Motivation
Monday, March 31, 2008, by Leigh Anne
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“The things that make you feel, think, laugh”
I have spent alot of time this weekend scrapbooking - trying to get my sweet high school senior daughter’s albums up to date (yes - I am behind!!) I was enjoying the pictures of all the things we have done as a family, the many things she has accomplished, amazed by how much she has grown. I was scrapbooking events that had already happened.
I realized that there is another way to scrapbook - what about scrapbooking forward by creating a vision of what you want your life to be - what you want to create with your life!?
A dream board or vision board is a perfect way to create that picture. In my office hang 3 magnet boards. On these boards I keep pictures, photographs, quotes, cards etc. of things I want to have in my life.
One one board are pictures of places around the world that I will visit one day - the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, etc.
On another board are pictures of things I will have one day - the red convertible Mercedes I have dreamed of since I could first drive, the house on the lake, my ideal weight. There is even a picture of red shoes because I love red shoes. I already own four pairs of red shoes but just looking at the picture inspires me!
The third board has various motivational thoughts and quotes that I read on a daily basis that help keep me stay focused on where I am going and what I want to accomplish.
Some of of my favorites ones are….
“When you pray, move your feet.”
“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid”
“Remember you don’t have to get it perfect….just get it going!”
Create your own dream board by combining visual images and words that represent what you want more of in your life.
Get out your magazines or search the Internet for pictures of things that motivate you, inspire you, represent things you want to accomplish in your life.
Do you have a goal to travel to a certain destination, earn a certain amount of money, or own a certain kind of car like I do? Find a picture of it and put it on your dream board.
Your dream board can be made from a piece of poster-board, a bulletin board or a magnet board. Be creative - you can even just pin or tape things right on your wall or closet door!
The important thing is that you keep it fresh and visible. Put it where you will see it every day. As your dreams and vision for your life change - change the pictures!
So get out your magazines, scissors, glue and tape and get going!
Do you already have a dream board - I’d love to hear what some of the things are on your board.
If you don’t have one - create your future life by creating a dream board. Let me know how it goes or better yet - email me a picture of it, I’d love to see what you create!
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
Albert Einstein
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Categories: Goals, Inspire, Motivation
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Monday, March 24, 2008, by Leigh Anne
“The things that make you feel, think, laugh”
One of the ways I have found to help keep myself focused during the day, focused on the things that are important and that I am working on, is through words of inspiration.
I start the day in my bathroom - there on my bathroom counter is a small ceramic stone with the word “focus” imprinted on it. You may remember from an earlier post my need to stay “focused” while putting on my makeup or I end up out in public with only half of it on!
Hanging in my office, on the wall, is the following word of inspiration, reinforcing my desire to be a more calm mother and wife.
Also on a shelf in my office is a brick with my favorite word - one that reminds me to try and be an inspiration as well as seek inspiration in all I do.
Next, is the laundry room (a room the whole family hopefully visits on a daily basis) where I have hung a board with the following counsel provided by the late, dear prophet of our church, President Gordon B. Hinckley
On the wall of my daughter’s room are the following words of inspiration, words I hope she will remember and internalize as she reads them daily. I want her to know that whatever she wishes and dreams can be hers if she just moves forward and does the work!
In our kitchen nook, above our table, are some words of inspiration I hope become a mantra for my children…
Do you have any favorite words of inspiration? Are there words or sayings that inspire you and keep you focused on the things that are important to you? Please leave a comment below and let me know what they are. (remember if you are reading this in an email update or a RSS feeder you will need to click through to the blog in order to leave a comment - thanks! I’d love to hear from you.)
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Categories: Inspire, Motivation
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Sunday, March 16, 2008, by Leigh Anne
“The things that make you feel, think, laugh”
Today is Part Three of our Finding Focus series.
The last few weeks I have shared ideas on how to find focus in your life and homebased business when you only have a few minutes with the Fifteen Minute Focus or how to get focused when you have a whole day with the concept of the Catch Up Day.
