What does it take to be successful in business? There are many components that make the perfect secret recipe, and after much experimentation, I believe I have found it. Ask yourself, What guide do I follow? Is it serving me, or does it need some tweaking?

Most of us have heard of SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound), but what is a big gorgeous goal? What makes a big gorgeous goal unique? Well, the thing about big gorgeous goals is that they look different for everyone, so the question becomes, what does a big gorgeous goal mean to you?

With the coming new year, it's time to reflect on what you really want out of life, outside of your calendars and "To Do" lists. It's time to set some Big Gorgeous Goals.

I always say that culture flows from the top down. Learn how to set that culture of accountability here.

What is an inflection point? In math, it’s the point where the curvature of a line changes from concave to convex. In business, it’s much the same—no matter how hard you work or how successful you are, inevitably you will reach a point when what got you there won’t take you any further, and you need to change direction.

It’s the entrepreneur’s dream to sell their business. To create a big exit and reap the financial reward of building a successful business. The reality is that it’s incredibly difficult to get there. Here are 4 things "lucky" people do that you can do too.

Have you ever felt like decisions hold you back? Maybe you even wait for something to “pick you” before you have to make a decision. These little moments add up. Every moment you wait on making a decision, you’ve decided to waste that time.

Finding a mentor can help you reach your goals and enrich your life in ways you never imagined. I’ve had quite a number of mentors throughout my lifetime and, to me, this is one of the secrets to setting big gorgeous goals. We need people who can be mentors and advisors that will help and encourage us along the road as we work on our big gorgeous goals.

One really effective way of getting some smart people together in a structured format is to join a mastermind group. Having been a part of masterminds myself, I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that there is tremendous value in being part of one.

I think we set a lot of safe goals and we’ve been somewhat conditioned to look at safe goals as something that we do and that we can measure, like SMART goals. They’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

What do you do when you hit a plateau? When I decided to leave the business I founded and grew after so many years, I found myself wondering the same thing: What am I to do next?

We all know the entrepreneurial dream: start a business from scratch, pour into it and build it up, and then sell it to make room for our next big gorgeous goal. That was my dream, and when I first accomplished it, I expected to feel grateful. After all, I had just crushed my goals and watched them pay off! While I did feel gratitude, I also felt grief, and that was unexpected.

So much of what we reach for in life is about experiencing fullness - a busy schedule, a well-stocked pantry, a hefty bank account. And while this fullness can feel good, sometimes it’s equally important to give yourself moments of emptiness, especially in your calendar.

When you’re passionate about the work you do, it can be really challenging to say “No!” to opportunities. And so, you fill your calendar with meetings and events until your work-life is busy and full of to-dos. The problem is that, without taking a break, you’re not allowing yourself time and space to do that big picture visioning that brings your work to life.