When a new business or project is undertaken people are often excited and motivated to work. They talk to everyone they know about it and are full of energy. Then as the newness wears off and maybe things are not going according to plan that energy and motivation seem to taper off.
What do you do when that happens? What keeps you on task when the mundane workings take over the energy and excitement you had when it was new?
Most of our lives are filled with the mundane daily tasks it takes to survive in this world, from our own homes and families to our work worlds. Most of us do not lead the kind of lives where exciting and new things are always on the horizon and we can't wait to see what each new day will bring. Most of us lead lives where most days are filled with the same tasks and projects as the day before.
I personally deal with this all the time. New projects are fun and exciting. I have massive amounts of energy and motivation to get things done, but when things become routine and are no longer new, my excitement and energy die off.
Most overnight sensations took years to see that success. Those who succeed and have the kind of life they want to lead spend years doing the mundane tasks it takes to reach their goals.
So how do we make the mundane fun and exciting again?
Many coaches train people to go back to their why and rely on that to keep the motivation going. That may bring motivation, but it doesn't always bring excitement. Putting things down on a to do list may help to motivate us and we can feel really good when we mark tasks off, but it still doesn't bring the excitement back. You can make a game out of the mundane and then things can seem like they are going faster.
Overall I think the main way to find energy and motivation in the mundane is to change your perspective. If you look at the daily tasks as just grunt work then that is all the mundane will ever be. If you go at it with a different attitude as if each task you complete is one step closer to your goal, or learn new ways to do old tasks that can certainly help with the motivation and energy.
Find joy in the everyday. Look for the possibilities in everything you do. Say I get to instead of I have to. Changing your words may not change your attitude at first but eventually you will begin to believe that you get to instead of you have to. Look at what you have instead of what you have not and show gratitude for those blessings.
Eventually changing just a few things will get that attitude to change and you will find the energy and excitement in life you once had.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Monday, April 17, 2017
Monday is here again
Easter Weekend was filled with food, friends, family, fun and worship. Friday night I did a ladies night out. I found myself in a group of women who by far outclassed me and I was quite uncomfortable. All of them had college degrees and actual careers. Then here was me who attended community college, had spent my life raising children and was just starting out trying to build a direct sales business. None of the other women were in direct sales.
Here is the thing. Even though I was uncomfortable and left early, it was a good thing for me. Because I didn't have a whole lot to contribute to the conversation, I just sat and listened. That is something that I don't do very often. I usually find some way to enter the conversation with a similar experience and try to dominate the conversation. Yes I know this is not a good way to make friends and I am working on it.
One of the ladies there did pull me aside and we had quite a conversation. I enjoyed talking with her and we did a little bit of networking. I will be meeting with her on Wednesday to further that relationship.
This is just another example of how we don't grow in our comfort zones.
So today is the beginning of the typical work week. I have written out my tasks for the week and the day and am as usual ticking them off one by one as I complete them. I have added a couple of new tasks and have some things I was asked to do by my husband as I am exploring entering into a new business venture.
These new tasks will ultimately give me a different start at this potential business than I have ever done before. If I take this new business on, it will be after continuing to do research on the company and people I will be involved with as well as well as lining up customers before I begin. This is different because I have undertaken all other ventures based on emotion and the hope that my launch party will set me up for success.
By doing things differently than I have before I am hoping to change the result. What I have done in the past hasn't worked and I shouldn't expect that to change if I try the same things again.
Life is certainly interesting and I can't wait to see where I will be at this time next year.
Here is the thing. Even though I was uncomfortable and left early, it was a good thing for me. Because I didn't have a whole lot to contribute to the conversation, I just sat and listened. That is something that I don't do very often. I usually find some way to enter the conversation with a similar experience and try to dominate the conversation. Yes I know this is not a good way to make friends and I am working on it.
One of the ladies there did pull me aside and we had quite a conversation. I enjoyed talking with her and we did a little bit of networking. I will be meeting with her on Wednesday to further that relationship.
This is just another example of how we don't grow in our comfort zones.
So today is the beginning of the typical work week. I have written out my tasks for the week and the day and am as usual ticking them off one by one as I complete them. I have added a couple of new tasks and have some things I was asked to do by my husband as I am exploring entering into a new business venture.
These new tasks will ultimately give me a different start at this potential business than I have ever done before. If I take this new business on, it will be after continuing to do research on the company and people I will be involved with as well as well as lining up customers before I begin. This is different because I have undertaken all other ventures based on emotion and the hope that my launch party will set me up for success.