But what about the in between? You have more than a few minutes but not quite a whole day. Try the Power Hour!
The Power Hour is a technique I learned years ago from Sue Rusch, a former top leader with Pampered Chef.
The Power Hour is a catch up technique you can use, like the Fifteen Minute Focus when you are feeling overwhelmed and constantly behind. This technique has helped me to gather that splattered energy and refocus my attention - to focus on what really matters.
Here is how it works - you beg, borrow or steal one hour during the day to devote entirely and totally to your business or some other project you are trying to accomplish.
If you have young children at home, hire a sitter, trade with a neighbor, negotiate with your husband or stay up an hour later or get up an hour earlier than everyone else (this is what I find works best for me).
During this Power Hour you work as hard as you can on that one thing that has been eating at you - those customer care calls you can’t seem to get done (don’t do this one late at night or early in the morning :), the closet that needs organizing, or that exercise routine that keeps getting neglected - whatever it is that has been nagging at you.
A Power Hour is dedicated to one task or a couple of smaller ones. If you are using this concept to help you get more focused with your business be sure to stay focused on business building activities!
We need to realize we can not do everything - at least not all at the same time. You need a clear sense of the activities that are worthy of your time and those that will contribute little to your goals and mission.
Confucius said, “The man who chases 2 rabbits catches neither.”
Having the self-discipline to focus on our best activities - ones that create results that are desired can be challenging.
Focusing on the worthy is the golden key to time management, finding focus, balance and life fulfillment.
Here are tips that helped me during my Power Hour:
- Just like with the Fifteen Minute Focus - use a timer.
- Decide on what your reward will be at the end of your Power Hour - maybe a cup of tea, a movie with your husband or a hot bath before bed or maybe even some chocolate!
- Do not answer the phone during your Power Hour.
- Shut the door to the room where you are working if possible and remember what I tell my children - don’t bother me unless there is blood or you’re not breathing!
In the book “Don’t Worry, Make Money“ Richard Carlson recommends “experimenting with the one-hour solution.” Spending one hour each and every day, doing what is the critical inch of your business. The critical inch being the key parts of our business (not simply busy work), income producing activities.
Just this week, I used the technique to help me get caught up on an Internet course I had enrolled in. I had gotten very behind (15 weeks behind to tell the truth!). I set aside a Power Hour each day and set a goal to accomplish two lessons a day and now I am almost caught up!
So what is the one thing that has been nagging at you, causing you to feel splattered and unfocused? Find time for one Power Hour this week and work on that project. Give it a try and let me know by leaving a comment below how it works for you!
Happy Power Hour!
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Categories: Home Based Business, Inspire, Motivation, Time Management
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Sunday, March 9, 2008, by Leigh Anne
“The things that make you feel, think, laugh”
Last week I introduced you to my new blog post category - “Nest” with a fun idea of planting your own Easter grass.
Today I introduce my second new category - “Inspire”. On Monday’s I will be sharing ideas and tips that have inspired me and that hopefully will inspire you. The majority of them will have something to do with balancing a job/business or just life with a family but you never know what may inspire me during the week!
Before I share this week’s idea I want to explain why I chose the above picture to represent my “Inspire” posts.
One of my favorite things to do is to sit in my kitchen or my office and watch the hummingbirds out in my garden. They are amazing little birds.
Did you know that not only can they fly vertical and horizontal but they are also the only bird who can fly backwards. They are able to hover midair as their wings flap 15-80 times a second! They amaze me.
So I chose a picture of a hummingbird in the garden - it inspires me and I hope that my “Inspire” posts will inspire you!
You may remember that last week I shared with you a disorder I suffer from - A.A.A.A.D.D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
Today I will share a strategy I use when I am really having a hard time focusing.
