A couple of weeks ago in December, I offered five Creative Planning Tips for a Joyfully Successful 2010. In case you missed them, here they are again in one place. If you like these tips, check out the sale on the Joyful Business Guide at the bottom.

Tip #1: Schedule a creative planning day on your calendar
This time is important. It isn't an urgent fire you have to put out, but it will be some of the most important time you will spend on your business. This time will shape the success of your business, your focus, and the outcome for your entire year! It can be a half day, whole day or a weekend. It will be worth it to focus on what's possible.

Make sure you spend the time planning. Don't use it as a clearing house for all those daily to-do's. Use it to actually plan 2010.

Tip #2: Get out of your home office
I find that creativity, sparks, ideas, and inspiration don't usually come when I'm sitting at my desk. Going to a new environment like a café, a friend's retreat house, the lobby of a beautiful hotel, or even renting a lovely space for the day will shift my energy. What does shifting energy mean? Instead of having a "head down - what needs to be done next" focus, I'm able to have a "heads up and looking at the horizon" type of perspective.

By shifting your location, you are able to shift your perspective, and then you shift what's possible. New ideas come to you. Just the act of planning to go on a creative retreat outside of your office will subconsciously start pulling new ideas and thoughts toward you. Suddenly you will find that you are making notes of ideas to explore when you have your retreat time. Your commitment will cause your creative momentum to start moving in that direction.

Tip #3: Bring creative supplies
You don't want to develop your marketing strategies, creative ideas, and inspiration with a boring yellow legal pad. Pack your favorite markers, pens, or pencils, add some colorful, fun sticky notes to capture spontaneous free flowing ideas, bring paper or a tablet for making mind maps of ideas (a great way to access your right-brain creative thinking before your left-brain logic kicks in).

Do you have stickers or a favorite pen that you love writing with? Do you have cool big planning calendars or pads that you can't wait to dive into?

I find that the more I can support my creativity around planning for making more money, rolling out big marketing campaigns, or committing to a big project or that new platinum program - then the more tapped in I am to my creative flow, ideas, inspiration… And it's so much easier this way!

So - whatever makes you giggle with delight - bring with you on your creative planning day.

Tip #4: Set the stage for inspiration
I find that inspirational ideas don't always just happen when I say it's time. It's better to prime the pump. When I go on creative retreat time, I bring an inspirational book. Something by Wayne Dyer or Marianne Williamson works well when I want to be called into my purpose and passion; SARK books work well when I really want freedom to express my joy.

Bring along your favorite magazines like O, Ode (an entrepreneur type magazine which will help you get you sparked), Inc Magazine (with stories of other entrepreneurs and small business owners). Read a few pages to get the creative juices flowing and ideas moving.

I also find that connecting with my mastermind group or a coach will open up my inspiration in all new, big ways that I would have never thought of on my own!

Tip #5: Bring your Joyful Business Guide™ system
The Joyful Business Guide system provides the smart business tools you'll need - for getting clear about your ideal client, marketing system, team planning, and vision story, along with the attraction tools for setting your intentions and focusing on your projects.

I hear stories all the time from entrepreneurs all around the world using their Joyful Business Guides in cafes, libraries, cabins in the mountains, and at oceanside retreats and having a surprisingly wonderful time planning for their business. (It's like they are breaking all the rules! Planning and joy working together!)

And to help you more joyfully plan your successful 2010, I'm offering $50 off the Joyful Business Guide system.

The Joyful Business Guide usually sells for $249. Through Friday, January 8, you can get it for only $199. Use coupon code JOYFULLYCREATE to save $50 off the Joyful Business Guide. Click here to learn more and get your Joyful Business Guide.

Do you have the tools you need to plan an amazing 2010?

En-joy

Laura
 
P.S. This isn't just a product I sell.... The Joyful Business Guide is a system of tools for right-brain creatives, and I use it myself - everyday. It's helped me grow my business and double my income in 2009. What can it do for you and your business?