By doing things differently than I have before I am hoping to change the result. What I have done in the past hasn't worked and I shouldn't expect that to change if I try the same things again.
Life is certainly interesting and I can't wait to see where I will be at this time next year.
Friday, April 14, 2017
I am not alone
Last night I went to a Business Among Moms mastermind group. The subject was remembering your why. For the meeting we did a plaque to hang where we can see it to remind us of our why. As we were working on our art project we went around the table and talked about each of our why's.
Here is what I found out listening to the other 6 Mom's at the table. All of us were doing our businesses for some sense of identity and purpose outside our family. We wanted to reach out to people and create a sense of sisterhood and community.
When I became honest with myself and realized my why was about being something more than I was, I thought I was being pretty darned selfish. The truth is that I have found out that most of the women in direct sales or coaching type businesses are doing it for similar reasons. All of us feel our families are important and want to be available to them, but we want to have more than just that.
Before the women's movement there was a sense of community and sisterhood among women. There were sewing and quilting circles, there was neighborhood get togethers when the children were in school. Women filled their time with helping others in the community as well as tending the hearth and home.
Once women went to work that sense of community and sisterhood suffered. Now we often see women pitted against women and a sense of competition instead of a spirit of support and caring. We were told that we could have it all work, family and self. So many women are stressed out just trying to work, care for their family and home leaving little time for themselves. Those who stay home have a sense of being less and loss of identity.
I have seen a trend toward a rejection of these things. There are life coaches, Mom's support groups, Business groups for Mom's or women. There is a trend towards women looking to leave the traditional work force in favor of things like Direct sales, coaching and blogging. I think that this is a growing trend and a good one. As much as we would like to believe otherwise, we do not have superpowers. We have the same finite time each day as everyone else. There has to be a happy medium between trying to be Superwoman and losing ourselves in our family responsibilities. I think that many women are coming to realize that there are ways to do this.
We all were gifted with talents, strengths and weaknesses. There is nothing wrong with using them and growing personally at the same time that you are raising your children, but it doesn't mean you have to leave their care to someone else while you pursue that growth either.
Here is what I found out listening to the other 6 Mom's at the table. All of us were doing our businesses for some sense of identity and purpose outside our family. We wanted to reach out to people and create a sense of sisterhood and community.
When I became honest with myself and realized my why was about being something more than I was, I thought I was being pretty darned selfish. The truth is that I have found out that most of the women in direct sales or coaching type businesses are doing it for similar reasons. All of us feel our families are important and want to be available to them, but we want to have more than just that.
Before the women's movement there was a sense of community and sisterhood among women. There were sewing and quilting circles, there was neighborhood get togethers when the children were in school. Women filled their time with helping others in the community as well as tending the hearth and home.
Once women went to work that sense of community and sisterhood suffered. Now we often see women pitted against women and a sense of competition instead of a spirit of support and caring. We were told that we could have it all work, family and self. So many women are stressed out just trying to work, care for their family and home leaving little time for themselves. Those who stay home have a sense of being less and loss of identity.
I have seen a trend toward a rejection of these things. There are life coaches, Mom's support groups, Business groups for Mom's or women. There is a trend towards women looking to leave the traditional work force in favor of things like Direct sales, coaching and blogging. I think that this is a growing trend and a good one. As much as we would like to believe otherwise, we do not have superpowers. We have the same finite time each day as everyone else. There has to be a happy medium between trying to be Superwoman and losing ourselves in our family responsibilities. I think that many women are coming to realize that there are ways to do this.
We all were gifted with talents, strengths and weaknesses. There is nothing wrong with using them and growing personally at the same time that you are raising your children, but it doesn't mean you have to leave their care to someone else while you pursue that growth either.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
What I learned from failure?
I have been doing Direct sales off and on for the last 20+ years. I have tried 8 different companies and must I say it, failed at every one of them. I've done make-up, jewelry, nutritional supplements,home decor and kitchen aids. I have never made more than a few hundred at each one. Does this sound like you?
At one point I told my husband I would never do another direct sales company ever again. What's the phrase never say never? A little over a year ago I decided to hop on board another company saying that this time would be different. It was. I still have not become a leader or had a lot of customers, but that is okay. I learned so much about what has been holding me back.
Earlier I did a post about reaching my dreams one business at a time, and yet I am considering doing another business. Why is that?
