laneimageconsulting
My belief about goals is that if you set them, you’ve got something to aim for. If you don’t fix any goals, you’ll find yourself aimless and distracted by anything that comes up on your social feeds.
Before we go any further, you might want to print off my download on the Magic Ladder of Success so you can make notes. You can get a copy here: https://pages.laneimageconsult…
On the handout, you’ll see a diagram of the Magic Ladder, which is based on the 1921 book, ‘The Magic Ladder Of Success’, by Napoleon Hill. (It’s the perfect addition for your vision board for 2023) Napolean spent his life studying why some people are successful and reach their goals and others don’t. He came up with 16 things, the 16 rungs of his ladder, that you need to keep in mind when going for your goals.
Let’s take a look at each of the 16 steps:
1) Have a definite aim
Work out what you want to achieve, then plan how to get there. Very few stylists I talk to set financial goals, but it’s essential. If you don’t set a goal and make a plan, you’ll never achieve it.
You might currently be earning a couple of hundred a month in your business. That’s not unusual for stylists. Your first aim might, therefore, be to make 3,000 a month, or if you’ve been around longer and already operating at that level, you might want to go after consistent 10K months, for instance.
Whatever your financial goal, how are you going to achieve it?
How many clients do you need each month?
What services will they buy?
How many hours will it take to deliver these services? Is it possible?
Or do you need to create a high-ticket program that you charge more for but which needs less of your time to deliver?
How are you going to get these clients through the door?
2) You need self-confidence
Work out what you want to achieve, then plan how to get there. Very few stylists I talk to set financial goals, but it’s essential. If you don’t set a goal and make a plan, you’ll never achieve it.
You might currently be earning a couple of hundred a month in your business. That’s not unusual for stylists. Your first aim might, therefore, be to make 3,000 a month, or if you’ve been around longer and already operating at that level, you might want to go after consistent 10K months, for instance.
Whatever your financial goal, how are you going to achieve it?
How many clients do you need each month?
What services will they buy?
How many hours will it take to deliver these services? Is it possible?
Or do you need to create a high-ticket program that you charge more for but which needs less of your time to deliver?
How are you going to get these clients through the door?
3) Take the initiative
Initiative is taking action, taking that first step towards achieving your goals. If your goal is to make six figures, how can you take that first step? You might want to reach out to a coach who can help you or find role models who’ve reached that goal that you can follow for motivation or who you could work with and learn from.
What can you do today? It might be something small like finding images to support your goals and adding them to your vision board. You’ll then need to follow it up with more action like getting up earlier in the mornings, perhaps, to ensure that you’re getting things done. I’m talking about concrete actions like posting on social media or writing an email to your list. It’s also a good idea also write your goals out everyday so they’re at the front and centre of your mind.
4) Use your imagination
You need imagination to overcome all the problems you’ll face as you go after your goals. You’ll encounter barriers and obstacles all the time, whatever stage of business you’re at, so you’ll need to get creative to figure out how to overcome them, whether it’s how to get in front of more people, to get more clients, or charge more for your services.
5) Take consistent action
It’s not enough to just get started. As Tony Robbins says, “The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”. Goals will not manifest by themselves. You need to continuously do the things that will get you closer to your goals.
You’ll hear other references to taking action elsewhere in these 16 points because it’s SO important. If you want big earning months, it’s not enough to just think about it or stick some pictures on your vision board. That’s not how manifestation works.
Instead, you must be clear on your goals, set your intentions, start taking action and keep going. That way you’ll find that the universe turns up things that will support you in achieving your dreams.
6) You need enthusiasm
I often see people turn up on social media, and they’re really flat and monotone. They’re not enthusiastic, excited or passionate about the services they provide. You must show enthusiasm for the work you do.
Are you excited about it?
Can you tell everyone about it?
Can you ask people for what you need to get to your goal?
Your goals should make you all giddy and excited because if they don’t, your chances of reaching them are low.
7) Exercise self-control
This is another way of saying that you need to master your emotions. When you’re running a business and using social media you will be triggered. Sometimes people will leave snidey comments on your posts or create their own content that criticises or contradicts you.
