What this quote means in business:
Michelle Patterson, the woman currently behind the California Women’s Conference, was one of the guest speakers at Craig Duswalt’s Rockstar Entrepreneur Conference this month and spoke about the importance not only of having goals, but writing them down.

Creative entrepreneurs often live in their creativity and don’t cultivate the left brain practice of writing goals down. However, those that do often are much more successful in their endeavors. Here are some of the insights I’ve had about goal setting (and achieving) that were only further strengthened by Michelle’s presentation.

1. Be clear about your goals. If you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there? Michelle emphasized this point when she said, “Be crystal clear of where you are going.” She wrote down her goals and carried them around with her. That way, when opportunity knocked, she was ready and reminded of what she needed to get out of that scenario.
2. Write your goals down and refer to them regularly. When you write your goals down, you remember them. But something else happens, as well. The universe (or God, if you prefer) remembers them, as well. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard stories — or even experienced it myself — when a goal has been written down, filed away and forgotten, only to be found later to have come true. In fact, I looked at goals I wrote down only a few months ago and forgotten about that are coming true as I write this! Can you imagine how much more powerful those goals would have been if I had been more focused on achieving them?
3. Surround yourself with people who support your dreams. I’m not talking about “yes” people. I’m talking about people who love you and believe in you. People who will encourage you and support you. People who will only say things to the contrary in loving terms, and only to point you toward a better way than you are currently trying. The last thing a creative entrepreneur needs is a dream killer!

Michelle mentioned one other tip that I thought I’d share. Write down your goals clearly, cleanly and nicely on a sheet of paper. Have that paper laminated and hang it in your shower!