I'm getting back into reading The Law of Attraction Made Simple by Jonathan Manske. It's been awhile since I picked it up. The chapters are short and digestible, and there are feasible action steps at the end of each chapter you can put into practice in your life (and business).
For a couple months now, the theme has been coming to me how much I do not listen to myself and do not really know the answers to questions about who I am, what I want, what am I doing, what are my big dreams, etc. There is a lot of self-exploration that has to happen there. I'm so consumed with daily life, tasks, responsibilities, and menial accomplishing of to-dos that I don't spend any time on me. Helping myself grow and develop as an individual, a woman, a child of God, a business owner. I've been intending to recommit to personal development time in the mornings before anyone wakes up, but I've been very bad about going to bed at a decent hour. On top of that, I'm pregnant, and with the tiredness that comes with that, getting an extra hour of sleep to make it to 6 hours or so trumps all logical choices to forego precious sleep while growing a baby and chasing a toddler.
The chapter that opened next in this book, after picking it up after months and months, was "Talk Nice to Yourself". I don't pay attention to the way I talk to myself. It's hard for me to comprehend knowing what I say to myself. I know my mind is chattering all the time, thinking about different topics or things to get done. But when I stop and think, "Okay, now what was I just thinking about?" I can probably recall the topic, but how I was saying it? The words I was using in my head? Nope, I don't think so.
I learned about an exercise recently called a Thought Catcher, where you take a sheet of paper, a new one each day for a week, and you write down things you say to yourself throughout the day. If you repeat certain thoughts, you put a tick mark next to the first time you wrote it. After a day, and a week of doing this, you'll see the themes that run through your brain and that you tell yourself. The purpose is so you can write positive affirmations for yourself to change your self-talk in those specific areas. Sounds like an effective and worthwhile exercise to me, but I just can't seem to identify specific things that I 'say to myself'!
I've felt led recently to incorporate short times of meditation and prayer into my day. I forgot to do that this morning as part of my PD time. Will try it. Quieting my mind and allowing quiet - even before the tasks of accomplishing PD first thing in the morning - will likely help me be more in-tune in this area.
Despite alllllll the things I want to change and grow in and improve for myself, I love and accept myself unconditionally exactly where I am. XO
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
I alone am the first circle
Two days ago, I read the book Making the First Circle Work: The Foundation for Duplication in Network Marketing by Randy Gage. I read a book? A whole book? In one day? How is that even possible for me?
First of all, the book is about 60 pages. Okay, that's why. :) Second, I had my 5am session and spent at least 15 minutes reading. I consider myself a slow, out-of-practice reader. The more I make it a practice, the easier and faster it gets, just like most other things, I suppose. So I didn't get tremendously far in 15 minutes alone.
Last, I made a change in a practice I have during the day. I currently breastfeed my son 4x a day, and it has become my habit for most of that relationship to watch movies during those nursing dates. I love movies, one of my pastimes, so while I've recognized for awhile that I could be doing productive things while nursing, I haven't wanted to give movies up. Yesterday, I tried it. Wow, I feel accomplished finishing that little, awesome book.
Since I read SO much in one day (not just the 15 minutes, my goal), it's pretty tough to pull out ALL the details I read in one post. Most of it resonated with me for this point in my leadership and experience. I see many of these principles in my upline/organization. So this will be more of a recap of the book instead of a ton of introspection (which is partly my purposes of doing this), but introspection was/is happening, I promise.
***
Where duplication lives. You. It's the most important key to having a successful, growing, and sustainable network marketing business. You are the only person in your circle of control. You cause certain behavior to happen by modeling that behavior, good or bad. You grow your people, they grow the network...because they are growing their people. Invest in them.
Power of the mind. Negative beliefs create behaviors that reduce my success. "When you have a negative mindset, every minor challenge will turn into a distraction and distractions kill growth" (17). "The only way to keep your mindset right is through daily self-development time devoted to positive programming" (17). The bigger you make your dreams, the bigger they will grow you.
Doing the right thing/setting the standard of integrity. It all begins with you. "...a system where success comes from people helping others reach success, where the sponsorship line gets paid for reaching down and mentoring they're team, and there is unlimited space at the top levels of success" (22). Be vigilant with integrity, in my business and my life. Represent the company accurately and honestly.
