Burke Hedges Speaks

You’ve probably heard this analogy before:  Starting a business
is a lot like getting married.

If you’re married, or have been, then I’m sure you can think back
to the time leading up to your marriage - your “courtship”-  and
see several thing that are similar between the start of a marriage
and the start of a business.

1)  Attraction   

They call it “chemistry”.  That initial attraction to someone.  And
behind the initial “chemistry” are other thing like your dreams,
emotions and values.  Just as we are attracted to one person instead
of another, we’re also attracted to a business that appeals to our
dreams, moves us in some way and plugs into what we find important
in life.

2)  After Attraction

Soon, we begin to spend time getting to know the other person.  It’s
here where we discover whether or not that attraction will stick.
We talk to this person about our dreams - the way we want to live,
what size family we want, what our faith is and other ideas and
desire we have about our future.

We discover if there is an emotional connection between us and
the other person.  How do we feel with them?  Do we stir up
feelings in each other that go beyond that initial attraction? 

We talk about our values-what do we think is important about a
marriage and a family, about religion, what we want to accomplish
in life and what matters most to us at the end of the day.    

So many of the things we do in a relationship have a parallel to
starting a new business.  And it’s vitally important to think
about and discuss these issues when we first get going in our
business:

>> What are our dreams (or vision) about the business?
>> Does the work we’re doing move us in some way?
>> Does it have emotional appeal that will last?
>> Am I really passionate about this or am I just in it for the money?

I know for many of us, the initial decision to get started in
our network marketing business was for the money.  But over
time, once the “money part” is taken care of, your desires and
goals should switch a bit to other things like your belief in
the product, or your passion about helping others make an income
from home, or seeing people’s lives change.

It’s about having a emotional purpose & being moved by what you’re
taking part in. Ask yourself the following questions:

>> Does this business have emotional meaning to me?
>> Will it touch the hearts of people who I share it with?  
>> How can I get that message across to prospects and team members? 

Your prospects and teammates are searching for that deeper meaning. 
It’s a cause, a mission, that will keep the day-to-day work from
getting hollow.

So, what does this mean to you?

I encourage you to pay attention to planning and reinforcing a strong
vision for your business.  Make certain that your core values - those
things that are most important to you in life - are tied to your work. 

If you’re a leader, and one of your core values is family, and you
constantly “preach” how important your family is to you - then make
sure that value lines up with your actions.  Don’t say your family is
#1 if you’re always gone, always on your cell phone, always running
around like a crazy person. 

Be busy and get the job done - yes.  But make sure you take the time
for the things in your life that you say are important. 

What will guide you for the long term in your business is not just
how good you get at it.  It’s the connection to it, the bigger
picture and the dream we hold onto that makes us happy as a person. 

If you discover this about yourself and can share it with others,
it will set your business up for long-term success.

I’ll see you next week!

>> “A task without a vision is drudgery; a vision without a task is
a dream. A vision and a task are the hope of the world.” <<    

Having a strong vision for your business and life is not only a
look into the future, but also a constant reference point for
you to line yourself up with.  Your vision is your point of
reference. 

All of us can see in our mind’s eye what we want to be and do
in our life.  Then, it’s up to us to find a way to realize that
vision. We can put our imagination to work.  For some of us,
we systematically plan out the steps needed to achieve our
vision.  And others might trust their gut and move forward
more instinctively.

Your personal vision includes your business, career, family
and lifestyle. What do you see for yourself in your business? 
What kind of success do you envision?  How about your family
life?  What do you envision a happy and fun family life to be
like?

Starting a new business is the most important time to start
thinking about your personal vision for your life.  It’s the
time when your enthusiasm is at its highest and your idea of
what you want to accomplish is clear and strong.  This is why
we always tell new distributors to “write down your why”. 

It’s that important.

So, what are some of the consequences of not having a strong
vision for your life and business?  What happens when you
live your life not really caring one way or the other? 

