Choosing is hard. But to move your business foward, you need to set goals and work towards them. 

But what if you don't have a goal? What if you can't seem to narrow it down and pick one?

Last week Lynn asked me, on Periscope, "What if you're afraid of setting a goal?"

I know Lynn's not alone, because last week I worked through the Map-Making Guide with The Starship. The first step (spoiler alert!) is setting an endpoint for the map – the specific, measurable goal you want to reach in the next 3-6 months.

It was this step, the most obvious starting place, that caused the most distress. In this episode, we'll discuss why it's hard to choose a goal, and how to do it anyhow.

Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast91/

What are the best books for your creative business?

Today I decided to share the best books for your specific situation. Listen in to find out what I suggest for where you are in your business journey!

 This topic was suggested by Ana on Periscope. I broadcast these podcast recordings a whole week early, on Periscope. If you’d like to get early access, follow me at Periscope.tv/TaraSwiger. I also publish a video version of this podcast on YouTube along with a new lesson every week!

Listen in: TaraSwiger.com/podcast90/

What do you want from this year? How are you going to get it? Let's get clear by  using the framework Mission, then strategy, then tactics. 

Back in September I wrote a post about this, about the necessity of stepping back and looking at the big picture. That post prompted so much discussion and questions and has come up again and again in conversation, so I wanted to dive even deeper into it now, as we're all thinking about what we want from the new year. I want to fully explain this framework, so you can use it not only as you plan your year, but also as you work on ANY project or have to make any decision in your business.

If you've been feeling frustrated in your business, about its growth, or how you're spending your time - this might be the problem. If you feel like you scramble back and forth between things, without seeing traction in any of them, this might be the problem.

Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast89/

Launching stuff, talking about your product for a sustained period of time, is hard. It can be draining to talk about your work, especially when it feels like you're talking about yourself all the time.

The result is Marketing Burnout. You're sick of talking about your work. You feel like you're repeating yourself. You worry you're annoying people.

In this episode I share three ways to avoid Marketing Burnout and one way to handle it when you experience it. 

Listen to the episode: TaraSwiger.com/podcast88/

How are you doing? How do you feel about the last year in your business?
Do you feel energized and enthusiastic? Do you feel clear-eyed and action-oriented?
Or are you frustrated? Stuck? Overwhelmed by all the things you *should* be doing in your business?

If you're not feeling awesome about where your business is, I want to help.We talked about the three kinds of Overwhelm in Episode 85, and I shared some tips for dealing with the different kinds of overwhelm.

But if you want to go beyond overwhelm, and actually feel GREAT in your New Year, and actually create a business you’ll love, let's talk about the 7 principles of a great business, that you'll love. Apply these 7 principles to your business and you'll have an amazing 2016.

Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast87/

One of the best ways to build a business is to pay attention to learning the lessons of your own business. If you're in one of my programs or you follow me on Periscope, you know that I'm an evangelist for  reviewing your month, and your year, to see what you've learned, and how you can apply that your next adventure or goal. This is how you ensure that you are regularly moving forward and getting better and better at doing your particular kind of awesome

In this episode, I share what I've learned this year in my business and in to the businesses I've worked with. But before I get to that, I want to let you know about something time-sensitive: My two biggest programs, Lift Off and the Starship are now open and they'll close December 23rd.

Links:

Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast86/

In this episode we discuss:

Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast85/

How do you get traction in your creative business? How do you start making consistent sales? And what if you haven't yet and feel dejected? 

In this episode, I'll share 4 keys for gaining traction, connecting with customers, and making regular sales.

To listen in, go to TaraSwiger.com/podcast84/

How can you enjoy the end of the year and the holidays, while maintaining your business and your sanity?

This question was asked a few weeks ago on Periscope, and I wanted to dive into a more thorough answer and share it with you here. You can follow me on Periscope to get the podcast episodes a full week before they come out; I'm TaraSwiger on Periscope or you can catch broadcasts at Katch.me/TaraSwiger.

It's the week of American Thanksgiving, which kicks off the holiday season here in the States, with Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice and the New Year. If you celebrate even one of those holidays, and you're running a business, this can become a hectic time of year and soon it's already the new year, with all its new projects and excitement.

But I want you to have a sane and happy holiday season. I want you to both have the kind of time with your family or friends that you want AND see the kind of business growth you want. I don't want you to stumble into 2016 feeling fried from the last month of 2015. So here's how we do that.

Listen in to learn exactly how to enjoy this time and end the year strong and profitable in your business! TaraSwiger.com/podcast83/

Inspired by your replies to the #BizConfidenceChallenge, today we're exploring the intersection of Fear and Success. We think they're mutually exclusive. We think that we need to wait until we have confidence before we take action. We think that if we feel fear, we definitely won't be successful.

Listen in here: TaraSwiger.com/podcast82/