Pump up the volume. Buy from your own store; no excuses for any products if your own company has them. Be generous with samples and gifts. Develop a customer base. "...The standard you set in the first circle will directly impact what happens in the rest of them" (25). The greater variety of products you use, the better you'll know them, get better results, and have a stronger, more passionate story and testimonial. The more products your team sees you using and having around your house, the more they'll do the same. When you're earning smaller paychecks in the beginning of your business, you shouldn't be living off them - you should be reinvesting them in your business. "The personal volume in your circle is what is going to be multiplied many times over, all the way down the team" (29).
Making it rain/Busy work vs. income-producing activities. FB and tweets and checking numbers and calling your teammates and organizing...all busy work. We only get paid on volume produced by products that get to our clients. Invitations, activity, scheduling activity, and client follow-up. Plan your productive/rainmaker hours each week will probably grow your business more than any other single strategy you can implement (33).
Watering the taproot. Working directly with your downline will eventually produce higher payout and creates security in your organization.
Growing your market with events. Not planning my own Discovers quite yet, but it's so, so important to attend any and all live events you can. In network marketing, it's not whether something works, it's whether it duplicates. Meetings duplicate, as well as do some things only meetings can.
Promoting, not announcing/building to major events. Certainly not going to be planning my own global training conference tomorrow. But attending live events is a non-negotiable for your own personal growth and your business. Everyone is Always in need of at least One of these things: gain knowledge, improve attitude, change behavior, develop skills, build belief (44).
Using counseling to develop leadership. "You don't manage people. You lead people and manage things" (50). Best way to do that is through coaching. Share lessons learned and experiences, direct to PD resources that will help them, mentoring the positive and correcting dysfunctional behavior that is holding them back. Be honest and forthcoming during the coaching you receive so that the advice you receive can actually help you. Counseling makes all of the above stuff work. Coaching with someone else ensures my first circle is working.
Leading the tribe/Be the example. You can't show anyone how to grow/how to promote until you do it yourself. It SOUNDS good and LOOKS good to think if you first help a bunch of other people become successful then you become successful (sure DOES sound good), but those would be rare occasion when that happens to happen. The reality is, you must be able to LEAD for your team to be successful and sustainable longterm. You must become successful first. "At each step you are modeling the behavior and showing your team how the next level of success is attained" (55). Freedom is never free; it is the byproduct of success. Dreams never come true with common sense but because they are bold, daring and imaginative and strong enough to pull you forward. Be the most ambitious person you know.
Four things Randy Gage wants for me:
1. Live a Life of Adventure. Stop watching actors in movies and TV shows - time to live your own adventure. "Life is not about fighting rush-hour traffic, working in a cubicle, or sending your kids to daycare. Life is for living. And that means you" (59).
2. Get your Freedom. See number one. Freedom is about having choices - which car to drive, home to live in, exotic locale to vacation at, which causes to support, the schools for your kids, the people you want in your life. The choice to live out loud, in color, with passion.
3. Right Injustice. Can't do that much when you're trapped and broke. "Do what you can now, but to really make a meaningful difference, you probably need time, money and freedom" (59).
4. Move from Success to Significance. Make a difference. Leave a legacy. Build something that outlives you. That's when life really begins. Love, meaning, and leading a life of significance. "I will do today what others will not do, so tomorrow I can do what others cannot do" (61). Doing what we do is not easy - it's not supposed to be - but it is simple and important, not just for your freedom and your dreams, but for the freedom and dreams of everyone for whom you will make a difference.
Live your dreams.
***
So those are the biggest overall things I pulled out of the book. Some of it was very eye-opening, though tough to read because it's different than how I've been doing things; don't we all naturally resist change? But I don't want my regular ole human nature to keep me going the way I've been going. I want my dreams! Most of it is super inspiring and sounds like an incredible guide for changes and best practices in my business. As it was recommended, I agree it's a great first read when you start a network marketing business.