When it comes to social skills and sales I am not the best person for it. Personal interaction is not my strong suit. With each of the companies I have learned a little bit more about what doesn't work for me. I have also learned some things that do work for me. Each company that I have worked for has given me valuable knowledge on how to run a business, how to do product presentations and how to interact better with other people.
I have come to realize that as much as I like the Plexus products, that I need to have good local leadership that does training, recognition, and opportunity meetings I can take people to. I also need to have a product to show and not just rely on samples and testimonials.
So as I think about taking on another company I have learned that I need to do things differently than I have ever done it. If I am going to do a party based business I need to get 3 people committed to being a hostess before I sign up. I need to have a large launch party with more bookings coming from it. Getting the training on doing Facebook parties will help me with that.
You may ask if I am not good at something, why do I insist on continuing to do it? Well I do have dreams. I do want to be more financially independent and have my own income without having to put my youngest child in daycare. I want to be debt free and have the money to give to causes I wish to support. I do want to be able to say I want to go do this and have the money to do it.
It took Thomas Edison 10,000 tries before he successfully created a light bulb. Persistence will eventually pay off for me and I will be able to achieve my dreams.
At one point I told my husband I would never do another direct sales company ever again. What's the phrase never say never? A little over a year ago I decided to hop on board another company saying that this time would be different. It was. I still have not become a leader or had a lot of customers, but that is okay. I learned so much about what has been holding me back.
Earlier I did a post about reaching my dreams one business at a time, and yet I am considering doing another business. Why is that?
When it comes to social skills and sales I am not the best person for it. Personal interaction is not my strong suit. With each of the companies I have learned a little bit more about what doesn't work for me. I have also learned some things that do work for me. Each company that I have worked for has given me valuable knowledge on how to run a business, how to do product presentations and how to interact better with other people.
I have come to realize that as much as I like the Plexus products, that I need to have good local leadership that does training, recognition, and opportunity meetings I can take people to. I also need to have a product to show and not just rely on samples and testimonials.
So as I think about taking on another company I have learned that I need to do things differently than I have ever done it. If I am going to do a party based business I need to get 3 people committed to being a hostess before I sign up. I need to have a large launch party with more bookings coming from it. Getting the training on doing Facebook parties will help me with that.
You may ask if I am not good at something, why do I insist on continuing to do it? Well I do have dreams. I do want to be more financially independent and have my own income without having to put my youngest child in daycare. I want to be debt free and have the money to give to causes I wish to support. I do want to be able to say I want to go do this and have the money to do it.
It took Thomas Edison 10,000 tries before he successfully created a light bulb. Persistence will eventually pay off for me and I will be able to achieve my dreams.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Consistency is The Key to Success
If you are looking at nutrition and fitness that means you need to get out and exercise at least 3 times a week, every week. It also means following your nutrition plan daily. For a new business that means you need to be doing income producing activities weekly if not daily depending on what type of business you have and what level of success you want to achieve. If you are in direct marketing and you want to reach the top of your company's pay chart quickly then you need to be working your business 5-6 days a week, every week. If you want to have a working business, but not necessarily get to the top the company then you need to be doing those income producing activities 2-3 days a week, every week.
Whatever goal that you have set you need to do the activity it takes to get there. The key is the consistency. If you want to write a book but only have one day a week to work on it then you need to work on it that one day every week.
If you only work your action plan on a hit and miss basis or when you remember, it is highly unlikely that you will actually reach your goal.
So take a look at what your dream or goal is. Look at what time you have to spend on it and then set a schedule for when you will work on it. What ever that time set aside be it many or few hours weekly its working those hours every week that will get you to where you want to go.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Going from Negative to Positive Mindset
I grew up with a negative mindset. This is because I was always told you can't do that or its time to give up. There were times when I wanted something so bad that I ignored that mindset and just kept going after what I wanted, but more often I listened to that voice that said it will never happen. I spent my life listening to that negative voice of its not possible, it will never happen and I can't.
I was able to change that dialog in my head. I do have my bad days and it is a constant battle to override that negative programming, but I have changed my outlook on life.
Are you wanting to know how I did it yet? Its both simple and complicated. Simple because the tasks required to make these changes are simple. Complicated because it is a lot of work.
The first thing that I had to do was to identify the negative voice inside my head. Then every time that voice spoke up I had to decide to stop that thought and replace it with something positive. Once I was able to do that then I had to intentionally create a positive voice in my head.
