. If you prefer to work on your own goals and not with a coach or workshop it is great to have some steps outlined.
Using these 5 key steps is a great start to setting you and your business on the path to success for the new year.  If you are attending a goal setting workshop or have a business coach these steps will also assist you with the pre-work.
Firstly, find an area with minimal distractions, turn off notifications and your phone to silent.  Grab yourself a nice coffee, tea or juice and go to the loo before you start. Nothing like setting the scene for success and being prepared. Aaaah… doesn’t that feel better?
Step One:  ASSESS: Assess what worked well over the last 12 months, what could have worked better and what no longer serves it’s purpose for you or your business.  Write them down in 3 columns. (it makes it easier during planning)
Step Two: RESET: Now is the time to draw a line in the sand and reset your intention and attention for the coming year. Ok, so somethings didn’t go how you thought they would, that’s ok.  Some things went better than you thought, well done, pat yourself on the back, do a happy dance, you are awesome. Now it is time to wash, rinse, repeat on what went well or better than expected. ………And the clock starts NOW! Yes, it’s time to reset.
Step Three: PLAN:  Take a big piece of paper (butchers paper works well for this) and plan what you want to achieve in your life, business, personal, spiritual, financial the areas you want to achieve changes or progress.  Be bold, be audacious, be strong, be wise and be cheeky.
Step Four: ACTION: Now you have a plan of what you would like to achieve, it is the time to set down some actions to make sure your plan moves from a planning paper to action delivery.  When planning your actions remember the S.M.A.R.T goals       Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely
Be sure to write all of these down on paper (brain to hand to eye to subconscious)
Step Five: Focus: Once you have your plan, goals and actions in place break them down into weekly, monthly, quarterly goals or the bite size pieces that will suit you and your business the best and then focus on a few tasks, actions or plans a week.  Keep it simple and reasonable so it avoids overwhelm. Be sure to track your achievements and celebrate your wins.
Taking some time to set up A.R.P.A.F at the end of the year or beginning of a new year is 5 simple steps to set you up for success.
What do you do to set you and your business up for success?

We have all been in the situation somewhere, sometime, somehow stuck with someone that isn’t a talker or gives yes or no answers even to open ended questions, the conversation stalls and so does your brain so you ended up talking incessantly. Maybe you have a Connect Her Connection meeting or Coffee catch up and you think, oh no, I have met this person before and I know everything about them. 
Guess what?  We don’t know everything about everyone.  Sometimes just using a weird, strange or unusual question into the mix can open up the flood gates.  It is interesting, when we use a question which isn’t quite in context of our usual ‘networking’ questions you can see the mood shift.  You can almost see the shoulders relax, the face relax and a giggle or laugh emerge bringing spontaneity into the conversation.
Here are some conversation starters to get you started.
 
Conversation Starters……………………..
 
What would you like to get better at?
What made your brain grow today?
What problems or challenges did you work on this month?
What is your favourite way to feel calm?
What is one quality you look for in a friend?
What is your best client?
What is your favourite day of the week?
When do you feel you are more productive in the morning or the afternoon?
How can someone become famous?
Android or Apple?
Tell me about something you do every day?
How often do you check your emails?
What do you do to relax after a business day?
Describe your perfect day?
What do you like the most about the person sitting next to you (on the left) (on the right)?
What do you do to have fun?
If you could invite two other people to join us, who would they be?
What is the one thing that is your absolute must have for a business meeting?