As I sit here on my couch in San Francisco and begin to write this very blog, I am grateful the sun is shining outside. And with the American Thanksgiving holiday just upon us (depending on when you read this), it’s the perfect time for all of us to take some time and think about all the things that we are thankful for in our lives. To help me, I’ve decided to make a “Gratitude List” and I suggest you to do the same. It only takes a few moments and you will love how you feel after you make the list!
Gratitude. A feeling of appreciation or thanks.
Take a moment after reading this blog and jot down your own list. Showing lots of gratitude will bring forth more of what you want. It is a proven universal principle. I know this works! I keep a gratitude journal handy and make notes on a regular basis. You will get more of what you want if you are thankful for what you have. This is talked about in the bible, new age thinking and even in science too. This may not come naturally to you and that’s okay. It just means you need it more. 🙂 We all have much to be thankful for, even if you are going through a tough time. Good happens all around us – not always easy to see, but when we look it is there! Happy Thanksgiving all! (Even if you aren’t celebrating tomorrow with turkey – I wish you lots to be grateful for.)
To help you, here are my 10 reasons why I’m giving thanks:
I am thankful for my health. Incredibly grateful for this!
I am thankful for my husband, Mark, for being such a sweet and positive and always smiling man! And to our three amazing children.
I am thankful for my beautiful, large extended family. 20 of us are gathering tomorrow!
I am thankful for all the great people I’ve met all around the world and all the adventures that have come during my travels.
I am thankful for the experiences of spending the majority of my time in two beautiful countries – the USA and Canada.
I am thankful for books as they are my adventures without a plane and my knowledge without a classroom.
I am thankful for the success in my Jeunesse business, and having the opportunity to help others reach success and to better their lives.
I am thankful for doing work that I love and being able to share that work with some terrific people.
I am thankful for the opportunities that I have been given and the ones I have been able to give to others.
Lastly, and most importantly, I am thankful for my parents and grandparents. I have been very blessed!
Please take time this holiday season for all the loved ones in your life. I love the quote: “life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” And I am dancing! Now off to go bake 4 pumpkin pies! Have a great rest of the week and I will talk with you soon.
P.S. I hope you find my post useful on giving thanks with a gratitude list. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How Being Grateful Leads to Success.
Were you ever in a band with someone that was a much better musician than you? Or played tennis with someone that was a much better tennis player? My Father was a tennis teacher and my brother is a tennis pro. When I played tennis with them, it was amazing how much better I was. I wasn’t in a band but the same principle applies. When we surround ourselves with people that are more successful than we are in the very thing we want to be successful in, then we improve too! This is true for everything – tennis, music, cooking, relationships, and network marketing too. We all know that one of the best ways to learn is by experience. Whether it’s a good experience or a bad experience, it will help teach us either way. However, as beneficial as it is to learn from what you have experienced, it can be far more efficient to learn from the experiences of others.
Personal experiences are a great learning tool but learning from others is faster and can save us a few headaches. Lots of people have traveled down the same road you’re about to go down and, although it may not be exactly the same road, there’s a good chance that they’ve already experienced the same problems you’re facing and their knowledge is a fantastic resource for either solving them or avoiding them.
Figuring things out on your own does have its merits but ignoring the experiences of others can waste time and what you may experience may be unnecessary frustration. We learn from those with prior knowledge and discoveries when we attend school but as we get older, we tend to attempt to figure things out by ourselves. Anybody relate to that? Remember, there are lots of ways that we are able to learn from another’s experience.
The first place to start is by reading. The internet and books are great resources for researching others experiences. Biographies are a great way to see how people you admire or wish to be, have handled certain scenarios that they’ve faced. In our business, you can read network marketing leaders blog posts. And there are lots of free training videos available on youtube. Here are some of my favorite books on our profession. (If using the internet as your primary resource, be sure the information is provided from a reliable source since some of it can be inaccurate.)
Search for a mentor within your company. Reach up to your sponsor and upline and make sure they know who you are. Your relationships with your upline and leaders within your company and our profession are worth their weight in gold. There are two ways to build our business – fast and fun or slow and painful. If you want more of the former, seek out a mentor to help you learn what you need to know faster!
Be sure to attend your company functions. This is a great place to meet and introduce yourself to the leaders and to start the process of connecting with the people that can make a difference in what you learn and how fast you learn it. After my first few conferences, I really began to understand how important they were to my success. Build friendships with your mentors. Not in a self-serving way but in a genuine, caring and reciprocal way. The old saying that “people don’t care what you know till they know how much you care.” Be sure to ask questions and attend as many functions as possible to continuously expand your own knowledge and network. Don’t worry about being the “worst person in the band”. I completely believe we really are the sum total of the 5 people we spend the most time with. Be sure that your five are helping you to get what you want in life.