So far, it's day 3 of getting up at 5 A.M. (or nearly, since I still haven't gone to bed at an appropriate time...whomp whomp), but I have done my reading and blogging each morning, even though it looks like I may not post every single day if I don't complete the post in that sitting (like this one). :)
Here's me in my robe at 6-something this morning. Fancy! lol No Shame!
First of all, the book is about 60 pages. Okay, that's why. :) Second, I had my 5am session and spent at least 15 minutes reading. I consider myself a slow, out-of-practice reader. The more I make it a practice, the easier and faster it gets, just like most other things, I suppose. So I didn't get tremendously far in 15 minutes alone.
Last, I made a change in a practice I have during the day. I currently breastfeed my son 4x a day, and it has become my habit for most of that relationship to watch movies during those nursing dates. I love movies, one of my pastimes, so while I've recognized for awhile that I could be doing productive things while nursing, I haven't wanted to give movies up. Yesterday, I tried it. Wow, I feel accomplished finishing that little, awesome book.
Since I read SO much in one day (not just the 15 minutes, my goal), it's pretty tough to pull out ALL the details I read in one post. Most of it resonated with me for this point in my leadership and experience. I see many of these principles in my upline/organization. So this will be more of a recap of the book instead of a ton of introspection (which is partly my purposes of doing this), but introspection was/is happening, I promise.
***
Where duplication lives. You. It's the most important key to having a successful, growing, and sustainable network marketing business. You are the only person in your circle of control. You cause certain behavior to happen by modeling that behavior, good or bad. You grow your people, they grow the network...because they are growing their people. Invest in them.
Power of the mind. Negative beliefs create behaviors that reduce my success. "When you have a negative mindset, every minor challenge will turn into a distraction and distractions kill growth" (17). "The only way to keep your mindset right is through daily self-development time devoted to positive programming" (17). The bigger you make your dreams, the bigger they will grow you.
Doing the right thing/setting the standard of integrity. It all begins with you. "...a system where success comes from people helping others reach success, where the sponsorship line gets paid for reaching down and mentoring they're team, and there is unlimited space at the top levels of success" (22). Be vigilant with integrity, in my business and my life. Represent the company accurately and honestly.
Pump up the volume. Buy from your own store; no excuses for any products if your own company has them. Be generous with samples and gifts. Develop a customer base. "...The standard you set in the first circle will directly impact what happens in the rest of them" (25). The greater variety of products you use, the better you'll know them, get better results, and have a stronger, more passionate story and testimonial. The more products your team sees you using and having around your house, the more they'll do the same. When you're earning smaller paychecks in the beginning of your business, you shouldn't be living off them - you should be reinvesting them in your business. "The personal volume in your circle is what is going to be multiplied many times over, all the way down the team" (29).
Making it rain/Busy work vs. income-producing activities. FB and tweets and checking numbers and calling your teammates and organizing...all busy work. We only get paid on volume produced by products that get to our clients. Invitations, activity, scheduling activity, and client follow-up. Plan your productive/rainmaker hours each week will probably grow your business more than any other single strategy you can implement (33).
Watering the taproot. Working directly with your downline will eventually produce higher payout and creates security in your organization.
Growing your market with events. Not planning my own Discovers quite yet, but it's so, so important to attend any and all live events you can. In network marketing, it's not whether something works, it's whether it duplicates. Meetings duplicate, as well as do some things only meetings can.
Promoting, not announcing/building to major events. Certainly not going to be planning my own global training conference tomorrow. But attending live events is a non-negotiable for your own personal growth and your business. Everyone is Always in need of at least One of these things: gain knowledge, improve attitude, change behavior, develop skills, build belief (44).
Using counseling to develop leadership. "You don't manage people. You lead people and manage things" (50). Best way to do that is through coaching. Share lessons learned and experiences, direct to PD resources that will help them, mentoring the positive and correcting dysfunctional behavior that is holding them back. Be honest and forthcoming during the coaching you receive so that the advice you receive can actually help you. Counseling makes all of the above stuff work. Coaching with someone else ensures my first circle is working.