Often, you feel as though your work has no meaning.  There is
no underlying sense of purpose. The effort you put in is only
a means to something else and is not gratifying in and of itself. 
It just pays the bills…but beyond that, there’s nothing else in
it for you.

The strength of your vision will give you a solid sense of
direction and bring meaning into your life.  It’s your purpose. 
Something to be returned to, over and over again, to check your
bearings and sense of commitment. 

Have you ever heard the statement, “Your why has to make you cry”? 

It’s true that you’ve got to be passionate about your vision. 
When you feel so strongly about your reason “why” it becomes
infectious.  Others around you begin to feel it.  They become
more passionate about their business because they see how
passionate you are.  Your vision rubs off and can carry your
team through good times and bad, building a sense of commitment,
passion and spirit.

Becoming a great leader means that you’re the carrier of that
vision.  You tell the story that reinforces the dream.  You
inspire others as you point the way.  It all starts with you
and your personal vision for yourself, your life, and your future. 

Let that vision jump-start your business and guide you.  Then,
share your vision with everyone around you.  Your team, your
prospects, your family.  Become so passionate about it that
it becomes infectious…and watch your business grow.

Make it a great week!

Are you one of those people who runs around with so many ideas
and you have projects going all over the place yet you feel
like you’ve got so little time.  All those great ideas, but
nothing is really making it to completion.  You feel like
you’re spinning. 

Sound familiar?

As Network Marketing entrepreneurs, it’s common for us to have
tons of great ideas and projects rolling around in our heads -
with more popping up everyday! The problem is getting them
completed.

It’s not that you have a shortage of ideas - you’ve got
notebooks, files, post-its and lists of ideas and projects.
Rather, it’s that you have a shortage of projects that actually
get done.    

So what’s the solution?

Focus on only a handful of projects at a time.  Do less of them
at one time.  Sounds easy, and it is.  Here’s how it goes:
1. Keep a Running Project List

Keep it in one place, where you can get to it. Use a notebook or
your word processing program on your computer to get all those
ideas out of your head and in a place you know they will be when
you’re ready for them.

The first time you do this, do what I call a “brain dump”.  Just
sit down and think of every project you want or need to do, every
prospect you need to call, every person you could partner up with,
every idea you’ve got for advertising your business, and get it
written down.

Don’t judge what you’re writing.  This is JUST like writing your
“Warm List” of contacts.  Don’t feel one way or another about your
ideas, just get them listed.  Don’t start to write an idea down
and then stop yourself and think, “Well, I don’t have the money
(or resources, or time, or knowledge, and so on) to do that.  So
I shouldn’t write it down.” 

NO!  Get it all out on paper first and you can come back and edit
it later.

Once you have the list, go back and put a star by the most urgent
projects. Think of the starred projects as “on deck”.  These are
your best ideas that you’re able to start implementing right now.

2. Chart Out your Projects

Your next task is to start mapping out the tasks associated with
that project.  So, for example, let’s say one of your projects is
to start doing a weekly training call for your team.  You’d simply
begin making a list of everything you need to complete that project. 

Things like:

- Getting the group telephone line
- Writing down a list of topics to teach on
- Lining up guest speakers
- Determining the day and time for the call
- Promoting it to your team with emails, flyers and announcements
- And so on

After you’ve made your “to-do” list, pick out a task or two to get
done this week and begin working on it.

3. Keep it Down to No More Than 3 Projects

The key here is focus. Multi-tasking is not the best idea and if you
bite off more than you can chew, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and
discouraged and quit.  Your best bet is to underestimate your time
a little and half way through the week decide to add more tasks to
your list rather than constantly getting behind. 

Doing this allows you to focus in and not only get the important
things done, but do them to the best of your ability. You have more
creativity when it’s not spread out so thinly.

So, try it out, see what you think. Focus on a few projects, track
them and see where you end up. You’ll be surprised how you can
complete more projects by doing less.

Funny how that works…

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute.  Let me
start off today by asking you a question: “Why should I buy what
you sell or join your opportunity, when I can buy it from one
of your competitors?”    

