Burke Hedges Speaks

It’s Monday again & time for another Monday Minute!  Welcome back!

Did you know that year after year there are more and more
millionaires created worldwide all because of their success in
our industry - the network marketing industry?

So, let me ask you a question:  If all these millionaires are
being created each year because they’re actively building a
network marketing distributorship, does that mean if you join
M.L.M. you will become a millionaire?

Well, it depends - right? 

That’s not a question I can honestly answer because I don’t
know you personally, nor do I know what your real hopes and
expectations are. However, what I DO know is that there are
certain things that will either fast track you to success in
your business or limit your true potential if you ignore them.

If you have struggled in the past with your business and have
asked for advice on how to move forward, how often have you
been told to get a mentor? A mentor- whether it be someone in
your Upline, or someone outside your business - who has been
there and has gone through what you may be experiencing right
now will save you months if not years of stress.  They’ll also
help keep you from making the costly mistakes made by others
in our industry.

Mentors who have already had success in network marketing and
building a solid business can guide you and help you to achieve
your goals in a timeframe and in a way that would be almost
impossible to achieve on your own.  It’s true!

But finding a mentor is only part of the answer. Once you’ve
found this person, you’ve got to keep open-minded and be willing
to learn from them.  Part of that willingness is not falling
into the bad habit of blaming others or situations when things
don’t quite work out. You’ve must take action and follow through
on the advice and guidance your mentor gives you.

A huge advantage to finding someone in your Upline to mentor you
is that it’s actually in their best interest to make you as
successful as possible. The true power of success in our business
lies in the ability to recruit new distributors into an ever
increasing downline. So, not only can you rely on your mentor to
help you succeed, you need to learn those same mentoring skills
to enable you to coach your downline to achieve their individual
goals and aspirations too!  

Finding and working closely with a mentor in your business will
give you the tools, the knowledge, and the expertise you need
to maximize your chances of success.

However, there is one thing a mentor or coach cannot give you
or teach you and that is how to keep yourself motivated.  

Motivation is the one thing that will keep you going. No matter
how good your product is, no matter how good your business model
is, there will be times when things don’t quite go the way you
want them to. You’ll have to have persistence and perseverance
to keep going and see you through.  If you don’t know how to
stay motivated, you run the risk of limiting your success.

To be the best you need to be with the best. You’ve probably
heard something similar like “surround yourself with successful
people”. Whatever way you put it, the truth behind success in
network marketing, especially yours, is to be part of a winning
team with a winning mentor who truly cares about you and is
determined to help you realize your goals and aspirations as
well as their own.

This week, I encourage you to take a look around at your Upline,
your business and personal relationships, and seek out the mentor
you need to achieve the success you desire.  It will be worth it!

Make it a great week!

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute!

Today I’d like to talk to you about what it takes to really be
successful in your network marketing business.  What do you need
to enable you to succeed? 

The one thing I see frequently from distributors in the industry
is excuses.  Prospects make excuses about why they can’t get
started in the business.  Excuses like time, money, or lack of
ability. 

I hear excuses from individual distributors about why they’re
not building their business.  Excuses like lack of time, too
many commitments, or fear. 

There are a number of obvious business factors which need to
be in place for you to be successful. For example:

*  A well established company
*  Business leaders who are committed to your success
*  Training and development programs
*  Support and mentoring
*  An outstanding compensation plan

But what about you personally? Once you’ve picked the right
network marketing company to partner with and you’ve made the
decision to build your business, where do you come into play?

Top income earners in our industry are always leaders and
entrepreneurs who build their business in a certain way and
display a number of personal traits that leads them to success.
If your desire is to be a top income earner, then it’s absolutely
vital that you develop those same traits. 

The following traits or personal characteristics are not in
any order of importance.  We could sit and debate for hours
which traits are more important than others depending on your
own preferences and business experience. Let’s just way each
trait is very important to your success in network marketing. 

So, let’s take a look:

– Belief –

It’s possible that you could be criticized by people who are
uneducated or misinformed about our industry.  A well meaning
relative can make a comment like, “You mean you’re doing one
of those things?!”  and if you don’t have a strong belief in
what you’re doing, it can cause you to doubt yourself and the
business.

This challenge can be fuelled further by the growing number of
scams that seem to pervade today.  You must have no less than
a TOTAL belief in your business combined with a strong belief
in yourself and your ability to succeed.  This belief will help
you deal with any comments that may come your way from “well
meaning” friends and relatives and will allow you to explain
why they’re misinformed about the industry.