You need to exercise self-control. Allow people to have their opinion but do not let it be a personal attack on you. You’ll have a lot of frustrating days in business so it’s vital that you master self-control and don’t get into online arguments or rants that will inevitably show you in a bad light, turn people off from working with you, and move you AWAY from your goals.
8) Over deliver on value
Always give people more than they expect, and they will keep coming back to you and recommend you to all their friends.
A classic example is a lady who comes to my house to do my nails. She’s a perfectionist and makes sure she gets it right every time. She shows me new colours and makes recommendations based on what I like. She gives me a lovely experience every time and is head and shoulders above anyone else who’s ever done my nails before. I tip her handsomely, get her back every couple of weeks, and tell all my friends about her. I would never go anywhere else now.
How can you over deliver in your business and give something that people aren’t expecting?
9) Show off your attractive personality
People want to hang out with others who are kind, enthusiastic and interesting to be around. If you’re promoting your business online, you must be the kind of person people want to hang out with. You have to make an effort.
Now, I don’t mean you have to be beautiful or overtly extroverted. It’s about presenting the best version of yourself and being all the things that you love in your friends and others you enjoy spending time with.
It’s definitely not about commenting negatively on other peoples’ posts, putting people down, being awkward or stingy, or anything else like that. In his book, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, Dale Carnegie suggests that when you allow yourself to be NATURAL, that’s when your attractive personality shines through.
10) Check for accurate thoughts
There’s so much information available online, and we see over and over again, that many people believe everything they read when much of it is incorrect.
You should, therefore, look closely at the information you consume, especially if it relates to growing your business. Find proof that whatever they’re telling you to implement works and you’re not wasting your time.
Of course, there’s always trial and error in running a business, but don’t take everything you see online as gospel. Do your research and check out testimonials and other feedback about the person giving the info before you run with it.
11) Concentrate
I know this is harder for some personality types, and I understand that it’s easy for any of us to get distracted by shiny objects or the things we like doing, so we fail to concentrate on the actions needed to get to our goals. My advice is, therefore, to block out time in your diary every day to do the things you need to move you closer.
I get up at 5 am, before the kids are out of bed, to take my essential goal-focused actions. Where could you block out some time?
12) Be persistent
Persistence pays off. If something doesn’t work out, persist. If something takes a bit longer than you expected, persist. If people say no, persist. Persistence is a completely underrated characteristic if you ask me.
In the words of one of my favorite quotes of all time ” We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle.
13) Accept that failure is inevitable
Failures are inevitable in life and in business. You will have failed launches, and clients will ask you for refunds. Don’t despair. There is always a golden nugget of learning in any failure that will advance your growth in the longer term.
When the sting of failure is no longer so raw, you’ll look back and see that it happened for a reason and know what you need to do to improve things.
The biggest mistake to make after a failure is to stop. You must carry on. Look for that learning and do better next time.
14) Show tolerance and sympathy
When working towards our goals, we’re not in it on our own. There are usually other people involved; your partner, family or friends, and sometimes they’re not fully on board with where you’re going. 🙄🙄🙄
My husband wasn’t really interested in my business until it started making money. He wanted me to devote my time to running around after him and the kids. So, I had to work with him to get him on board with my goals and compromise, but also push him to help me achieve my goals and see the importance of them.
Often, we don’t have the support of other business people in our personal lives, so that’s why I love the online communities you get in masterminds. When your partner or family aren’t supporting you, the communities support you, encourage you. They give you the strength to carry on.
15) Do the work
This is so important it’s been mentioned three times on the ladder!
Point 3 was to take the initiative.
Point 5 was to take action.
And point 15: work, work, work.
You will not achieve your goals unless you put in the work and do everything to make them happen.
16) The golden rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I love this one SO much, and as a Christian, it’s one I’ve heard many times over the years. The road to business success is a long one. It can take years, but living by this golden rule will lead you to success as it feeds into everything else I’ve talked about today.
So those are the 16 rungs of the Magic Ladder of Success. Which is the most tricky for you to get a handle on?