Ready-Fire-Aim

Ready-Fire-Aim, I believe it was in his book, ‘In Search of Excellence‘, that Tom Peters coined this phrase. As a very anal retentive personality, I’ve always been about; check, make sure, check again! So this phrase always comes to mind for me each time I start a project.

Many of us were raised in a world of “Dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s, Double check your work, Proof read before you submit, and Get ready before you go.” For those engineers working on the Space Shuttle I would probably appreciate that kind of thinking. But for entrepreneurs I would say that it’s just an excuse for not getting started. It’s FEAR, self doubt, lack of goals, and listening to your loser friends!

Researching hundreds of successful companies, Tom Peters found that one of the common traits in each was the ‘no fear’ attitude of the leaders and the willingness to ‘FIRE’ (start a new project, make a decision) long before ALL the details of the business (AIM), were checked and double checked. Thusly, the phrase: Ready-FIRE-then Aim!

Think of some of the now major companies we use every day, which began with pretty scrappy business plans. FedEx, McDonald’s, Xerox, Apple Computer, The Gap, Realty Execs, Dell. Do you think Bill Gates spent a lot of time detailing his business plan when he was building computers in his garage?

Ready-Fire-Aim should be the battle cry of every MLM or home based entrepreneur. You have a home business or opportunity that you feel will be the vehicle to your success. You have the passion, the energy and the direction. The journey is a little vague at this point, but it doesn’t matter if the map is a little hard to read! Get started doing… something! FIRE now…. AIM (plan the details) later.

Successful people are intensely goal oriented, not plan oriented. They don’t care where they’re coming from; it’s where they’re going that matters. Their destination is not determined by their desires, but rather the direction in which they’re traveling. Will there be miscues and potholes in your road to a home business success? Maybe even a real failure or two? Absolutely. Successful people fail a LOT more than unsuccessful people. The difference? Successful people try again.

Those loser friends? Well, when you’re younger you spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think of you. When you reach 50 or so you realize that no one was really paying much attention!

The power to create the life we dream about is in each of us. You can bring your MLM or your dream of a home based business to life. Now is the time to take control of your destiny.

Ready-Fire-Aim…..Go ahead, take a Shot!

The best way to predict your future is to create it. Abraham Lincoln

Your Attitude Sucks!

Successful people don’t accept excuses… from themselves. If you’re one of these people you will agree with me that you are your most ardent coach, critic, task master and mother. Just something in our blood that makes us crazy most of the time! Right? For those of you fortunate enough not to have such contrary DNA or possibly a Catholic elementary education, I would suggest that you begin a serious exploration of your “inner-self”. Sounds like something from the Discovery Channel… but its Time! No, I’m not going to go on about all that self-help crap about pursuing your passion, finding your hidden meaning, that inner being you don’t know. Though I genuinely believe most of that stuff (I have a fortune in books and CDs), I really just want to pass along a couple of tips to help you deal with that person you don’t think you are, and HAVE to become in order to be successful, OK?

Lets begin with my favorite…Attitude. Its a Big one. We all know the power of having the right attitude. But it seems that everyone I run into or that cuts me off on the freeway has a really bad one. The economy right now, kids, spouses,bills, loss of job, irritating boss, you fill in the rest. OK, these are all fair and you probably deserve that attitude. But what has it done for you lately? Family, spouse, work, other drivers, etc.. Not Much.

Factoid: You Talk to Yourself Every Three Seconds… All Day Long! Tell me, how’s that negative conversation you’ve been having with yourself going? Stop It! Negative talk being fed into your brain all day long is just fuel for that attitude. Stop It! Negative thoughts don’t live in your brain rent free!

Sit up straight, Don’t slouch, and Hold your head up when you walk! OK, that was from my elementary years, but it’s still great advice. Try it, you’ll be amazed at the difference it’ll make in your attitude. Really! One last fun experiment. Do you notice when you get into your car after a long day at work, fasten your seat belt, put the key in the ignition, hands on the wheel…look into the rear view mirror…only to find that someone raised the adjustment while you were gone? Wasn’t someone joy riding in your car while you were gone, and I’m sorry your butt didn’t get any smaller. Your Slouching! Sit up straight.

Come on, let’s all do it together: No Negative Talk Getting Free Rent in MY Brain! I Will Sit Up and Stand Up Straight, all day.

“You can do anything you want to do as long as you keep a good attitude and keep working at it. But the second you give up, you’re screwed!” – Dolly Parton

Are You MLM Coachable?

I know what my answer was… and it was WRONG! I’ll bet yours is too!

You did all the right stuff, went to school, got a job, worked hard, moved up to a responsible position. Family, home, vehicles, a few recreational toys, etc, etc. Life was pretty good. You still had some dreams, and a plan. Then all of a sudden the economic world had a different plan for your career! Suddenly that job isn’t as much fun as it used to be and becoming less stable.