Leading the tribe/Be the example. You can't show anyone how to grow/how to promote until you do it yourself. It SOUNDS good and LOOKS good to think if you first help a bunch of other people become successful then you become successful (sure DOES sound good), but those would be rare occasion when that happens to happen. The reality is, you must be able to LEAD for your team to be successful and sustainable longterm. You must become successful first. "At each step you are modeling the behavior and showing your team how the next level of success is attained" (55). Freedom is never free; it is the byproduct of success. Dreams never come true with common sense but because they are bold, daring and imaginative and strong enough to pull you forward. Be the most ambitious person you know.
Four things Randy Gage wants for me:
1. Live a Life of Adventure. Stop watching actors in movies and TV shows - time to live your own adventure. "Life is not about fighting rush-hour traffic, working in a cubicle, or sending your kids to daycare. Life is for living. And that means you" (59).
2. Get your Freedom. See number one. Freedom is about having choices - which car to drive, home to live in, exotic locale to vacation at, which causes to support, the schools for your kids, the people you want in your life. The choice to live out loud, in color, with passion.
3. Right Injustice. Can't do that much when you're trapped and broke. "Do what you can now, but to really make a meaningful difference, you probably need time, money and freedom" (59).
4. Move from Success to Significance. Make a difference. Leave a legacy. Build something that outlives you. That's when life really begins. Love, meaning, and leading a life of significance. "I will do today what others will not do, so tomorrow I can do what others cannot do" (61). Doing what we do is not easy - it's not supposed to be - but it is simple and important, not just for your freedom and your dreams, but for the freedom and dreams of everyone for whom you will make a difference.
Live your dreams.
***
So those are the biggest overall things I pulled out of the book. Some of it was very eye-opening, though tough to read because it's different than how I've been doing things; don't we all naturally resist change? But I don't want my regular ole human nature to keep me going the way I've been going. I want my dreams! Most of it is super inspiring and sounds like an incredible guide for changes and best practices in my business. As it was recommended, I agree it's a great first read when you start a network marketing business.
So far, it's day 3 of getting up at 5 A.M. (or nearly, since I still haven't gone to bed at an appropriate time...whomp whomp), but I have done my reading and blogging each morning, even though it looks like I may not post every single day if I don't complete the post in that sitting (like this one). :)
Here's me in my robe at 6-something this morning. Fancy! lol No Shame!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
2014 Goals - 5 AM Intentions
To be honest, I'm composing these goals only just now. I've thought about some of them for months. Some of them I'm innovating in the moment. Putting them down 'on paper' (printing this post) will help keep me accountable to the world and myself, and will clear up some brain real estate so I can focus on growing. And I must be honest With and For myself. So, though I want to write here, "I apologize in advance if any of my goals gross you out or offend you", I'm not going to, because these 5 AM sessions are for me first. Plus I have to put everything out there, for my own good.
5 AM Intentions
Rise at 5am.
Drink a glass of water.
Brush my teeth.
Fix a cup of tea.
Read the Bible/have a devotion for at least 15 minutes.
Pray.
Read personal development for at least 15 minutes.
Blog at 5 A.M. Sessions.
Blog at Oh, Life! by EEK Life.
Exercise 5x/week (goal is each weekday, 6x/week is great if the opportunity arises).
Notes:
Hitting snooze for 5 min is not only not going to make a difference but will wake my husband twice.
Already have the water goal as routine.
Brushing my teeth in the morning is not a current habit. I know it's a bad habit to skip it, but at my husband's recent learning of this abhorrent bad habit and his totally grossed out, shocked reaction, I'm changing it.
Almost always herbal (no caffeine). Once in awhile coffee. The health coach in me must share: a little raw honey in my tea, and in the coffee would be coconut milk and either stevia or organic, natural cane sugar or organic caramel syrup I found recently.
Must work on my relationship with Christ foremost. So hard to let this go when the rest of life overwhelms. Must set aside the space and time first thing...then it can't get overrun.
Reading personal development (PD) at the start of day also doesn't let me skip it when I'm busy, because I'm facing it - EVERY DAY IS BUSY, whether it's actual busyness or simply LIFE.
Blogging my goals and PD will help reinforce what I'm taking in and will record the highlights of what is striking me.