I encourage you to try something new every day. By increasing your experiences, you will gain a great amount of knowledge that you will be able to apply in the future. What we want is just outside our comfort zone and by continuously trying new things and doing the things that make us nervous, the faster we will get where we want to go. The more you surround yourself with great mentors and leaders, the faster you will be able to find your greatness. The only way that all the new knowledge you learn will be effective is by using it daily. You know you are on to something, when as your experiences grow, others will come to you for advice and how to handle the very same scenarios that you once faced. Move forward every day, even if it seems like just a bit!
I know that recruiting can be a rewarding AND frustrating experience. Trying to expand your team takes a tremendous amount of effort and you may not be seeing the results you expected or think you deserve. You may find that you are doing some of these things below. If it sounds familiar or if the advice makes sense to you, now is the time to correct. Correcting and adjusting will go a long way to turn your recruiting success around.
Partner Up: If you have a smaller team, you should look at partnering with a member and help motivate each other. Don’t go it alone. Once you get going, just keep talking with people. Network Marketing is a sift and sort business. You will encounter a lot of people that will be attracted to what you and your products have to offer. From these people, pursue the ones that have great people skills and connect with others easily. As the process gains momentum, keep adding people to your motivational pack. Keep your foot on the gas. Imagine a group of like-minded people all pushing, all enthusiastic, and all supportive together. You may have to talk to 200 people to enroll 40 people. When you sponsor 40 to 60 people, the way the law of averages usually works, you will have your first handful to run with. You can change your lives and many others with that very handful of partners.
Overeagerness: Seeing an opportunity is great but it’s your approach to the opportunity that will set the tone. Recruiting is like hosting job interviews. Think how it shifts for you when you read that. Read it again. You don’t necessarily want to work with everyone. You have the golden ticket. People need what you have to offer them. Being too eager and offering too much too soon may make some people hesitant and uncomfortable. Be sure to ask your prospects questions to get familiar with them and a chance for them to get familiar with you. Take it slow. They don’t need to know everything all at once. Let them ask questions too.
Learning a New Language: Recruiting can be similar to learning a language. The best way to learn a new language is to jump in and immerse yourself and don’t worry about taking any test. There’s one thing that I see a lot of people do and it’s attempt to learn everything possible and study before going out and speaking with people. It is kind of like getting ready to get ready. You can stay in that position way too long. It’s perfectly acceptable to start talking to people just minutes after learning about it yourself. That is what happened to me – my sponsor 10 years ago didn’t know anything either. We just got excited together and went for it. One approach is to say to the person, “I just came across this and I am really excited about this. Are you open to learning about it?” And then point them to that tool that tells the story that you may not even know yet.
Saying Too Much: If you’re speaking with a fair amount of prospects but the recruiting results just aren’t there, this may be the reason. You want to extend an invitation to join your team. You may run into over talking if you’re attempting to explain, or worse, try to convince people. If you feel the conversation gearing towards explanations and convincing, you may want to ask a few questions to get them speaking more and gear the talk towards their inquiries. Find out what they are looking for and let that help you move the conversation to providing a solution for what they need or want in their life.
Stance: Your own stance on Network Marketing may be an indicator for why your recruitment activities result in successes or failures. If the recruitment attempt turns into a defense of what our industry does and the person you are talking to thinks “that it doesn’t work”, then your conversion rate will be low. You need to believe in what you’re doing and not be deterred or get defensive. Don’t try to convince someone or bully them into thinking the way you do. Sometimes taking something away from people and saying “You’re right. This probably isn’t for you. Glad it is for me though.” Build up your confidence by surrounding yourself with others that have had success and do attend networking events. This is a work in progress. You will always get better. We were all terrible at our first home parties or presentations. Some funny memories of those first ones! But you know what, our guests didn’t know any better and we knew more than they did. Which wasn’t much!
Consistency: Being consistent is key. Attempt to work consistently for at least 5 to 10 hours each week. Picture the employee that you would want; are you the employee you would give a raise to or are you the employee you think you should let go? Would you hire yourself? Going in and out of your business is a terrible and painful way to get this going. Do you want to build steady and have fun? Then be consistent!
Follow Up: The saying is the fortune is in the follow up. It is so true! This will make or break your Network Marketing success. You will be speaking with a lot of people while attempting to recruit new members but don’t forget to follow up with the people you have already spoken with. Allow time each day for follow up and follow through. Follow up immediately but also keep in mind to follow up down the road as well. A lot of people say no meaning not right now but you won’t know that if you don’t call them back numerous times. Have fun with it. When you call them back say with a smile on your face “It’s your monthly call from me – anything changed yet?” Today, take a look at some of the leads you have talked to over the last six months and call them to tell them about a success story or a great personal experience with your products. Keep your follow up organized. If it is a mess and all over the place, you are much less likely to make the calls. And it could be that one call to that one person that makes all the difference!