Always the leader… you started a business of your own. Outside your comfort zone… but you put destiny in your hands!

Let’s review:

You’ve worked hard creating You. A good manager, supervisor, spouse, mother/father, friend… the ’school of hard knocks taught you well and there’s proof by your success! But…that was ‘before’!

In the beginning you were young and eager to listen, to learn, to work hard studying your mentors. You’re not young any more…and you’ve noticed that some of that energy and excitement has faded. Listening skills? Oh ya, you hear, but are you listening? Is there a better way? Is there any reason to try a better way? You’re the decision maker. In the book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Zen Master, Shunryu Suzuki wrote, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”

For someone whom has achieved a certain level of success it’s incredibly hard to remain coachable. The goals are the same, but the processes aren’t… and they’re constantly changing! The challenge of today’s market place is not just to get our product or service to our customers first; rather it’s a challenge to determine Whom our customers are? Where they are? and How they prefer to buy?

Web pages, Twitter, Face Book, texting, e-mail, Pay Pal, eBay, Craigslist; just some of the hundreds of tools that our businesses and customers rely on daily.

Are you ready? Are you teachable? Are you coachable? Remember your goal. Focus. Take a long hard look at yourself and determine if you’re ready to re-invent yourself. Probably several times!

The good news?

If you’re honest with yourself, you know you have some work to do.

You’re the CEO of your new young company. You need to become a sponge to information. Books, magazines, news articles, CD’s, internet newsletters. Ask for help. Get outside your business, your interests, your age group.

Willingness to learn, Openness to be coached, Receptive, Humble, Eager…

Most importantly…put the ego on the shelf and don’t take yourself too seriously!

You need the vision of a Warren Buffett (that’s Warren, NOT Jimmy!) and the wide eyed curiosity of a child to survive!

Enjoy the trip.

It’s not the destination… it’s the journey!

God’s Speed.

Avoid This MLM Company

All You Have to Do Is… That’s usually the way the conversation starts when someone in a network marketing business begins to explain to you the attributes of their particular business opportunity. You’re probably a relative, friend or business associate, someone in THEIR warm market. That’s OK. That’s network marketing. What’s not OK is someone telling you that All You Have to Do Is…to get really rich quick! I get SO upset at up-line team leaders and managers when they tell people just how easy it’s going to be and all the work will be done for them, that they can do this in their spare time because everyone is going to do the work for them….and on and on.

If you hear the words Recruit and Recruiting so many times that you think you’re joining the military. Be cautious. Yes, of course you will recruit others to join you in your business. But MLM businesses are about working with people with whom you choose to work. You shouldn’t have to enlist every warm MLM soldier that passes your way. Remember, you’re going to be their Leader, the CEO of your business. Choose your team wisely.

If you hear that someone or everyone will do the work for you. Be cautious. Network marketing is a network of people that work together toward a common cause…making more money! Most compensation plans pay representatives for getting other representatives and for selling the products or services of the company. One of the unique things about MLM’s is that the upline representatives (YOU, someday) receive a small amount of income for each new representative and a percentage of the product or service sold. So yes, your entire upline is very excited about you being successful.That’s OK. But remember, they are running their own businesses too. And really…do you honestly believe that someone else is going to do the work for you?

If you hear that every representative must maintain a large inventory of products. Be cautious. As a rep for a company you want to have samples. But a garage full of products in every size and shape is wrong! This is the era of technology. EVERY network marketing business operates via the internet. Product display and review. Ordering, shipping, payment, billing and all accounting procedures…all electronically. Shipping can be done to just about anywhere in the world in a couple of days. Why do you need boxes of product stacked where your car should be parked?

AN MLM BUSINESS IS A JOB. A second job until you master the skills and start making an income that will allow you to be your own boss. It’s frustrating, tiring and requires work? Absolutely. But at the same time IT”S YOURS. It’s your business and it’s fun, fast moving, success motivated, and gets you out of bed in the morning with energy and a willingness and excitement that you haven’t had in years because you’re getting closer every single day. That’s the great part!

Life comes at you every day and says Here’s the Menu for the Day What are You Going to Do With It? You take each item on the menu one at a time and hope you finish; OR are you going to say, Whoa, this is MY life and I have a different plan.

Right now your life, your future, your dreams and successes are on the commuter train just waiting to be told when to get on or off!

DON’T SETTLE for that AVERAGE life. The WEALTH you want, the SUCCESS your seek and the HAPPINESS you deserve may be MUCH CLOSER than you think!

Nothing of great value in life comes easily. The things of highest value sometimes come hard. The gold that has the greatest value lies deepest in the earth, as do the diamonds. Norman Vincent Peale