– Passion –

Top income earners not only have a strong belief in the industry,
they also have a deeply felt passion to succeed not only for
themselves but also for others.  If you have this kind of passion,
there is little that can stop you. Caring not only about your personal
success, but also the success of others on your team is vital.

– Self-confidence –

We all have strengths and weaknesses, but when you have an
unshakeable belief in yourself and your abilities your self
confidence will grow and be apparent to those around you. True
self confidence (as opposed to arrogance) also means that you
are open to learning from others and learning to overcome those
areas that are in need of development.

Without self-confidence, pretty much nothing is possible. If you
don’t believe in your abilities, then the first adverse situation
that comes your way - the first time you hit a brick wall - will
prevent you from achieving your goals.  

– Focused on Team Achievement –

Like I mentioned before, the results of your downline or team
are gained by focused and sustained effort. Top income earners
concentrate on achieving the specific goals that benefit everyone. 
In our business, we achieve success by helping others become
successful.  If you focus solely on your own success, you will
quickly find out how counter productive that attitude proves to be.

– Positive Thinking –

This trait I hope is as obvious to you as it is to me. Positive
thinking spreads.  Your positive attitude will rub off on your
prospects & teammates.  Equally, if you have a negative attitude
you’ll be sure to see people steering clear of you.

– Persistence –

It’s crunch time!  All the passion and self belief is of little
or no value unless it is applied in achieving your goals. You
must have tenacity and persistence each step of the way. So many
people give up even when they are so close to success. Don’t be
one of them. Stay the course and never give up.

Make it a great week!

In this weeks Monday Minute, I’d like to talk to you about
developing your business strategy - what’s your vision?

People are attracted to our industry as a means of making money
for all kinds of reasons.  One common reason is not worrying
about all of the different aspects of starting a bricks and
mortar business including finding premises, rent and rates,
and other associated offline business expenses.

Let’s face it, starting a home business is usually fairly
inexpensive and if you put a little elbow grease into it,
you can see profits quickly.

It’s sad then to see so many people not succeeding in their
 business for the exact same reason they got started in the
first place.  Because it’s so easy to get in, it’s also easy
to get out. 

If you’ve been building your business for a while you’re well
aware that many people fail to regard their network marketing
distributorship as an actual business. Yet it’s so important
that distributors let that sink in - we’re running a real business!

A vital part of having success in this business is the ability to
plan. However, how can your new distributors possibly develop
an effective and meaningful business plan if they don’t know
where they’re going or what their business is all about?

What I am talking about is:

* Developing a clear vision of their goals and aspirations realized.
* Being able to articulate that vision and inspire others.
* Developing their Purpose. What is the business all about? What is
  the  business out to achieve?

Clarifying the vision and purpose forms the very foundation giving
you and your team the focus and direction needed to succeed.

I know from my own experience that all of this may seem a little
challenging to begin with.  And if you’ve been on my mailing list
for any period of time, you already know I’ve written on this
subject before - because I believe it’s THAT important.  Creating a
vision & purpose for your business will take a bit of time but
believe me,  it’s worth it.

See if this helps you and your distributors to create your vision
for your business:

Remember you have two sets of customers. You have external customers
to whom you wish to sell your product and recruit into your business.
You have internal customers in the form of your downline and team
members with whom there is a common goal of growing the business.

Now, using your favorite way to relax, open your mind and

* Reflect on the values you and your company stand by. Develop the
  idea of what you want your business to be in the future. What will
  it look like? What will it feel like?

* Think of the absolutely best thing that could possibly happen for
  you, your downline and your customers now and in the future.

* Now create your vision around being the only business that can deliver it.

Before you even do any work, just by taking the time to complete the
process outlined above you’ve got a strong basis to not only motivate
yourself but to inspire others with the clear picture of where your
business is going. You’re already well on the way to developing your
 business strategy.

One more quick tip:  Don’t go through this “visioning” process alone.
Share your thoughts with your upline or someone in your downline.  Good
leadership means learning from those who are there to lead us as well
as from those we are there to lead. What better way to get “buy in” to
your business strategy than have your downline believe that they helped
you to form it?

Make it a great week!

Wouldn’t you agree that there are so many ways to be successful
in network marketing?  Some people focus on moving product and
getting new customers.  Other people like to focus on the business
opportunity aspect and recruit like crazy.

Ultimately, it’s your personal decision as a distributor and
business owner whether you’re going to be product focused or
team focused. Of course it’s great to receive commissions from
product sales, but I really believe if your goal is to create a
long lasting business with which you will generate a substantial
income, building a solid downline is your key to success.