Here are some of the ways I did that:
1. Affirmations both morning and night.
2. Read positive quotes daily
3. Read self development books by people like Tony Robbins and Dick Tracey
4. Find groups of positive people to associate with
5. Find a purpose and work toward that.
When you have negative programming it seems like almost every thought is doom and gloom. You may not even realize it but those negative thoughts are reactionary in nature. these thoughts facilitate irrational fear. This fear prevents you from getting out of your comfort zone and growing. Through positive thinking you can become proactive.
When I first started this process I realized just how much of my thinking was negative in nature. Most of my thought processes involved some level of negativity. These thoughts caused me to isolate myself from the world.
Changing my thought processes did not happen overnight. It took over a year of doing the things listed above. I am by no means cured of negative programming. If I stop doing these simple activities I do revert back to that negative programming. One day I hope that I will completely overcome that negative programming, but for now I will just keep working toward that end.
I was able to change that dialog in my head. I do have my bad days and it is a constant battle to override that negative programming, but I have changed my outlook on life.
Are you wanting to know how I did it yet? Its both simple and complicated. Simple because the tasks required to make these changes are simple. Complicated because it is a lot of work.
The first thing that I had to do was to identify the negative voice inside my head. Then every time that voice spoke up I had to decide to stop that thought and replace it with something positive. Once I was able to do that then I had to intentionally create a positive voice in my head.
Here are some of the ways I did that:
1. Affirmations both morning and night.
2. Read positive quotes daily
3. Read self development books by people like Tony Robbins and Dick Tracey
4. Find groups of positive people to associate with
5. Find a purpose and work toward that.
When you have negative programming it seems like almost every thought is doom and gloom. You may not even realize it but those negative thoughts are reactionary in nature. these thoughts facilitate irrational fear. This fear prevents you from getting out of your comfort zone and growing. Through positive thinking you can become proactive.
When I first started this process I realized just how much of my thinking was negative in nature. Most of my thought processes involved some level of negativity. These thoughts caused me to isolate myself from the world.
Changing my thought processes did not happen overnight. It took over a year of doing the things listed above. I am by no means cured of negative programming. If I stop doing these simple activities I do revert back to that negative programming. One day I hope that I will completely overcome that negative programming, but for now I will just keep working toward that end.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Detours and Silver Linings
Last week I wasn't able to get anything done. I caught a cold and then hurt my back. Every time I coughed or sneezed I hurt my back more. Besides the cold medicine I was taking a muscle relaxer so I was not exactly with it.
So now I am able to move around and I am on the tail end of my cold so its time to get back to business. Things happen. We find detours along our journey, but remember your destination remains the same.
It would be so easy to step back and say that's it. I give up. I can't gain the momentum I need to succeed if I am going to keep having these curve balls thrown at me. The trick is to learn how to allow for those unexpected happenings and adjust your goals and timing in order to achieve your dreams.
I have a friend who is a runner. She has run half marathons and Tough Mudder races. She injured herself and has been unable to run. That didn't stop her, she decided take a detour and become a certified personal trainer. She is hoping that her physical therapist will allow her to get back to running soon, but in the meantime she is helping others to get fit and healthy.
Taking a slight detour does not have to mean giving up on your original goal. It just means that you are adding some additional experiences to your journey. Once the detour is over than you can resume your original path. You never know when that detour might make the difference and change your path just enough to push you to the success you desire.
Look for the silver linings in the clouds and you will find your journey to be so much more than you ever thought it could be.
So now I am able to move around and I am on the tail end of my cold so its time to get back to business. Things happen. We find detours along our journey, but remember your destination remains the same.
It would be so easy to step back and say that's it. I give up. I can't gain the momentum I need to succeed if I am going to keep having these curve balls thrown at me. The trick is to learn how to allow for those unexpected happenings and adjust your goals and timing in order to achieve your dreams.
I have a friend who is a runner. She has run half marathons and Tough Mudder races. She injured herself and has been unable to run. That didn't stop her, she decided take a detour and become a certified personal trainer. She is hoping that her physical therapist will allow her to get back to running soon, but in the meantime she is helping others to get fit and healthy.
Taking a slight detour does not have to mean giving up on your original goal. It just means that you are adding some additional experiences to your journey. Once the detour is over than you can resume your original path. You never know when that detour might make the difference and change your path just enough to push you to the success you desire.
Look for the silver linings in the clouds and you will find your journey to be so much more than you ever thought it could be.
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