A Catch Up Day is a great idea when you are really feeling overwhelmed with all those unfinished projects and having a hard time staying focused long enough to complete any of them. But sometimes a Catch Up Day is just not in the picture, so here is another strategy you can use to help you focus on a project that needs to get done!
The 15 Minute Focus
When you don’t have a whole day to devote to those unfinished projects use the 15 Minute Focus. I found that I can accomplish just about anything in 15 minute increments.
I have cleaned and organized my garage, weeded the garden, gotten caught up on my scrapbooks, sewn a quilt and organized every room in my house by using this technique!
I have learned that you can suffer through anything for 15 minutes (and longer if a new baby is the result of your efforts!)
So what job have you been putting off and dreading? Is it cleaning the garage, getting those photos into an album or something else?
The trick that really makes this technique work though is that you only do it for 15 minutes. I use a kitchen timer to make sure I don’t work for more than 15 minutes. It is important that you don’t think “Hey I’m on a roll, I’ll just keep going.”
The problem with that is that next time you need a 15 minute focus you will say to yourself, “I can’t do this because I don’t have 30 -45 minutes.” Only work for 15 minutes at a time - NO MORE!
You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in 15 minutes of FOCUSED time. Allow no distractions, no phone calls, etc. Set a timer!
Tell your family that they are not allowed to talk to you - lock yourself in the room if you have too. I tell my kids “Unless there is blood or you are not breathing - LEAVE ME ALONE!
(Those of you with younger children will want to make sure another responsible adult is supervising the children!)
So give it a try and let me know how it goes. Let me know what you are able to accomplish during your 15 Minute Focus.
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Categories: Goals, Home Based Business, Inspire, Motivation, Organizational Tips, Time Management
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Monday, January 28, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I am a proud Mama! You see, my sweet, high school daughter has been ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE! Now believe me I am in no rush for her to leave home, in fact for the last year I have been tearing up at the thought of it. As you know, I already have two sweet college boys (yes - we will have 3 in college at the same time next fall - yikes!$!$!) so we have been through this before. But this sweet daughter’s journey to this point in her life has been a little different than my boys.
You see Cali was born with speech and learning disabilities. Through her educational journey she has always had what is called an IEP (Individual Education Program) this has allowed her special services (resource room, speech therapy. etc.) . Learning has never come easy for her, she has had to work twice as hard at it as most people do. But Cali’s spirit, spunk and determination have brought her to today - where she has received her first college acceptance and she will be graduating with an Honor’s Diploma (which means she has taken Advanced Placement courses and completed an involved service project as well as other things)
What an amazing experience it is to see your children struggle with challenges, overcome those challenges and achieve their dreams! I have learned a lot from being Cali’s mother. I marvel at her strength, her determination not to give up and her ability to stay the course. I know that because of these traits Cali will be successful at whatever she undertakes in her life, that she will be able to overcome whatever challenge is placed in her path.
Each of us has our own set of challenges whether in business or in life. One thing Cali has taught me is that if you want something bad enough and the desire is strong in your heart you can overcome!
Being the Proud Mama that I am I wanted to share with you Cali’s college essay - it describes Cali’s journey and personality so well and I know that Cali’s spirit and determination will take her far!
“I don’t do time and money,” stated a spunky little girl-me-to her resource room teacher. But this spunk and determination helped me to overcome my learning disabilities and challenge myself in all aspects of life.
From day one, it was a challenge to speak. This brought on numerous ear surgeries and years of speech and language therapy. My late start and struggle in school with reading, talking, and understanding brought an adventure.
During elementary school, I went to the resource room. Some kids cruelly called it “the retarded kid’s” room, but I found it a safe place. In this protected space, I felt comfortable learning without being intimidated by other student’s speed of learning.
In middle school I wanted to prove that having a learning disability doesn’t equate with the label, “stupid.” I spent hours doing homework and studying. Even though I wasn’t getting straight A’s I was achieving excellence by performing at a quicker pace.