I truly love the lifestyle of network marketing. In the corporate world, we are trained to leave our personal life at home. In this industry the more personal and genuine we are, the more successful we will be. Last tip here: Bring your unique and shining personality to your network marketing business!
P.S. I hope you found my tips useful on how you can start recruiting before achieving your own success. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on is Your Kindness A Weakness?.
Have you noticed that everyone has endured ups and down in their careers? Myself included. It is difficult during those down swings but, as I discovered, what seems to make them “low points” was my mindset. It was how I looked at it. And we really do choose that from moment to moment. I would like to share with you my best tips on how to keep your mindset in a good place and keep you heading towards success.
Believe in Yourself
There’s only one thing that can create your entrepreneurial success: YOU! There are many business owners that have overcome their own sets of obstacles or challengers but have still reached success. I am sure you have heard it before – fail your way to success. Or Thomas Edison “failed” 1000 times before he succeeded. The person who fails the most often succeeds the most too. It is all about how we think! Our attitude really is everything.
Believe in Your Abilities
I feel that the right mindset involves taking responsibility and to tell yourself that, regardless of the obstacles or lack of support you may face, you will still be able to achieve success. It’s likely that you may have coaches and mentors to assist you; however, you will also have people that may not support you. (Family anyone?) Regardless of where people in your life may lay, THEY won’t determine the success you have. If you use phrases like “…if only I had more money” or “…if only someone would teach me”, then maybe try telling yourself “I will create opportunities to earn more money” or “I can find training and teach myself”. You have to take control of your destiny and believe in your abilities and yourself. A mentor said to me years ago: If it is to be, then it is up to me!
Don’t Compare Your Journey To Others
Another way to help change your mindset is to focus on yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. They have their journey and you have yours. You have the ability to create your own wins and comparing yourself to others will only sidetrack you. I have encountered people that have had more success than me and they’ve done it faster than me. There will ALWAYS be people that have faster success than you. Their success has nothing to do with you. Celebrate your own wins. That first sale, first lead, first blog, first tweet, first video or presentation and then get ready to celebrate what’s next. There will be plenty of reasons for you to celebrate your own milestones and you don’t need to not worry about what others are doing. If there is one thing to take away from this, it’s that comparing yourself to others will hinder your own success because it’s a lot of wasted time and energy.
Keep Your Mind Open to Continuous Learning
Lastly, be sure to stay humble and always keep learning. When you forget to be humble, the success you’ve had will begin to tarnish. If you want to stay humble, then stay in learning mode. We never know it all and we are never “done”. This is always a work in progress. I love to learn and I love to put myself in new situations so I can figure it out. One thing I have learned is if you do that, you will appreciate the successes you’ve had, and will have, even more. There isn’t anything more humbling than learning. When you learn, it lets you know that you don’t know everything. Be sure to read books, watch videos, read blogs on topics ranging from entrepreneurial guides to meditation and every topic in between. I have been doing this for a while and I’m still constantly learning and placing another piece in my knowledge puzzle. One thing I have been doing lately is listening to podcasts while I walk. It is a great way to get some reading/listening/learning in AND I am out in the fresh air and getting some exercise all at the same time.
Remember, there’s no shame in not knowing something, it’s how you react when you don’t know something that helps define you. It is whether you give up or if you seek out the answers that matter most. You can always improve and if today wasn’t a great day, tomorrow morning wake up and say Today is going to be a good day! Good luck, and I know you can do it!
As we move ahead into the final few months of the year, we could all be tempted to sit back a little as the holidays approach. It’s during this time that you really want to take a minute and refocus, as hard as it may seem. The beautiful fall and winter months, when it becomes darker, sooner, family holiday functions, and more can leave us curled up on the couch rather then applying our daily activities. Many members of my team ask me the best ways to stay focused during the last season of the year. Here are a few tips to help you establish a daily routine and create the time you need to maintain and grow your network AND have fun too. Here is a picture of my husband and me and two rockstars in my business enjoying Switzerland in June. I can promise you the rewards of focus and discipline are worth it! Let’s get started.
Plan Ahead
If you don’t feel that you have time to plan your day in the morning, then look at planning your day the night before. Before going to sleep, write down the TOP 5 most important things you need to do the following day. More than that and you will go into overwhelm mode and this TOP 5 criteria helps me focus on what is truly important. Remember 80% of your income comes from 20% of your time! Go the extra step and time block the time you’ll require for prospecting, follow ups, meetings, Webinars and any events you plan on attending.
Meditation and/or Prayer
Be sure to set time for this (approx. 10 minutes). It may not seem like a lot of time but this will help you re-center and clear your mind and get you all set for your day. Schedule a second session in the middle of your day if you feel it necessary. The saying goes that you only need 10 minutes to meditate unless you think you don’t have time to, then you need 20 minutes. 🙂 I write in my journal in the morning also to keep me centered and to keep my mindset happy and moving forward.