In today’s Monday Minute I’d like to give you some tips on
building your downline.  So read on…

****************************************************************

Let me start off by saying this:  Product sales are important. 

I don’t want anyone reading this to misunderstand me on this
point - it’s imperative to the success of your business that you
consume the product your company is selling and that you also
gather customers who consume the product.

After that, the majority of your time should be spent on recruiting,
mentoring and building your business through the success of your team.

When recruiting for your business you must have:

* A fundamental belief in what you’re promoting.
* Strong belief in yourself.
* A real passion for the business.
* A total understanding of the business model.
* A genuine willingness and drive to help others succeed.

Think of it like this. The combination of self belief, passion
and belief in the product helps you grow in confidence. Then,
you add to that an in-depth understanding of the business model
and you are ready and able to promote the product and the business.

You’ll be able to easily hold the attention of potential teammates,
arouse their curiosity in the business, and convince them it really
is as good as the image you are portraying.

When you’re passionate about your business model and the products
you offer, you’ve got a powerful combination that’s the foundation
to effectively communicating with your prospects. 
 
It doesn’t matter if you build your business by: 

* Face to face presentations.
* By telephone.
* Through your email campaigns.
* By advertising on your website.
* Through offline marketing.

You’ve got to be totally prepared to answer prospects questions and
explain the business opportunity in great detail as well as deal
effectively with their fears or objections.

That’s why it’s so important to practice and be prepared when making a
presentation.

You know, building your downline is all about building personal
relationships. Can you remember what initially attracted you the business? 

I’m sure there was a financial element in there. Maybe you wanted
financial security or a means to allow you to live the lifestyle of your
dreams.  You probably also had a clear goal to spend more time with
friends and family.

Remember your own personal goals each time you make a presentation to
a prospect.  Remember that each person you aim to recruit as part of
your team also has goals and aspirations. Take the time to get to know
them, genuinely show that you care, and be on their agenda instead of
your own.

This is what it means to show true leadership skills.  You’re building
trust. 

When a prospect trusts you, they’re much more likely to get involved
in your business.  This isn’t a one-off event, it is an ongoing
process and you must be consistent.

Keep your prospect interested by showing them they are important to
you.  Keep contact with them on a regular basis and they’re much more
likely to decide your product and business is the right one for them
and that YOU are the right person to lead them.

Through your determination, passion, and undeniable knowledge of the
business opportunity your downline building will go from strength to
strength.

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute.

Last week I started a 2 part series on the “psychology of winning”. 

I brought up the fact that while so many of us have a strong
desire to win in our business, we make subconscious choices
that actually keep us from winning.

On the inside we win because we’ve avoided getting out of our
comfort zones or by having everyone like us.  But on the outside,
we’re not winning…and it’s frustrating!

Today I want to share 3 more tips with you about ways that you
might be sabotaging yourself by “winning”.

3)  You try to win by always being right.

Maybe you’re an expert in a specified area like a doctor or lawyer. 
Perhaps you’ve gotten a lot of training on your product.  Maybe
you’ve been in this industry for a long time and you feel like
you already know it all.

When you focus on being right, you become close minded to new ideas.

How can you tell if you’re someone who tries to win by always being right?
- When you argue with your spouse, do you always have to have the last word?
- Is it possible for you to smile and keep your mouth shut, even when
  you’re sure you’re right, and not say anything?
- If someone in your downline has an idea they’d like to try for generating
  new leads for their business, do you immediately tell them everything
  that’s wrong with it?
- Do you critique every leader in your company?

Focusing on always being right will put you on the fast track for hitting
the glass ceiling when it comes to your relationships, money, and business. 

Instead of trying to be right all the time, focus your energy on building
relationships and making money. 

4) You can win by winning!

If this is you, then you’re an achiever whose primary focus is to win!
Perhaps you’re very competitive, and will do whatever it takes to win. 
You refuse to yield, and will always stay the course. 

Mark Twain said it best; “If you want to be successful, find out where
the successful are heading and get their first”!

*********************************************************************
If your constant focus is on winning, make sure you don’t compromise
your integrity to “win”. Be honest in your business and with your team. 
Don’t fudge the numbers to impress a prospect.  Don’t lie about your
commission check.  Don’t hype up your accomplishments.  Being focused
on winning is great, just make sure you do it with integrity. 
*********************************************************************

5) The final way you can win is by losing.

