What are your goals for 2015?

Business doesn't have to be hard. It doesn't have to break your finances, your life balance or your spirit. It can be enormously joyful, profitable and help thousands of people. It can be a living embodiment of spirit.

You CAN have time off.
You CAN make glorious amounts of abundance.
You CAN live with purpose.

What do you need to do to make it happen? You need to dedicate yourself to taking the time to answer some questions that can put you on the path to success. To dreaming your biggest dream. To aligning your actions with your intentions. To setting your goals, and coming back to these goals to review them. (Handy hint: the more you review, the quicker they'll come true!)

Here's the place where we muck it up

We set our NEW resolutions, our NEW goals, our NEW dreams...without ever taking stock of where we are NOW in our businesses and lives. I'm always surprised at how little clarity business owners have of where their businesses are right now — their finances, customer base, achievements and challenges. It's almost like they feel afraid to look. And yet when we peer into the dark, we can shine a light on exactly where we are right now, and where we need to head.

It's incredibly useful + powerful. And I promise you, it doesn't have to be scary! In fact, it can be FUN!

Be gentle with you. Trust the process. These questions will bring you a huge surge of clarity that can be incredibly powerful.

Last year happened to you the way it did for a reason. Sometimes there are reasons you cannot possibly begin to know right now. At other times the reason plus the blessing is easy to see. Even when it's hard, it doesn't mean it wasn't meant to happen. It's all taking you to where you need to go. You are getting braver, deeper, wiser and stronger by the moment, by the day, by the year.

Let's celebrate and release 2014 and clear the pathway for the miracles to come.

Celebrating and releasing 2014

Take time to think and write down your answers to the questions below.

- What are your business accomplishments over the past year?
- What business lessons did you learn during 2014?
- What business dreams came true during 2014?
- What were your business weak points and what do you know needs to improve?
- What lessons and challenges did you have?
- What were the areas that felt out of whack, hard to follow or crazy-making in your business this year? What could be done to change them?
- What was your gross profit for 2014?
- What were your total expenses for 2014?
- What was your net profit for 2014?
- What were your five biggest selling products or services this year?
- How big is your mailing list? How much did it increase in 2014?
- How many Twitter followers or Facebook Likes do you have (or pick the social media network of your choice)?
- How much did those numbers increase in 2014?
- What marketing worked for you this year?
- What was the worst thing about your business in 2014?
- What was the best thing about your business in 2014?

Let's grow, dream and plan your business for 2015. It's time to create an incredible year for yourself, and your business. First are the thoughts, then the words and finally the action. That's how change happens.

Bring on 2015

- What does my 2015 business look like?
- This year, I give permission in my business to......
- My business' mission is to ....
- What are your income goals for 2015?
- How will you achieve this?
- What do you need to do to create and support a business that earns your income goal?
- How much will you extend the reach of your business this year with your mailing list? How many Facebook likes will you have by the end of the year?
- Twitter followers? Other social media?
- What will you create this year (blog posts, ezines/newsletters, etc.)?
- What do I need to learn about this year to propel me and my business forward?
- Who can I mastermind with and get business support from?
- How can you improve your working relationship with your employees, contractors and suppliers this coming year? Or working with co-workers, managers or supervisors?
- How could you improve your customer support this year?

If you simply sit down and answer these questions, you will put yourself on the path to achieve them in 2015. Make sure each month you review your goals to make sure you are accomplishing what you need to do to have that incredible year.

Cheryl O'Neill Gowen is president and CEO of Alternative Funding Options. She works with business owners seeking cash flow from non-traditional sources, drawing on more than 30 years' experience in banking, financing and staffing. Contact her at:{encode="[email protected]" title="[email protected]"}.