Personal Growth and Mindset
Try to spend anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes a day on your own personal growth and to the development of your mindset as an entrepreneur. You can learn to have the mindset of an entrepreneur! Our school system doesn’t teach this so it is up to you to develop this muscle. Read some book (or listen to audio books) and watch videos. Start your day off with this (before checking Facebook) to help direct your day. You will have a better day! And when you string better days together it equals a better life. ( Here are some of my favorite mindset and entrepreneurial books! )
Exercise
How important is daily exercise? Well, I just finished an hour walk, a short weight workout and a short cardio workout. It is crazy how good it feels after! Exercise will release endorphins and get the blood flowing. It improves your mood, helps you feel good and exercising (a minimum of 20 minutes) will improve your focus and give clarity to your thoughts. It truly is the best thing. I was just listening to Tim Ferriss (author of 4 Hour Work Week) and he was talking about how as he has gotten older, he makes more and more time for exercise. I can relate. It is an easy habit to get into AND an easy habit to get out of, but definitely one I will always do my best to incorporate everyday.
Prospecting
After you get through the above, perhaps the most important thing you can do everyday to help move your business forward is prospecting with new people and following up with your current prospects. If you aren’t talking to new people all the time, eventually your teammates won’t either. Everyone will plan for a different amount of time of their day-to-day prospecting so here are some guidelines:
Try to connect with 5 to 10 new people per day. If you are going for rockstar status, then 20 people.
Attempt to show your business to at least 1 to 3 people per day (roughly 5 to 10 per week)
Spend 1 to 2 hours per day just on prospecting. This means getting people to view your presentation (either audio, video or in person), time to make follow up calls, and signing people up. This is the most IMPORTANT part of your day.
Being proactive, and taking steps to prevent distraction during the holidays will keep your business on pace and thriving. You got this. If you neglect your business, and your daily activities slow, this will set up how the next season will run within your business. And then the next one after that….Keeping focused, with a clear plan in place, will not only help you in your business, but also will trickle down to your team. They will model your actions, and what’s better then having motivated, focused team? Follow these tips and I am confident you will focus on your work during the last season of the year AND enjoy the pumpkin pie too! Set up a schedule that best suits your needs and requirements, and your business will reward you for it! Most of all, make sure you enjoy this precious time with your family and friends.
If you think this blog could be useful to some of your peers, then please don’t hesitate to share it with them.
Anybody have this issue? There’s a chance that your warm market may have stopped responding to your e-mails and, possibly your calls. This may make the building of your team seem difficult. I have heard that the life you lead before network marketing is a critical factor in how quickly you succeed in network marketing.
Some people enter into network marketing with a vast network already established. They’ve built rapport with a lot of people, have been leaders in their communities and are very connected from a social standpoint. For these people, recruiting can be easier. Now some of us may even know the scenario where one person will stand up at a meeting and claim “I used this script to recruit 50 people right off the bat!” leading people to be in awe of this feat. How did this person do it? What did they say? I better write up a script!
Honestly, it didn’t matter what the script said. Those 50 people weren’t recruited by this “magic script”, it was the existing relationship and respect that those people had for them. All the work was done BEFORE network marketing. All the people in that room that listened to them, could have followed this script and it could have even been not that good; however, it worked because of the prior experience they had with this person. This is a key concept to understand. It is the relationship they already had with the presenter that made them say yes. Or at least say yes, more quickly.
When I recruit someone with influence, I tell them that the most important thing is the relationships they have, not the exact script they need to say. They need to get in front of a group of potential recruits and . say “This is what I’m doing. It may OR may not work for you. Take a look and if you are open to learning more, great. If not, that’s fine, too.” When they do that, they get sign ups. This verbage helps people get past their biggest fear, which is just talking to people. When it looks like it is going faster for someone, sometimes it’s about the respect and relationships they had before becoming a network marketer. And remember, they have to get out in front of people too.
Now, if you’ve been a part of 30 different network marketing companies, chances are you’ve made your pitch to just about every person you know. The problem is that they are immune to your message. They are a bit tired. You could approach them and say “Give me $20, I’ll give you $40” and they’ll say “no, it’s okay. I’m good.” Now you could reply back with “You don’t understand. You give me a single twenty dollar bill, I’ll give you back TWO twenty bills.” And your tired prospect will be “No, I’m good It’s all good.”
Here is my suggestion: Go back to the ones that have become immune to your message and approach it from this angle “Hey, I know network marketing may not be for you. You have no interest in it;I get it. However, you may love the product. Would you be willing to be one of the 10 customer testimonials that I need?” This approach really works!