I know this sounds weird…but just stay with me.  Some people, whether
they’ll admit it or not, win in their lives by choosing to be a victim.
They want sympathy from others and declare within that it is not
possible to win.  They believe the odds are stacked against them. 

Out of all the ways to sabotage yourself from truly winning in your
business, I think this way is the most common. 

How can you tell if you’re winning by losing? 

- Is your life constantly filled with problems and bad circumstances?
- Do you find yourself saying, “I don’t have the money” or “I think
  I will give it a try”?
- Do you blame others for your lack of success?  If only my upline
  would help me…If only my spouse would support me…If only I didn’t
  have such a stressful job…and so on?

I’d like to challenge you today to take a long hard look at your life.

There are people who are not wealthy because they want to be comfortable.
There are people who are not healthy because they want to be comfortable.
There are many people who are stuck in the same job because they want
to be liked. As well there are people who are “addicted” to struggle
because they win by losing.

If you’re like me, you might see a little of yourself in each of the
ways I just described. The most important thing to remember about
winning is that it’s a continuous process. 

Once you get inspired by a new goal, your whole focus goes back to
“winning”.  Whether it’s a promotion in your pay plan, a certain
number of sales you want to make, or taking that trip you’ve
always wanted. 

Successful entrepreneurs win by winning.  Period.

Hello again & welcome back to another edition of the Monday
Minute.  I always enjoy bringing you my personal tips, tricks and
success strategies that have made the direct selling business so
enjoyable for me.  I hope you get as much out of these newsletters
as I do!

Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to bring you a 2 part
series on the “psychology” of winning.  Really, it’s just my personal
take on the subject - but an important one if you plan on building
your networking business for the long haul.

So, what is winning to you?  Can you define what it would mean in
your life to win?  What would that look like for you?

Surprisingly, many people don’t really know.  Often, they just
have a vague idea of what winning would me - more money, being able
to quit their job, going on vacations…that sort of stuff. 

But at the heart of things, if you don’t know the definition of
“winning” in your life - if you don’t have a really clear picture of
what that means, then how can you ever be a winner in your network
marketing business?

Most people think of winning as achieving some sort of goal.  They’ve
“arrived” and reached the top.  Would it surprise you to know that
there are actually other ways of “winning” that have nothing to do
with being successful?

*********************************************************************
Our minds can sometimes play tricks on us.  We want to win.  We
desire to be a top income earner.  We long for success.  And yet,
our actions don’t seem to match up to those desires.  We sabotage
ourselves.  Our conscious minds want to achieve at the highest
levels…but our subconscious minds are usually very happy to just
stay where we are, in our comfort zones.
*********************************************************************

To that “inner mind”, our subconscious, winning often means something
very different. 

I want to share with you some of the ways that people “win”.  My hope
is that you will discover some things about your current thought patterns
that might be keeping you from really winning in your business. 

1)  Sometimes, you win by being comfortable. 

Whether we want to admit it or not, sometimes our primary goal is to
go through life as comfortably as possible.  Maybe you don’t function
well under pressure. Perhaps you freeze up if you’re pushed or challenged.

Do you always try to avoid conflict?  When we do this, we’re saying
we’d rather go through life on cruise control.

What are some ways you can “win” by staying in your comfort zone?
- By watching a great reality show on TV instead of making phone
      calls to your warm list
- By making the excuse that you’re just too tired from work and
      can’t make it to the meeting this week
- By not stepping up as the leader of your team in favor of deferring
      all the training and support to someone else
- By avoiding both calling people and answering the phone
- By hiding out behind your computer screen

When we do these things, we’re designing out lives to support the pursuit
of our comfort.  We say we want to “win”, but our actions speak differently. 

We’re still winning…just at the wrong thing.

2) Another way you can win is by trying to be liked.

Is your primary goal to be liked by others?  Do you desire to be popular
and accepted by everyone?  If you get an angry phone call or email
from someone on your team, does it upset you to the point where you
stew about it for days?

So many times we “win” by trying to be liked, rather than taking a
risk of being wrong.

As a leader in your business, this is a dangerous place to be. 

You’re less willing to make hard core decisions for fear of upsetting
someone. You’re afraid to fail and try to please everyone all the time.

Everyone wants to be liked, but if you’re motivated by being liked
by others and are constantly seeking approval from your team, it’s
going to be impossible for you to move ahead.

That’s all for this week.  Join me again next Monday & I’ll give
you 3 more ways you lose by trying to win!

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!

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!