I now have the goal to graduate with an honors diploma. Even though it’s a struggle, I enjoy the challenge. With four AP classes I have learned that I am capable of new and bigger things.
My determination has helped me overcome obstacles in more then just academics. I aspired to land a leading role in a high school musical. After numerous rejections, I achieved this goal after hours of preparation and positive thinking.
Another one of my goals has been to attend BYU. I know this won’t be easy, but by overcoming my disabilities I am prepared to take on the challenge of being a BYU student. There is no greater feeling then achieving your dream after you have worked for excellence.
I love you Cali!
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Categories: Family, Goals, Motivation
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Monday, January 7, 2008, by Leigh Anne
It’s my birthday today. I enjoyed a fun, yummy lunch with girlfriends and there were even gifts! I have been thinking about gifts a lot lately - not just because of the past holidays and my birthday but because of a movie we watched as a family during the break. If you have not seen “The Ultimate Gift” you need to! In fact I would highly recommend purchasing a copy for your family. I don’t buy many movies because there aren’t too many movies I want to watch more than once but I did buy this one!
It is a wonderful movie about ”when grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens anticipates a big inheritance. Instead, his grandfather has devised a crash course on life with twelve tasks – or “gifts” – designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways, sending him on a journey of self-discovery and forcing him to determine what is most important in life: money or happiness.”
As I watched the movie and later thought about the 12 gifts that Jason received on his crash course I thought about how these gifts related to my homebased business. I discovered that my homebased business has given me these 12 gifts also.
The Gift of:
1. Work - What a gift it is to have a job that allows me to always keep my family as my first priority while still finding fulfillment, success and recognition through my work.
2. Money - The income I have earned through my homebased business has provided many of the “extras” for our family - vacations, second home, lessons, shopping etc. and the last few years it has also provided the “basics” when my husband has experienced unemployment. The money I earn through my business has been a true gift to our family.
3. Friends- I can’t even begin to count the friends I have made over the last 17 years I have had my homebased business! I have met so many wonderful woman (and a few men) that have impacted my life, inspired me, and motivated me. Two of my dearest friends in life I met through my direct sales business.
4. Family -The biggest gift my business has given me is the ability I have had to be a stay at home mom!
5. Problems - Yes, there have been problems and there always will be. The last 17 years have not all been smooth sailing. There have been plenty of ups and downs, high sales, low sales, high commission checks, low commission checks but I know that with the blessings must come the trials. I am grateful for those trials for they have made me a better and stronger person.
6. Learning - The thingsI have learned from my homebased business are many. I have learned how to sell (something I had NEVER done before nor thought I could or wanted to do!), recruit, speak to a group of 4,000 women, lead a team of 700, deal with difficult people, etc. I could go on and on….
7 Laughter - I have learned to laugh at myself - I have made plenty of mistakes along the way and I am grateful for those who laughed right alongside me as we have learned and grown together!
8. Dreams - I have learned how to dream and because of my homebased business I have seen many of those dreams come true. The purchase of our second home on the Oregon Coast was a dream I have had for many years - it was because of the income from my homebased business that we were able to purchase it. I have many other dreams too that I look forward to the realization of thanks to my business!
9. Giving -I have been both a giver and and a receiver. I have been able to give of my time, my experience and my knowledge to help others with their business. I have been able to “give” to my customers as I have helped them but I am sure I have received more than I have given through the many gifts and blessings that have come into my life as a result of my business.
10. Gratitude - I am grateful on a daily basis for all that I have been given, the many gifts that my life has been blessed with. Sometimes when things aren’t going exactly the way I want it easy to forget to be grateful. One of my resolutions for this year is to be more grateful on a daily basis - to recognize the hand of the Lord in my life each day and the blessings he showers down on me.
11. A Day - One of the biggest gifts or blessings of a homebased business is the freedom I have to choose how I will spend my day - each day is mine to choose. I do not have a boss telling me what I have to do and when I have to do it - it is up to me.
