It's bittersweet to write this last post in the series.  I've connected with a lot of those following along and have been truly inspired by what some of you have done with your brands and your blogs already.  I know for some of you, it took a lot to step out of your comfort zone on some of these, and I can't tell you enough how proud I am of all of you.  You've accomplished so much and I know it's just the tip of the iceberg!

Today I'm going to talk about setting goals and making a plan to achieve them.  This doesn't have to be a really formal activity.  But it's necessary if you're going to get from point A, where you are now, to point B, where you want to be.

Let me tell you a little story.  Early last year, I had come off a pretty good run of being a real estate agent.  I had closed over $3 million in transactions my rookie year and was making good money.  Plus, I was staying at home with my son, the reason I had pursued being a real estate agent in the first place.  But the market was worsening and while I had no shortage of clients that wanted to work with me, they just couldn't get approved for the mortgages they needed to buy a house in the DC Metro area.

So my husband and I were faced with a huge decision that I know many families face everyday.  Do I go back to work full-time?  Realistically, what would be my take-home pay after childcare, commuting costs, and taxes?  Would it be worth not having that quality time with our son?  These questions and their answers were a huge source of stress for us.  We need my income.  But we both felt strongly about our quality time with our son.

Our final decision?  We'd give it six months.  If after six months, I was unable to parlay my 8 years of professional experience into a bonafide virtual role that paid comparable to what I'd make out in the 9-5 brick and mortar world, then I'd reluctantly return to the daily corporate grind.

Two months later, I was hired as Chief Mom Officer for Wishpot.  Less than two weeks after being hired, Walmart's John Andrews asked me to be an ElevenMom. During that time, over the summer, I put up the Chief Mom Officer site to promote the idea with the hope that other companies would follow Wishpot's lead and hire a mom for a high level position, too.  Then, in August, I met Sheila Marcelo, CEO of Care.com and told her about the concept and we hatched MomForce.com over coffee at the DC Fairmont while she was in town for a conference.  That same month I also started writing the Celebrity Business blog at Sparkplugging.

This all happened within that six month time frame.  My head is still spinning.

Want to know my plan that led to all this?  It was fairly simple, really.

• Only do work that I'm passionate about.  If I'm not passionate, it will show.


• Think about every opportunity in terms of compensation.  This does not mean dollar signs.  Will it advance my brand?  Connect me to other (perhaps paid) opportunities?  Allow me to network with the people I'd like to work with most?


• Consider the compensation.  If I'm worth more, I can't be afraid to say so.


• Say "No" if my gut tells me to.


• If I see somewhere I can add value, I let the right person know.


• Keep the good karma going by helping others who are passionate and working hard to achieve their goals.


• Work hard each and every day to achieve my goals with mindful purpose and the best of intentions.  Always.


• Be consistent and accountable.  Everyone wants to work virtually so it's important to remain competitive.

Needless to say, I'm not returning to the 9-5 grind again anytime soon.  But I don't take even one ounce of my current situation for granted.  Because I stay true to the first point above, the last point comes naturally.

YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Define your goal and tweak my plan above to fit yours.  Then I want you to check in with me over the next six months and let me know how you're doing.

EXTRA CREDIT

Is there something I didn't cover in this series that you'd like be to write about in future posts on Jessica Knows?  Let me know in the comments and I'll take it into consideration.

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