The way you’re going to get that person to build your business or become a customer, is by getting them to see your presentation. Chances are, you aren’t going to get them to see your presentation by using money as an incentive. They’re already immune to that. You’ll need to approach them a little differently. By already declaring that they may not be a good fit for network marketing, but that they’ll like the product, you’re approaching them a way that may surprise them. This is a fresh angle on it. This will get them engaged by asking “what is the product?” Now, you have an opening to show your presentation or video. Send them a link to a website or video, ask them to check it out and if they’re interested or want more information, you would be happy to show them.
Everyone likes to buy cool products. I know I do. We all buy lots of cool products. Some of us even buy from different network marketing companies. The hesitation is adding new streams of income. It is much easier to get a person interested in a product than to promote an opportunity. If you’re going to your warm market once again and talking too much about money. They’ve stopped listening. Try telling them about the product and ask them to be a customer for you. That is all you are asking. Friends and Family can be the hardest market we approach for our business. You want to ask them if “you can count on them to be a customer.” That’s it. Don’t worry if your friends and family are difficult prospects. Most of them are. Always ask for a referral too – something like ” I get this isn’t for you, but do you know someone that would be open to learning more about how to make some extra money/about how to share these products?”
Some of you are reading this and thinking “Wait. Customers are nice but I still need recruits to build my business”. Yes, that’s true. For those thinking that, here’s what’s going to happen. When the opportunity presents itself, you get them in front of your presentation. Some of them, not all, will say “This seems pretty awesome. Could I do this as a business?” And you get to say, “Sure, that is definitely possible.” That opening wouldn’t have been possible if you didn’t get that chance for them to see your presentation and that probably wouldn’t have been possible if you had started off the conversation about money. If your warm market is not responding to you, maybe this approach will help! You do have to read people and make quick decisions if this person should hear about the product first or the opportunity first. When you are just getting started, it is easier for most of us to lead with the products. You do want to learn to present the opportunity too. You need both tools in your toolbox. And bring out the right one for the right person.
Remember, make this about them. Not you. If you come from a place of genuinely wanting to help someone, they will feel that. If you come from a place of wanting to help yourself, they will feel that too. I hope this gives you an idea of how to handle some of the most difficult prospects you will talk to – your family and closest friends. Don’t worry too much about it. You are on track if you are finding that to be the case. I could tell you stories!
If you think this blog could be useful to some of your peers, then please don’t hesitate to share it with them.
P.S. I hope my tips on connecting with your warm market are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on 8 Ways to Grow your Prospect List.
Company events are a great way to keep up to date on what is happening in your company and can be a GREAT motivator and refresher. They will help you engage with your peers, your company leaders and can give you many insights into what your company is doing and where they are going. And they are fun! YOU are the most important person you sign up everyday and the saying is that “those who show up, go up.”. I can promise you leaders don’t become and stay leaders by opting out of the company events.
These are 8 fabulous reasons why you want to be attending company events:
1. Show up, go up!
Showing up to events can help you move up within your company. They are a great way to connect to your peers, compare what approaches they are taking and what you may be able to change in what you’re doing. You have the opportunity to meet with your leaders, get to know them and in turn, they get to know you. If you aren’t plugged into what is going on with the company, the latest and greatest so to speak, your focus won’t be there.
2. Re-energize and Motivate
If you’re stuck in a rut, company events are a great way to press reset on your current state of mind. They can give you back the energy and enthusiasm you felt when you left your first event. Remember that? I do! After my first event, I was so excited I think I could have flown home without an airplane. Speaking with others who are in similar situations and how they have overcome what was holding them back can be great motivation to get you back on track to your goals. Hearing from the leaders, the folks that have made it will also give you great fuel to keep going. We do have to recharge our batteries! All of us.
3. Latest and Greatest
New products, new events, new technologies. Company events are a fantastic way to see what the company is currently doing but also to see what’s coming down the line. Your company will have great innovations and they are excited to not only tell you about them, but they want to show you as well. There is nothing like hearing from the Medical Advisory Board about the newest product!
4. Social event
The company event becomes a social event very quickly. These events can be pretty exciting and high energy so you always want to bring as many people as possible. Bring your friends, bring prospects. The person with the most people attending is the one that will or does have the biggest business. The event can be a great tool for you to showcase what your company does, what they do and how they can be a part of it as well.
5. Shiny Penny
Those that don’t attend company events will eventually experience the “Shiny Penny Syndrome”. They focus all their time and energy on one company until they see a newer company that peaks their interest and forget about the first company just like if a person picks up one penny but then sees that shinier, newer penny and the pattern repeats. Attending company events will help you and your team keep that original penny pretty shiny! A wise mentor told me years ago, the key in this business is to stay excited. The person who jumps from company to company will never make the long-term income that is possible. Staying put isn’t always easy but that is where the stability and income comes from.
6. Most Important Person
Can you remember the first person you signed up? What attracted them to the company? What product stood out for them? What was their motivation? The first person you signed up was you! You are the most important person that you sign up and you do that every day. By attending these events, you are presented with a reminder of that and they help you recall the excitement you felt from the first one you attended.