Now, this question might sound a little harsh, but I guarantee
you, every prospect you speak to is thinking this.  When you’re
sitting with them at your local Starbucks, showing them your
product line and the company compensation plan, they’re sitting
there wondering “why” they should get started with you. 

Yes, the product and opportunity sound unique - but why should
I get started today with you?  What makes a prospect want to go
into business with you?

A key ingredient to your success will be in your ability to
provide an answer.  That’s what a USP is.  It’s your Unique
Selling Point.  It’s what makes you stand out from your
competitors.   

If you’re in a health juice company, your USP will easily
explain to prospects what makes your company different.

If your prospect has been shown 4 other home-based businesses
already this month, your USP will tell him/her exactly why
you’re the one they should partner up with over all the others.

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Heck, having a strong USP will help if your prospect has already
been shown the exact same business opportunity you’re involved
in!  Have you ever had that happen?  You’re sitting there showing
someone the plan and they break in and say, “Yeah, yeah - I’ve
seen this already.  My neighbor Bob is in this.”  How are you
supposed to respond to that?
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With your USP!  You say, “That’s great Mr. Prospect.  I’m so glad
you’re already familiar with the opportunity.  Now, I don’t know
if Bob told you this or not, but what makes working with my team
really special is _______ (you fill in the blank with your USP here).

So, how can you find your USP if you don’t already have one? 
It’s simple, just ask yourself what is the main reason your
prospects either purchase your products on get started in business
with you. 

>> Is it because of the price of your opportunity?
>> Is it the special formulation of your products?
>> Is it the training, leadership and support you provide?
>> Is it your experience in the industry?
>> Is it because of the uniqueness of your opportunity?

Think about that for a few moments.  What are some of the things
that make you and your opportunity so unique?  Why should someone
choose to work with you in your opportunity over all the other
choices that are available?

>> If you’re in a health & wellness company…what makes you different?
>> If you’re in a technology company…what makes you different?
>> If there are 5 other guys sitting in Starbucks showing their 
   business to prospects…what makes you different?

Use this to position yourself against competitors. Often, at face
value, your business doesn’t look much different than your
competitors, so you need a strong USP that shouts to potential
customers “Hey, here’s why I’m better!”

Do this and I guarantee you’ll stand out from the rest. 

Have a great week!

Thanks for joining me again for another edition of the Monday
Minute.  I’m often asked “How do you do it?” - everyone wants to
know HOW to build this business.  And it got me thinking
about something that’s even more important than “how-to”.

We’re going to discuss that today.

Have you ever heard the saying, “If How To’s were enough we
would all be SKINNY, RICH and HAPPY”? 

We all want a list to follow and someone to show us all the steps
to success.  We all find ourselves asking “How did they do that?”

>> “How did she get to the top level so fast?  Didn’t she just start
a month ago?  What’s her secret?”

>> “How does he schedule so many meetings?  Man, I wish I had that
many people to talk to!”

>> “How did they get all that money?  Aren’t we in a recession?”

>> “What did she do to lose all that weight?  How do they have such
a great relationship?  Why are their kids so well behaved?”

…and the list goes on & on… 

We look at what other people have and if it’s something we desire,
we figure they must have some hidden secret to get it.  They must
know something we don’t know - otherwise, we’d have it too.

No matter what it is, we all want to know HOW they did it.  What
are the steps?  Can you write it all down for me, so I can follow
the step-by-step system, and have the same success you have?

Well friend, let me suggest to you that it may not all lie in the
‘how-to’ but rather in the WHY. 

I could give you a step-by-step list of “how to’s” to take you
from a brand new distributor to a Top Income Earner in your organization
in 365 days.  And although that list would be very helpful to you, it
still wouldn’t get you to where you want to go without a powerful reason
WHY.

Why did you get started in your business?  What motivates you?  What
is going to happen to your family this year if you don’t do something
to turn things around?

Your why is something only you can answer for yourself. It’s what burns
inside of you everyday.  It’s a powerful driving force.