12 Love - How grateful I am for the love I have for my team members, fellow consultants and my customers. My life has been so enriched by the people that my business has brought into it. My life is fuller and richer because of them.
So go out and rent or buy “The Ultimate Gift” and take some time to review over the many gifts you have received.
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Categories: Direct Sales, Goals, Home Based Business, Motivation
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Monday, November 12, 2007, by Leigh Anne
The last two weeks we have been talking about Momentum - the importance of it and how to maintain it. This week let’s talk about how to regain momentum.
Several years ago I was attending a Regional Convention with some members of my team in Seattle (3 hours north of Portland) One of our Northwest “ice storms” was on its way - for those of you who have never had the pleasure of experiencing a Northwest “ice storm” - the entire surface of EVERYTHING becomes encased in a sheet of ice ! We knew the storm was coming so we decided it was time to head for home.
The storm hit as we drove south but we were doing o.k. - making slow but steady progress. My knuckles were turning white from gripping the seat so tightly but we were making progress! And then it happened - we were about an hour north of Portland slowly making our way up a hill when the truck in front of us came to a stop. As a result, we too came to a stop. We were at a complete stand still. There we were, a car with four women, one of them very pregnant, in the dark of the night, stranded a mile from the nearest town and a dead cell phone!
So what had happened? Why couldn’t we get going again? We had lost MOMENTUM - the force of movement. Stranded on that ice covered hill we were unable to get going again. Momentum was the only difference between our car and the ones passing us on the road.
So maybe some of you feel your business is at a complete standstill or going slower than you’d like - how can you create the momentum you need to get going again. You may feel, just like the four of us in the car, that you do not have the power within yourself to create the momentum you need.
You need an agent for change - for us, the agent for change came out of the middle of the dark night in the form of one of the girl’s husbands who felt inspired to leave Seattle early and return to Portland. He found us in the pitch dark, stranded along the side of the road!
Many times the momentum or agent for change that you need may come from someone else - an idea learned at a unit meeting, regional convention or upline. Sometimes solutions to our problems can be as little as one small degree of change.
Water boils at 212 degrees - at 211 degrees it is just hot water. One degree - an increase of less than one half of one percent can make the difference between a pot of hot water and a boiling cauldron of power! That one degree is momentum.
After 17 years in the business, I have learned that one of the “Critical Success Factors” of direct sales is scheduling. That is usually where the breakdown happens - we neglect scheduling new events - like I mentioned last week we wake up to find ourselves with a case of “snowblindness” - no events on the calendar. We have lost momentum and come to a complete standstill with our business.
Recently, I attended the NW Women’s show here in Portland. A leader in my team had a booth at the show. She had a great scheduling idea that I want to share with you today -using this idea she and her team member were able to schedule 44 home events!! This idea may be the agent for change that you need in your business - the one thing you need to create momentum in your business again!
Deal or No Deal - you may have heard of the TV game show or even watched it. It is the one with all the girls in matching dresses with briefcases. Well, in this version of Deal or No Deal you offer your customers/show attendees the opportunity to take home some fun prizes. The “deal” is they also have to be willing to schedule a home event with you if the “briefcase” or envelope they select says “schedule a home event”. Some of the envelopes just say “Pick a prize from the basket” but some say “Pick a prize from the basket and schedule a home event tonight.” Be sure and make the prizes appealing - discontinued product, limited edition product etc. I would be sure the cost to you as the consultant is no more than $5 -6.00 maximum. My team member used product that was worth less than a dollar and had great success! So give it a try - it may be just what you need to regain momentum in your business.
If you have a scheduling tip that has helped you regain momentum in your business or maintain momentum please share! Just click on comments. All those who leave comments will be entered into our monthly contest! (More info on the contest tomorrow!)
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Categories: Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk
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Monday, November 5, 2007, by Leigh Anne
Last week I shared with you the story of becoming “Stuck in the Mud”. I compared this to our direct sales business and how we can get “stuck in the mud” and lose momentum. Getting started again can take a lot of time, effort and energy. It is easier to keep the momentum going and not get stuck!