7. Event to Event
The events evolve. Think about the first company event you attended and then think about the last one you attended. Chances are that those events were different and the message of those events was presented in a different manner. Just because you attended one doesn’t mean that the next will be the same. And key point here: the events are for YOU and YOUR TEAM. You may have heard “everything” (doubtful) but your team hasn’t. This is the principle of leverage. You leverage the events and let the experts train your team. Plus the presenters at the events receive feedback and the messages and products they present change so the events themselves change.
8. Expertise
There’s ALWAYS something new to learn. These events are a great way to learn new things from not only your peers but it also gives you that opportunity to learn from those with company expertise and your leaders. They can help you tweak how you approach prospects, clarify concerns you may have and answer your questions. Who better to learn from than those who have already done it? Most companies put on first class events too!
Feel free to share this blog with your team by directing them to this site or by e-mailing it to them. It may just help you move more of your people into success!
P.S. I hope my tips on network marketing events are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to Stay Persistent and Reach Your Goals.
Have you noticed that in our network marketing businesses, sometimes it is hard to get motivated and stay motivated? A wise mentor said to me years ago “The trick in business is to stay excited for years”. Easier said than done! Indecision and lack of motivation to make those decisions can sometimes give us that paralyzing feeling – where we don’t know what do next. You may struggle with lots of decisions you have to make. Whether it’s a small thing like where to grab lunch or large things like purchasing a new car. The process to make up your mind can take up a great amount of your time and energy. Due to indecisions, you may often show up late, not get nearly as much done as you had set out to do and the perception among your peers could even be that you are disorganized. Another wise mentor said to me years ago, “When you don’t know what to do, just do something. Do anything!” Sounds funny but it is true. It is doing nothing that keeps us stuck.
So what is causing this? Perhaps you have developed the idea that whichever action you take has no effect on your life. You may not feel in control and that life is directing you, instead of you directing your life. That is the biggest myth: that you don’t control what happens in your life. You can DO anything you want to do. You can BE anything you want to be. It’s important to believe that you have control over your outcomes and the ability to motive yourself. The truth is we make decisions all the time. All day long. Even when we don’t realize it. Making no decision and not taking the actions to fulfill our dreams and goals is a decision too. Staying in overwhelm mode is a decision. Getting bored with the business activities you need to take is a decision. Are you making great decisions? Are you doing what it takes to keep yourself started? Staying started is the key in our business and any business for that matter.
The good news is there is a way to get things done and a way to overcome that feeling of indecisiveness and inaction. Here are 4 steps that you can take NOW to feel more motivated, regardless if you have uncertainty or are fearful about the action to be taken.
Inner Voice
There’s no right way to decorate, is there? A bedroom or an apartment is decorated how you want to decorate it. There’s no right or wrong way. There’s also no right or wrong way in how you live your life. Some quiet time for yourself can help eliminate the pressures and noises from your day. This time will allow you to listen to your inner voice. I have a friend who speaks of getting a “feeling” when something doesn’t seem right. I know that feeling well. It is our inner voice. And when we don’t listen to it, it always comes back to bite us. That voice or gut feeling helps us in the decisions we make, be it at home or at work. This is our intuition – there to guide us all the time! When I was younger, I didn’t always listen to it. Boy, am I glad I know now to listen to it. The answers are inside of us. We just stay so busy sometimes and choose not to listen. Take time to listen to yours and what it tells you. Your intuition will get louder the more you listen to it.
Take Action
You need to believe in YOUR ability to shape your own life. Successful people do it all the time. Believe you can do anything from throwing a party to even traveling in space; whatever it is you want to do, you can do it! Successful people are motivated to take action because they KNOW they are in control. And if you think about it. They’re right. We have all the control over what we do. You control the effort that you put in at work. You control how you treat others. The one thing that anybody has control of is effort. I read years ago this important teaching and I think about it all the time: From moment to moment, we decide how we are going to be in the world. Every moment.
You can either live your life as it happens TO you or you can make things happen in your life. Which person are you? Is life happening to you or are you deciding and creating the life you want? A great quote that I love was made famous by Walt Disney: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”.
Past Accomplishments
Reflect on times in your past where you had success. Past wins can help propel you to future success. What have you done in the past that you feel really good about? Think about when you secured that job out of college or bought a new house. Maybe you moved across the country. These are examples of you making BIG decisions. You’ve proven that you can do it and you can do it again. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves how capable and talented we really are. I write in a journal on a regular basis. It includes gratitude, goals, dreams, plans and dream boards. Taking the time to reflect on a regular basis on what has gone well and what is going well is key for me. At the end of the day or the end of the decade or the end of my life, I want to feel great about what I did get done and the life I lived. Not what didn’t get done…
And Then What?