Some people are motivated by fear.  “If I don’t turn things around
quickly, my family may lose our home.”  Or, “My children are going off
to college in 2 years and I have no way to pay for it.”  These are very
powerful reasons why.

Other people are motivated by desire.  “If I work really hard this
month, I’ll be able to go on that trip with my family.”  Or, “Once I
reach the next level, I’ll be able to quit my job and go full-time!”

No matter what your burning desires are, once you’ve discovered and
connected with the reasons WHY you want to succeed, then you can
start planning HOW you’re going to do it. 

You didn’t join your organization because the company has great
offices. You joined because you saw an opportunity out of the rat
race.  You joined because you envisioned spending more time with
the ones you love.  You joined because you wanted to design your
own life instead of living a life on the defense where you simply
react to everything. 

I encourage you this week to take a serious look at your motivation
and the desires of the heart.  I think if you start looking at
everything this way, you’ll quickly realize that all those people
you meet who have what you want got there the same way - They
started FIRST with a very strong and powerful reason WHY.

Be your best & have a great week!

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute!

Have you ever been frustrated and wondered why people who are
the Top Income Earners in your company seem to just get more
and more successful and prosperous (and they make it look so
easy too), while other people seem to keep trying and trying,
yet it seems like they’re going to be stuck forever?

The reason is simple- and it’s something you’ve heard many
times before, especially if you’ve been involved with direct
selling for a while. 

Your thoughts come before actions.  What you think about will
come about.  So, in order to be “at the top”, you’ve got to think
and act like a Top Income Earner before you’ll BE a Top Income
Earner.  

Today, let’s take a look at some of the characteristics and the
‘thinking patterns’ of Top Income Earners and see how you measure up. 

1. They don’t have a limited self belief

Top Income Earners believe they are destined to be at the top and
there is nothing that can stop them from achieving that financial
freedom goal. They’re convinced.  They will do whatever necessary
to reach their goals including doing things that they dislike or
taking on tasks that seem impossible to complete.  They live right
outside of their comfort zone because they honestly believe not
only that they CAN do it, but that they’re WORTHY of it as well. 

2. Time is #1

Top Income Earners recognize that time is their most important
asset and a very scarce resource. They don’t waste it sitting in
front of a TV watching entertainment programs.  There is an urgency
to their efforts.  Like trying to get a plane off the runway, Top
Income Earners know you’ve got to run quickly in this business in
order to soar. 

They’re also experts at using the power of leverage to achieve
maximum results with minimum efforts.  So, instead of driving an
hour to sit with one prospect, they’ll make several phone calls
and organize a series of meetings or one large meeting in the
same location.  Same effort - double the results.

3. They recruit “up”

Many networkers only prospect people that are at the same financial
level as they are.  They’re either afraid or have a limiting self
belief that hinders them from prospecting people who they consider
to be “higher up” in life. 

Top Income Earners do the opposite. They want to network and learn
from others who have achieved more and are wealthier.  So they
purposefully look around for the heavy hitters and recruit those
folks into their business.

4. They invest in themselves

To many people who are struggling financially, the best way to
manage money is to use less of it.  And spending money on training
or their business is considered an expense.  However, Top Income
Earners have a different viewpoint. To them, spending a certain
amount of money to acquire an asset or skill is an investment.  An
investment that they know they’ll get back tenfold. 

5. They have strong self-confidence

Top Income Earners have a high level of self-confidence that is
often contagious. They’re optimists who keep a positive outlook at
all times and they don’t allow their confidence to be easily shaken
by external factors.

6. They manage their money well

In order to really live the dream, a successful Top Income Earner
not only earns a lot of money, he/she also learns how to invest
and manage that money.  They don’t spend their money aimlessly
buying things that have no real value. 

Many Top Income Earners started studying and learning about managing
their finances BEFORE they had any real finances to manage!  This
goes back to not having limited beliefs.  Top Income Earners are
prepared to handle the additional income and wealth that success
in this industry brings.

7. They give back 

Top Income Earners are generous and care about others.  That’s
the nature of our industry.  You’ve got to help others become
successful so you can be successful. 

