Why is Bambi in the middle of the Road?

It was a great day, work in the morning, then shopping at the mall with my DS as we spent some of those gift cards and returned some gifts.

Then, the surreal happened.

It was at the time mind boggling and this morning, the day after, it continues to be foremost in my mind as I try to recreate what happened on the way home.  And the first thought that popped into my head?

"What is Bambi doing in the middle of the Road?"

and then..."Oh Shit".

As we were driving home, at dusk, on a road with no lights, chatting away about how mortgages work and what we were going to do that night, it appeared and with a car next to me I had no where to go but right over it.

The wheels went in the air as I applied the brakes to try to avoid making it any worse than I knew it was going to be.  I threw my hand across my DS (even though he was wearing a seat belt) and as the car landed I just knew it was bad.

For the car.  Thankfully, we were okay.  And as we pulled off the road, we proceeded to watch several other cars do the same thing we did,  like watching an ongoing train wreck and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

The police and my insurance company were great.  My DS got to talk to the insurance company as I dealt with everyone else and that was a great life lesson for him (It's not usual for a 19yo to just call in an accident, you know?)  The officer was shocked that no one else had stopped or reported that the deer was there.  He also provided much comic relief with his description of the deer carnage that was "stretched for a mile" along the road.  The tow truck came and away went my car.  The office was nice and drove us home and made us laugh the whole way.

Walking in and getting a big hug from my hubby helped so much, because those internal shakes had set in.  They stuck around for quite a while, but this morning are gone.

Today, the sky is clear, the sun is shining and we are fine.  That's what really matters.

But I still wonder "What was Bambi doing in the middle of the road?"

My Cookie Lee Jewelry Business Plan Planning

I think that it’s time for me to really move forward with my Cookie Lee Jewelry business and to do that I need a business plan.  So I am utilizing the “10 Questions for a Strong Business Plan” from Julie Anne Jones (copyright Julie Anne Jones, Inc.) and sharing it here.  I believe that the sharing will make me more accountable….well, it has worked before (see Living Room redesign) and stop laughing.

No please, really, stop laughing.

Done?  Thank you.  OK, here goes…..

1)      Do I have a goal for the number of parties I intent to hold each month?  Yes – 4-6

2)      What is my ideal sales month?  I would like to average $600 shows so that my hostesses get the best benefits

3)      Do I have a purpose?  Why am I in business?  I am in business first because I really like the jewelry – without that I know that this would not be successful; secondly I am in business to help support my family and pay for my son to attend college.  I enjoy getting out there and meeting people and helping them to start their own business or to just have fun with friends and get great jewelry!

4)      Do I have a set schedule for my business?  No, I have a vague schedule, but it is not set in stone.  On a scale of 1-10, how well do I stay on track in committing to my schedule? When I use a schedule, I am an 8.

5)      Implementation: On a scale of 1-10, how well do I practice and implement what I learn?  8  What practices have I put off implementing the I KNOW will bring me greater results?  PHONE CALLS, I need to schedule and implement the plan for making phone calls.

6)      Do I make excuses for not applying energy to my business?  No  What are the excuses costing me?  I have really been working hard on my Cookie Lee Jewelry business for the last few months and am carrying that momentum forward in the new year.

7)      On a scale of 1-10, how well do I follow through with my agreements? 9 Am I of my word? Yes  What will I change?  I will not make a commitment unless I can keep it.

8)      Am I fearful of failure or rejection?  Yes, I think that everyone has some fear of failure or rejection.  Have I searched for the limiting beliefs that block me from succeeding?  Yes and I am now working on outloud positive self talk and positive thinking. 

9)      Do I know my goals for this week?  Yes and I will publish my weekly goals on Facebook or my blog.  This week’s goals are to make 10 phone calls to invite women to book a home or office show and to ensure that I return all phone calls within 24 hours.

10)   What is my action plan?  What will I do to make these weekly goals a reality?  I will write down each message that comes in and not assume that I can remember them without noting the date/time of the call.  I will make the list of the 10 calls to make and set the time aside on Wednesday to make those calls.  I will do this every Wednesday.

So there is the beginning of my Business Plan for 2012.  Please share with me your thoughts and if you do any business planning for your business.