Making a decision can be frightening. Keep asking yourself “and then what?” until you get to bottom of it. You may worry about whether or not you should pursue a prospect or a geographic area. What if you don’t do it? What if it works? What if it doesn’t? What do you have to lose. Sometimes, I ask myself the question – what is the worst thing that could happen? And usually, the worst thing that can happen isn’t too bad and I can live with the risk. Let’s break it down with the following:
You call the prospect and they say no, thanks. And then what?
You’ll be disappointed. And then what?
You may feel like it wasn’t worth it. And then what?
Maybe you will feel discouraged. And then what?
You think of another great prospect to get in touch with. And then what?
You keep reaching out to people. You keep meeting new people. And then what?
You ask for some referrals and you sponsor a new distributor and some new customers. And the process begins again.
You just need to go for it! Not getting that prospect isn’t the end of the world. By asking yourself “and then what?” you can guide yourself down a path that it may not be the worst thing to happen. Often, it is the path we are on that leads to the BEST things that happen in our lives. For this example, you can gain confidence to ask the prospect for referrals and/or to be a customer and then other opportunities may open up that you didn’t even consider. You are in control. Remember, successful people control their own lives.
The power is yours to choose how you want to live! We can have such fears about making the wrong decision, that we don’t make a decision and don’t take action. It is in the action, the doing of it, that the good things happen, even if it isn’t the “perfect choice”. It never is. If at the end of the day, you moved your business and your life forward, that is what counts!
P.S. I hope my article on How to Motivate Yourself to Reach Your Goals was helpful for you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on Affirmations for Unlimited Wealth.
Many of us dream about the next vacation or holiday, but we often don’t act upon our desires. We follow travel accounts on Instagram, and we comment on how we would love to go see the beautiful destinations we see, but we don’t take enough steps to actually get there. Why is this? What is really going on? Taking a vacation is extremely important in finding balance and happiness in your life and enhancing productivity in your business. When you take this time for yourself, you allow yourself time to reset, recharge, and you’ll come back more productive, more inspired, and more YOU. You are actually ready to take on the world again! We just got back from an extended family vacation to Santa Cruz. We have gone for the last 9 summers. It is such a great chance to catch up with our family and our loved ones. There have been years where we had 6 blow up beds on the deck and over 25 people spending the weekend. Other years, family and friends come and go throughout the week. Lots of sun, ocean time, too much ice cream and cocktails….I love vacations and want to share with you five reasons why a vacation is an important and fun necessity in your life:
1. YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DESERVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. Working from home means you can always be “ON”.
Downtime gives you an opportunity to reconnect and rediscover your loved ones, and this is truly important in life. They need it, they deserve it, and you need to give it to them. Provide your full and undivided attention, and budget for it so that the experience is a magical one. Be generous for this allotted time. It’s the time to make up for any late nights, time away on business travels, etc. It’s important not to use these days off cleaning the house, or finishing overdue projects. Think skiing. Think Tropics. Think seaside cottage retreat. Think beach house and camp fires. And s’mores. 🙂 Your family and you will be more rested and ultimately grateful.
2. FOR THE MEMORIES AND FUN YOU WILL HAVE
There’s a special feeling you get when you grab your family photo album and relive the wonderful memories over and over. Memories are something we hold most dear. Our elders will tell us it is the memories they remember that are the most meaningful things to them. We cherish the good times, remember and hold onto them forever. We must remember as entrepreneurs that if we are doing something that isn’t making us money, that’s okay! The memories you create are invaluable, and could generate many happy returns for you. Life is more valuable when filled with memories and experiences!
3. VACATIONS KEEP YOU FRESH. New experiences rev your motor, keep you healthy (stress is #1 health problem) and help you avoid burnout.
People are taking less vacations overall. According to a study published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 9 million people in the USA took a vacation in July 1976. Today, it is closer to 7 million. Shockingly, a 2012 study of American people discovered they left 9.2 vacation days unused! Too many of us walk around, stressed, overworked, and burned out. We work ourselves to the bone. Consider it your medicine, for you, your business, and your family. When you return, you’ll find everything rolled along fine without you, you’ll be recharged, and ready to take on the world. Taking a vacation gives you the chance to renew your energy, find balance, re-align, and broaden your horizons. This opportunity gives you the chance to indulge in your own needs for a select amount of time. When you return, the results will show in increased productivity, and a positive new outlook. And who doesn’t love views like this!
4. VACATIONS HELP YOU TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE
You can bet if you take a vacation, you’ll be more productive than ever when you get back in the swing of things. Once you return, you’ll more than likely work harder and catch up on overdue tasks. According to a recent article published by The New York Times:
Research says that a lot of that has to do with the way humans are made. “The importance of restoration is rooted in our physiology. Human beings aren’t designed to expend energy continuously,” The Times reported. “Rather, we’re meant to pulse between spending and recovering energy.”