You don’t get to the top overnight.  You face many setbacks and
challenges to get there.  To Top Income Earners, setbacks and
challenges provide valuable lessons that help them find the
way to great wealth as well as strengthen their ability to face
adversities in life.

Because of this they give back to the people on their team and
in their communities.  They have a passion for helping others.

I hope this helps you as you plan your week - I look forward
to seeing you next week for another edition of the Monday
Minute!

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute! 

I want to share a familiar story with you today.  It’s about a
guy who just got started on your team - let’s call him Steve. 
Steve is really excited about the opportunity and decides to
spend the first day going over all the training materials you
gave him.

On day two, he’s at the bookstore looking for books on building
a network marketing business.

On day three, he spends about 8 hours surfing the net looking
at all the different systems that can build his downline for him. 
He’s really excited at the possibilities and is already counting
all the money he’s going to make next month.

On days four, five and six he spends even more time online (it’s
like falling down the rabbit hole).  One website leads to another…
he’s getting a little confused…but he knows he wants to look into
learning how to build his own website and generate some leads.

He’s written out his plan of action, organized his contact list by
alphabetical order and color coded it to match each persons personality
type.  He wants everything to be perfect before he begins building
his business.

Now, you may be asking me - What’s so bad about reading books about
building a networking business?

Nothing!

What’s so bad about spending time reading the company training
materials or looking online for helpful resources?

Nothing really…except that Steve is focusing his effort on the
wrong things!

*********************************************************************
If your house is on fire, you don’t try to fix the leaky faucet under
your sink!  Having a functional sink is great, but put out the fire
first! 
*********************************************************************

Steve’s story is all too familiar to so many of us working in this
industry.  We somehow convince ourselves that what we’re focused on
is critical and important; however, if we’re really honest, we’ll 
discover that although many of the activities we’re doing everyday
are useful, they’re not a priority to building our business.

So why do we sometimes choose to spend time majoring in the minors? 

Maybe the things we’re focusing on are more “fun” than the other things. 
Or maybe they’re easier for us.  And somehow we find excuses to NOT do
the things that should have the highest priority.

>> Are you avoiding doing things that could have a drastic impact on your
business in favor of things that have little impact? <<

If so, then I encourage you today to remember this principle:  80% of
your results will come from 20% of your efforts and 20% of your results
will come from 80% of your effort. 

What this means is that there are some BIG things you can do that will
produce drastic results in a short amount of time.  And there are a lot
of SMALL things that you can do that will produce minimal results but
take up loads of your time.

The secret is to make sure you’re doing the activities that get you
the “best bang for the buck” before you do the others.

For example, are you spending too much time with prospects who are
only tire-kickers?  Or are you spending time with movers and shakers
who want to get things done? 

Are you spending all your time reinventing the wheel because your
uplines training manual just sn’t “good enough” or are you making
do with what’s available now and moving on to something more
meaningful like bringing in new customers and business partners?

At every step of the way in building your business, always check
your priority list and ask yourself if what you’re doing will produce
the most drastic positive result for your business.  If so, great! 
Keep doing that!  If not, then refocus.

Make it a great week & I’ll see you next Monday!

Thanks for joining me again for another edition of the Monday
Minute!  This week I’ve got an interesting question to ask you:

Are you willing to settle?

Every day, all around, I see people settling for less.

They settle for less than what will truly make them happy.
The settle for less than what they truly deserve. They settle
for less money because they do not really believe they can make
more.  And they even settle for less because they simply don’t
want to do what it will take to change their situation.  It’s
too hard or scary.
 
People settle for a job they are not happy in because they do
not really think they can change their situation. They settle for
less than fulfilling relationships because at least what they
have offers them security, or maybe they just don’t think it is
possible to have all their heart dreams of. 

People settle.  Are you one of them?

You know, when you decide NOT to settle - it’s scary!  It takes
us waaay out of our comfort zones. We might take that risk and
lose something.  What if we mess it up?  What if we totally fail?