This week I want to talk about maintaining that momentum. For many of us the fall selling season is our best and busiest time of the year. It is important that we take advantage of this time and use the momentum we create during the fall to propel us into the next year.
Once something is in motion it is easier to keep it in motion. I have found that one of the biggest “momentum stoppers” for a direct sales business can be the upcoming holidays. The months prior to the holidays (Sept. Oct. and November) are great and we can find ourselves so busy that we are not being “forward thinking” we are only “present thinking.
We need to take advantage of the busyness of our fall to help us create momentum for our next year. I have seen it happen over and over- we wake up January 1st, look at our calendar and are hit with “snow blindness” – a white calendar – we have nothing scheduled! We find ourselves “stuck in the mud”. We have lost the momentum and forward motion we created the previous fall – we are starting over again!
So how can we prevent “snow blindness” in our business? You may have heard of the “snowball effect”. Just like with a snowball, your small, consistent efforts with your business build one on top of each other, creating a bigger and bigger snowball (business). The bigger that snowball gets the faster it moves and it takes on a life of it’s own as it speeds down the hill! We can create that same type of “snowball effect” in our business.
We need to learn to take advantage of the momentum created during the busy fall season. We need to use the fall to “Jumpstart January” so we wake up January 1st with a full calendar and not a glaring white calendar! So during this busy fall season be sure that you are being “forward thinking”.
- Set your goals for January now – how many home events do you want to teach in January, what are your sales and recruiting goals for January?
- Report into your upline your goals so she can hold you accountable.
- Set a goal to have those January events scheduled and on the calendar by a certain date this fall so you don’t wake up with “snowblindness” January 1st.
- Have your January/February calendar available at all your fall home events. Be sure and advertise your company’s January hostess incentives/promotions.
- Always work for the “sooner” date (before the holidays) but when a potential hostess just doesn’t feel she can do it before the end of the year ALWAYS offer and encourage a January date.
So don’t start off the New Year with “snowblindness”. Use the momentum of your fall business to create the “snowball effect” in your business for the entire upcoming year. You will continue to pick up speed as you move through the year, creating a bigger and bigger snowball (business!).
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Categories: Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007, by Leigh Anne
Monday we had a fun “family night” activity. Jim, the girls and I went to the corn maze and Pumpkin Patch out on Sauvie Island. The corn maze covers acres and acres – that’s a lot of corn. As we got ready to go, I questioned whether we should take boots or not – it hasn’t rained here in Portland for a couple of weeks (surprise, surprise) so I didn’t really think we would need them but decided to take them anyway. Well – was I ever wrong and was I ever glad! The maze was muddy – in fact the mud was probably 4 inches deep! I learned some valuable lessons on our visit to the corn maze.
As we made our way through the corn maze we had an aerial photo of what the maze looked like but no specific directions or map. We were on our own. Let me tell you, a maze looks a lot different when you are in the middle of it than it does from up above. This is like starting a home based business. Sometimes things look great from the view above or as you watch others do it but once you get started and are in the middle of the maze (business) it can be a bit disorienting and different. Sometimes you just don’t know where you are, which way to go, or what to do! Have you ever felt that way?
Fortunately for us, while we were in the maze, we met a “Corn Cop”. “Corn Cops” are guys that walk around the maze to help people who just can’t figure out where they are or how to get out! We met a nice one who gave us some helpful hints on which way to go (and which paths to avoid), but first we had to ask – he didn’t just volunteer the information. He wanted us to try and figure it out on our own first. Do you have a “Corn Cop” in your business? – of course you do! You probably have an upline or sideline, networking buddies and a corporate office – all there willing to help – all you have to do is ask for help! When you are feeling lost, disoriented and not sure which way you need to go – JUST ASK!