Vacations help to give you the opportunity to get away from the usual routine, you’ll meet new people, eat new food, sleep differently and more. It shakes everything up! You begin to see things differently, think outside the box, and allow yourself to try new things. Funny, how when I am home, I go to bed too late but I have noticed that on vacation I can finally start a new routine where I go to bed at a better and healthier time. I love all the time we get to spend outdoors during vacations. We played in the ocean every day!
5. YOU’LL COME BACK INSPIRED
When you give yourself the chance to relax, you open other creative parts of your brain that you may not be using on a daily basis. Bring back inspiration (and perhaps some new ideas) when you return to reality. As you’re laying on the beach, you may envision and manifest your business’ future. This is essential, yet sometimes difficult during the daily grind. Vacations let you think to yourself for uninterrupted periods of time. When you allow yourself the opportunity to think about something else other than your daily routines commitments, you open your mind up to new possibilities. I love sitting on the beach or a gorgeous deck thinking about what do I want the next year to look like and what am I going to do differently. I also get to read more on vacation because it is such a great escape into another world.
It is vital you start changing your perception about taking time off from work to vacation. Reverse your logic and tendencies to perceive a vacation as indulging in life, but rather, focus on the benefits vacationing can offer you for your general overall happiness and your business will be more likely to thrive too!
These important vacation tips are yours to share with your team! I hope that it helps you recharge and helps your business flourish. Do you have a vacation tip you want to share? Post it in the comments below!
P.S. I hope my 5 Reasons Why Vacations Are Important article was helpful to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How To Work With A Long Distance Team.
There are many, many things that can make an impact on your life. Reading has a way of changing how we think and can help us change our outlook and our habits. I tend to read a lot in my down time. And flying time! Here are four books that have really influenced my life. There are many more but these 4 jump out first. If these can help me make a change in my life, then I believe they’ll help you make a change in yours, too. These books helped shape my philosophies. The saying is as we grow, so does our business! Personal growth is my favorite part of our network marketing profession.
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
I feel this book is such a classic! So much so, that I read it every January. Originally published in 1937, this book came out during the Great Depression. It contains great guidance on what steps you should take, and steps you shouldn’t to achieve that goal that means so much to you. Your take away may be that life will ONLY give you what you ask of it. In my opinion, this may be the best self-help book that an entrepreneur ever reads. Hill researched this book by interviewing lots of people who had lots of success and failures. Knowing just what works isn’t enough unless you also know what doesn’t work. It helped me to realize that the most important part of getting what I want is how I think about what I want. Napoleon Hill helped me to realize that no matter what I wanted to achieve, I had the means within me to do so.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
Another classic! Two different influences to Robert gave him a very unique perspective when it came to his financial life. There was his own father, who was highly educated but a financially poor man and his best friend’s father, who had dropped out of school but became a self-made millionaire. This book expanded my thinking about being an investor and a business owner. The lessons I learned from this book helped me to become the entrepreneur that I am today. Even though some basic financial theories are explained and there are some helpful diagrams to assist with understanding money flow, this book is a very easy read and everyone could get something out of it. This book has definitely made an impact on my life.
Go Pro – Eric Worre
A must read especially for those of us in Network Marketing, Eric has broken down his message about becoming a professional networker with the 7 most important steps and explains them so that they are easy to understand. The 7 most important steps to building our kind of business are listed below. This book is great to help us to build rapport with both clients and customers. It’s another book that I find myself referencing from time to time.
1. Find prospects
2. Invite them to your product or opportunity
3. Present your product
4. Follow up with your prospects
5. Help them become customers or distributors
6. Help them get started right
7. Grow your team by promoting events
The Surrender Experiment – Michael A. Singer
I just read this book for the first time. This book is a great road map to help us create our own happiness and to live in the present. This book will help you to fully embrace what life brings and to let go of things not in our control. It’s all from the author’s perspective and the journey he’s been on to accept a “go with the flow” style of living. He realized a long time ago that when he said yes much more often to what the universe was bringing him, even when he wanted to say no, that he had a better and richer life for allowing what came his way. We sometimes over think things and sometimes we think we have more control than we do. What is that saying? Control is just an illusion. It got me to think outside the box in regards to the opportunities that come my way. I have learned not to play it too safe so that I don’t miss out on some amazing and life changing experiences. This is a fascinating memoir and one that I highly recommend that you read.
Voila! These are four books that have helped me to become who I am today. Always a work in progress for sure! I highly recommend all 4 of them. The messages they deliver are truly awe inspiring and I know that they can have a positive impact on your life. Here’s to more of the great things life has to offer!
These amazing book recommendations are yours to share with your team! I hope that they can help you learn and build your business. Do you have a book you want to share? Post it in the comments below!
P.S. I hope my 4 favorite books article was helpful to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on Affirmations for Unlimited Wealth.