So, to avoid the pain & possibility of failing, we convince
ourselves that it’s not possible to ‘have it all’ - so, we might
as well settle for what we can, and pretend we’re happy and fine
with it. 

But we’re not.

So often we’d prefer not to hang out on a limb that might break. 
It’s “too risky”.  But I’d like to encourage you today not to settle. 

You’re worth so much more than that. You deserve to have it all;
to be happy; not to struggle day in & day out.  You deserve to do
something that fills your soul with contentment. You deserve to have
wonderful relationships with your family and friends. 

If you think perhaps you’ve laid down and settled in some area of
your like, ask yourself:  “What kind of world am I creating for myself
by settling here when I know it’s not really what I want?”

Be honest with yourself and then decide to step out of your comfort
zone and change it. Only you can have the courage to step out into
what scares you…because it’s what is right outside your comfort zone
that your greatest fulfillment and success is found.

Don’t settle for less & make it a great week!

 Well, we’re a week into 2010 … have you implemented some new plans,
or is it back to “more of the same?”

You know, most “new year’s resolutions” are already broken today -
or will be by the end of this month.  So, if that’s you - you’re
not alone.

Last week I spoke to you about needing to set New Years Intentions,
not resolutions.  I say this because I think the whole “resolution”
business is broken.

If one of your resolutions was to get your financial life turned
around, hear me now - It’s not going to happen with a resolution. You
need a plan and you need guidance.

Let me ask you a question.  When you woke up this morning did you plan
your day based on the things that that “fire you up” & that you feel
passionate about OR are you plans made based on what you need to do
to solve your immediate cash situation?

Do you spend your time working IN a successful business - making it
bigger, better & stronger?  Or, are you constantly trying to
‘figure out’ how to make your business a success?  If you wake up
everyday thinking about how you’re going to solve your money problems,
how you’re going to build a big business - but you never actually
GET there, then read on.

In order to get back on track in your life and business, you need
to do 4 simple things. 

1. Stop the bleeding

Where are you bleeding money in your life & business?  Get in there
and find out where and put a stop to it - immediately.  If you’ve
constantly got more money going out than coming in, it’s going to
cause some serious stress. 

For example, if you’re driving all over town doing one-on-one
meetings with people to show them your business opportunity,
you’re probably spending money on gas, wear & tear on your car,
and perhaps some coffee for you & your prospects.

How much are you spending each month on this?  Are you seeing
a return on your investment?
2. Put a stop to stress

Chances are there are several factors in your life that are making
your situation more stressful than it needs to be.

Maybe you’ve got an unsupportive spouse because of all the time
and money you’re spending without getting anything in return.

Perhaps you’ve got “toxic” team members who call you non-stop
to complain.  You’ve got to get those folks off your back - fast.

Once you make the decision to stop the bleeding in your business
and you move forward in profitability, you’ll find a lot of thing
often change - spouses become more supportive and you’re often
too busy to take phone calls from complaining team members
anymore.

3. Generate some income quickly

If you’re stagnant in your business and really need to make
some income fast, then sit right now and make a list
of the ways you could so that. 

How many new customers would you need?  How many new
business partners?  How many people do you need to talk
to this week to make that happen?

Map out some ideas right now for generating income this
week in your business.
4. Refocus

Finally, ask yourself this important question:

Will the thinking that got me where I am right now get me to where
I want to be in the future?

If your answer is “No”, then now’s the time to refocus your thinking
and make plans for the future.  Plans that you put into action!

I’d like to encourage you this week to look at your business
like a business…not a part-time hobby.  A business has to be
profitable in order to stay in business and so much stress can
be eliminated from your life once you get your business into
profitability. 

Look at where you’re bleeding money, get rid of distractions,
make a plan of action to generate some fast income, and focus.

Have a great week!

Happy New Year & thanks for joining me again for another issue of
the Monday Minute!

For all of us, this is not just another new year, but the start
of a new decade.  Are you happy with what you’ve accomplished
over the last 10 years of your life?  Where do you hope to go in
the next 10 years?