Did I mention it was muddy!? We discovered as we walked along that we did okay in the mud as long as we kept moving. We had a problem when we stopped – our feet were stuck in the mud! The mud was so thick that it took a lot of tugging, pulling and energy to get our feet out of the mud once they were stuck. This can also happen in your business – and it’s called losing momentum. When you stop and start your business instead of keeping up a steady pace you lose momentum Momentum is driven by consistency. When you lose momentum, starting your business again can be a lot like being stuck in the mud – it takes a lot more tugging, pulling and energy to get going than it does to keep going.
So what can you do when you find yourself “stuck in the mud? As I mentioned before - ask for help. Help can come in the form of an idea from a team meeting, an upline, a pacing partner, a company publication, a conference call or fellow team member. That one idea can be all you need to get “unstuck” and get moving again. Momentum is the force that drives you forward and there is nothing more important to a successful business than a steady, consistent pace. Next week I’ll share some specific tips for creating momentum in your business.
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Categories: Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk, Uncategorized
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Monday, October 1, 2007, by Leigh Anne
Well, here in the Northwest, fall has arrived. The trees are changing color, the furnace turns on in the morning, I can see my breath when I go out for my walk and the rains have arrived! I love fall and all that comes with it - even the rain. This past week I was having a conversation with a woman who had grown up back East and had just moved to Portland via a couple of years in California. We were discussing how much we loved seeing the change of seasons and how much she had missed it while she lived in California. She made the statement that it was “boring” when each season was the same.
That got to me to thinking about my homebased business and the different “seasons” I have been through the last 17 years. First of all I am thankful that I have a business that is flexible enough to allow for different “seasons” and that although some of the seasons may have been easier than others they definitely weren’t “boring”.
There was the first season of my business - I was the mother of 3 small children, ages 2, 5 and 7. I ran another homebased business (children’s sewing school) and I had a husband that worked 2-3 evenings a week.
Then there was the season of being pregnant, adding a fourth baby to our family.
Next was the season where we were building a new home, living in a small apartment where my husband and I slept on the hide-a-bed in the living room with the new baby in a portable crib by our side for six months. Holding customer events, open house etc. in this little apartment was an exciting “season”.
Then the season of moving into our new home, across town, which in Portland is like moving to a whole new city, meeting new people, making new customers etc. A challenge but not “boring”!
Next came the season of teenagers - need I say more! I always use to tell myself - when the kids get older, running a homebased business will be so much easier - guess what? I was wrong. It is not easier, only different. Although I may be home alone during the day - those after school hours, evenings and weekends are crazy! Trying to schedule in customer events, team meetings etc. can be a real challenge.
I know there are other seasons to come. I look at many of my team members with such admiration and respect as I see them going through various “seasons” in their lives. Several who are dealing with major health issues, multiple surgeries yet still work their business - in fact they have had record months while experiencing these seasons. There is also the team member whose husband has undergone cancer surgery - she didn’t allow this “season” to slow her down. She loaded him up in the motor home and took off driving to the next rally she had a booth at and had record sales!
What is it that has allowed me and these other women to weather the “seasons” and even excel during these times and what can help you to enjoy the “seasons” of your business?
1. A passion and love for what they do. A real belief in the mission of your company.
2. Consistent effort -treating your business as a business. Your business is not something you do “when you have time” or “if it is convenient” It is something you do on a regular, consistent basis. The amount of time may vary for individuals but the one thing that is the same is that they work it on a regular basis - whether it is 20 hours a week or 5 hours a week. They are consistent in their efforts.
3. Momentum- as a result of consistent effort they have created momentum in their business. This momentum keeps them going through the rougher “seasons”. The hard work and effort they put in during the easier “seasons” continues and pushes them through the hard times.
So whatever “season” it is you find yourself in with your business -love what you do, be consistent at whatever level you can and you will create momentum. Most importantly - enjoy it, make the most of it and remember - at least it’s not boring!
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Categories: Home Based Business, Motivation, Team Talk
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