Blogging my devotional time and any elements from my personal life I want to remember will help reinforce that growth, memories, and will start keeping a record of some of the awesome stuff that happens in this home and life.
I prefer exercising before I eat a meal. I prefer exercising in the morning. I would love to do this before my toddler wakes up for the day. If I don't exercise (at the gym or at home) before he wakes, then I must during one of the 2 [current] nap times at home or take him to the gym daycare in the morning.
I prefer exercising before I eat a meal. I prefer exercising in the morning. I would love to do this before my toddler wakes up for the day. If I don't exercise (at the gym or at home) before he wakes, then I must during one of the 2 [current] nap times at home or take him to the gym daycare in the morning.
The honest, first session brain dump
For 2014, I've set many challenges for myself...mentally. Everything is always in my mind. Not visible. Not noticeable. Not accountable. Just...on my mind. All. The. Time. This really takes up a LOT of brain real estate, brain power, wastes time thing about all these things constantly, reminding myself to remember them...again and again and again.
When I turned 30 last year, 2/3/13, I swore to myself 30 was going to be my year. Swore. 30. The year to change. The year to get motivated. The year to transform my life. The year to revolutionize my thinking, my self esteem, my attitude, my gratitude, my actions, my thoughts, my businesses, my life. Transform it for myself and therefore my family (and lots of other circles of people stemming from my life, the ripple effect, of course).
As 2014 approached closer and closer, I sunk deeper and deeper with regret, disappointment, self-beratement (mentally, of course, taking up all that much more power, energy, time...), and feelings of giving up. This played out in many areas of my life, some physically (most apparently in my Arbonne business, also home/office messiness constantly and not being able to find things), some mentally (SO much more disorganization, constantly forgetting things (NOT like me), setting a plan and not following it, etc etc etc).
But a day or two before 2014 began, I had the thought...though 2013 is over, my 30th year is not. Procrastination at it's finest (my specialty). [I have a self development book about procrastination on my docket.] Though we often set resolutions and plans with calendar year-to-year goals, I'd set my goal for my 30th year, and that is NOT over yet!!! I have 33 days until my birthday, and these days are going to set the tone, attitude, changes and successes for my next year.
Also, I think I'm going to have to make these postings about my goals, things I'm learning, recordings...public. As in, share to Facebook. Personally, these are MY goals and thoughts and things that I'm learning that are relevant to me and my experience...but they could be for other people out there, too (of course), PLUS...it would be a level of accountability (Facebook, really? lol). If I share it out to the world, then I feel more of a responsibility and commitment, sometimes to others more than myself (also something I need to work on).
Here I go.
When I turned 30 last year, 2/3/13, I swore to myself 30 was going to be my year. Swore. 30. The year to change. The year to get motivated. The year to transform my life. The year to revolutionize my thinking, my self esteem, my attitude, my gratitude, my actions, my thoughts, my businesses, my life. Transform it for myself and therefore my family (and lots of other circles of people stemming from my life, the ripple effect, of course).
As 2014 approached closer and closer, I sunk deeper and deeper with regret, disappointment, self-beratement (mentally, of course, taking up all that much more power, energy, time...), and feelings of giving up. This played out in many areas of my life, some physically (most apparently in my Arbonne business, also home/office messiness constantly and not being able to find things), some mentally (SO much more disorganization, constantly forgetting things (NOT like me), setting a plan and not following it, etc etc etc).
But a day or two before 2014 began, I had the thought...though 2013 is over, my 30th year is not. Procrastination at it's finest (my specialty). [I have a self development book about procrastination on my docket.] Though we often set resolutions and plans with calendar year-to-year goals, I'd set my goal for my 30th year, and that is NOT over yet!!! I have 33 days until my birthday, and these days are going to set the tone, attitude, changes and successes for my next year.
Also, I think I'm going to have to make these postings about my goals, things I'm learning, recordings...public. As in, share to Facebook. Personally, these are MY goals and thoughts and things that I'm learning that are relevant to me and my experience...but they could be for other people out there, too (of course), PLUS...it would be a level of accountability (Facebook, really? lol). If I share it out to the world, then I feel more of a responsibility and commitment, sometimes to others more than myself (also something I need to work on).
Here I go.
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