Over the next few weeks I plan on giving you some tips about
a subject that’s preached about often - Time Management. 

You can purchase audios, videos, online courses, day planners,
calendars, and much more - all geared at helping you manage
your time.  And what better time to start focusing on this than
the new year?

Would you like to know a little secret? 

Time management really isn’t about managing your time.  You see,
we all have the same 24 hours in a day.  You can’t add to those
hours…they just ARE.  But you can choose what to do during your
24 hours each day.  You can manage yourself.  And that’s the
key - Time management isn’t about managing your time, it’s about
managing yourself.

Here are 3 great tips to get you started:

1. Find out where you’re wasting time.

How many times a day do you check your email?  How much time do
you spend surfing the net or playing games on Facebook?  What
about talking on the phone?  How many useless, unfruitful
conversations do you have each day that deplete your valuable time?

You know how the diet gurus will tell you to write down everything
you eat for a week if you want to create a solid plan for losing
weight?  Well, I’d like to challenge you to start keeping a log
of what you do with your time every day for the next week in order
to help you make a solid plan for using your time valuably. 

*********************************************************************
Write down everything you do from checking email, to cooking, working,
cleaning, sleeping, driving, eating, chatting on the phone - write it
all down. 
*********************************************************************

If you check your email 3 times a day and it takes you 10 minutes
each time - write this down.  Don’t judge yourself just yet (this
comes later).  For this week, you’re just keeping track of how you
spend your time.

Then, after the week is over, take a look to assess how you have spent
your time and how much time was used for every activity.   How much
time this week did you spend watching TV or playing games on the
computer?  More than you thought?  How much time did you spend making
prospecting calls?  Less than you thought?

By taking a look at how you REALLY spend your time (not how you THINK
you spend your time) you can implement a plan to improve how you manage
yourself and reduce, if not eliminate activities that just waste your
precious time.

2.  Create some goals.

A goal tells you where to go - it gives you a starting point to work
towards.  In order to better manage your time, you have to set your
goals. It starts by setting up your calendar and know what you need
to accomplish every day. This means that before doing anything, when
you start your day, you should plan things out and dictate what will
happen for the rest of the day.

Make a commitment to control this and discipline yourself to follow
your commitment. 

Some great ideas for time management goals are:

>> Only checking email twice each day
>> Spending 20 minutes MAX per day on Facebook
>> Just because your phone rings, doesn’t mean you have to answer it. 
   If you’ve got a busy schedule, let your calls go to voicemail & schedule
   a set time each day when you listen to all your messages at once &
   return phone calls.
3. Implement your plan.

Setting up a daily calendar is only part of implementing a
time management plan.

Making sure you’ve got the proper resources is another part. 
For some people, having a written agenda and a list is helpful
at keeping them organized and on track for the day.  For others,
a digital recorder works great at keeping track of time spent
or notes of things that need to be done.  Make sure you’ve got
the tools you need to succeed.

Also, you should take into account the distractions that you can
encounter as you go about your day.  It is important to identify
them so you can determine the measures and steps to avoid them. 

For instance - Let’s say you’ve decided to schedule 2 hours each
evening to make prospecting calls and return calls from potential
prospects.  Then, just as you’re getting ready to make your calls,
your phone rings.  It’s your spouse….your child…your parent…a
friend….someone who just wants to chat.  You answer the phone and
before you know it, 30 minutes of your prime prospect calling time
has been spent chatting. 

The key here is focus.  If you’ve scheduled the time to do an
important business building task, then stick to your schedule. 

Your plan should clearly indicate the steps that you need to do
not to fall into the trap of these distractions, which can take
some productivity time from you.

After you’ve begun to implement some time management steps into
your day, make sure to pay attention to your success.  Review the
results you’ve gotten as a result of spending focused time on
what’s important to you - and less time on the unimportant.

This time of year is the perfect time to reflect on what you have
accomplished and how you can accomplish more.  You will be amazed
by how much success you will create!

See you next week!