One of my “Better Bunch” friends challenged me to write a blog post every day this week, Monday through Friday.

I’m always up for a challenge, but let me tell you, that was not easy. I had to put some things on the back burner, make some sacrifices and really stretch my limits, but in the end I did get it done.

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day.” _ Jim Rohn

When I told my husband about this challenge on Monday, the first words out of his mouth were …“Are we getting dinner this week?” (That kind of reminded me of when he received a surprise phone call on a Sunday and went off to Saudi Arabia Monday morning during Desert Storm. The first thing I could think of was, … “who’s going to do our taxes?”)

But anyway … Yes, I still fed my family this week.

What did this challenge accomplish?

For one, it made me grow as a person. I gained more confidence when I stepped out of my comfort zone. Oh, wait a minute. Did I step out or was I pushed? =) In any case, the results remain the same. (Thanks so much for the push!! It’s very much appreciated.)

As an added benefit, my Alexa ranking dropped quite a bit this week and I gained quite a few new visitors as well.

By the way … I wrote a post a little while ago …“Why You Should Surround Yourself With Successful People.”

Well, that’s EXACTLY why. When you hang out with successful people, they lift you up to their level.  They help you stretch your limits and they will also give you that much needed push.

I couldn’t have accomplished this challenge this week without the loving support of my husband. So here’s a big hug and thank you for always believing in me even if I don’t.

Here’s one of my favorite motivational movies. I invite you to watch Even Eagles Need A Push. It is only 3 minutes long.

Yes, indeed, even eagles need a push. They need to learn to spread their wings and fly.

Challenges are nothing more than stepping stones to help you grow. Are you stepping up to the plate?

Can you relate? Has anyone ever helped you stretch your limits or even pushed you out of the nest? If so, we’d love to hear your story below.

And, as always, if you liked this post, please share it with your friends of Twitter and Facebook.

Related posts:

1. Not Ready to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone?
2. Just 10 A Day Will Set You Free
3. Can There Be Success Without Gratitude?

Productivity Advice from Jerry Seinfeld

We all have certain tasks that we should be doing on a daily basis. But for some reason or another we don’t.

Deep down we know that doing these tasks would not only help us become a better network marketer but they would also greatly improve our business skills.

There’s a great story about a young comic who met Jerry Seinfeld.

He asked him if he had any tips on how to improve his jokes as he was still learning the ropes.

The answer Seinfeld gave him was genius, not for the fact that he told the young comic to write every day (which he already knew), but because he told him to write every day, even if he didn’t feel like it.

Seinfeld then went on to reveal his own secret technique that he uses to stay motivated and pressure himself to write every day.

He told the young man to get a calendar that shows a whole year on one page and hang it on a wall where he can see it. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

Then he told him that for each day he does his task of writing, he should put a big red X over that day.  After a view weeks he’d see a chain and that chain would grow longer and longer. He said, “you’ll like seeing that chain especially after you get a few weeks under your belt.  Your only job next is not to break that chain.”

“Don’t break the chain.”

What a great psychological motivator. It get’s you keep going because you start to like seeing that chain unbroken. And so, tasks that may be difficult for you (or boring)  but beneficial for your business will get much more exciting and the chances increase that you’ll actually do them.

I will try that out.   How about you? There are a few tasks I should be doing on a daily basis. But for some reason it’s more like a hit and miss.

Oh,  in case you are wondering why I titled this post “How To Become A Better Network Marketer  … In Less Than 30 Days.”  Because I don’t think you would like to break your chain of X’s after a couple of weeks, would you?
(You can download a printable calendar. Just google printable calendar.)

If you like this post don’t forget to retweet it and share it with your friends .

Related posts:

1. Want To Become A Successful Network Marketer? – Then There’s No Easy Way Out!
2. The “Rinse and Repeat” Formula for A Successful Network Marketing Business
3. Could This Be The „Missing Piece“ To Your Success in Network Marketing?

Start small, but DO start.

You can’t finish if you never start.

A Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”

Even the smallest accomplishment has great value.

How’s that?

Because it gets the ball rolling and it sets in motion a positive momentum. Once you begin to create value, you easily and naturally move toward creating even more value.

Get the ball rolling.

Once your ball is rolling … keep it rolling. Keep things moving. Things that don’t move are dead.

Have you ever tried to move a boulder?

It’s very hard isn’t it? It’s like moving dead weight. Well, because it IS dead weight. But once it’s moving it’s a lot easier to keep it moving, right?

So go ahead and start small. And if you’re not able to start small, then start tiny. But DO start.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ~Theodore Roosevelt

Sometimes people say, “I start when … I have the money.” Or, “I wait until … the kids are back in school.” Or, “I start when … (fill in the blank).” Or, whatever their excuse. And they never do start.

Don’t become one of them. There’s always something you can do. There’s always some small step forward you can take. That first, that second, that third tiny step of your journey of a thousand miles.

Move a little bit further forward and create a little bit of success… every single day!

See how great it feels. And just keep going.

Just for inspiration …Click here for “Favorite Zig Ziglar Quotes”

If you like this post, don’t forget to share it. And as always, please leave me your comments =)

Related posts:

1. Are You Using Affirmations to Create the Life You Dream of?

The Entrepreneur’s Prayer

As I awaken with the gift of yet another day and prepare for the tasks at hand, I offer up this most ardent prayer.

I pray for continued clarity of purpose so that I may hold my vision steady and keep my focus on the needs and success of others, which in turn shall bring me success.

I pray for the wisdom to epect abundance in my life, that it surrounds me and is available for the taking and to be shameless and unapologetic upon its receipt, for I deserve abundance.

I pray for a cheerful countenance, be it clear or cloudy skies and that I may radiate and infect others with my positive attitude.

I pray for the trust of others that they may recognize my sincerity and true intentions so that we may move forward together.

I pray for the strength to fend off adversity and use my desire and determination as both weapon and shield.

I pray for the courage to carry forth my convictions during the battle of business and to resist temptation to a quicker monetary result when such temptation compromises things for which I stand.

I pray that I may be used as lightning rod to collect the amazing ideas already present in the universe and when blessed with such inspiration, that I may be able to apply my talents and abilities to turn the power of thought into measurable advancement of my goals.

I pray to retain my childhood wonder so that I can recognize and revel in the small miracles of each day that others may miss.

I pray for an infinite supply of self-confidence  for it alone fortifies faith, strengthens my resolve and conquers the largest enemy I will ever face…fear.

I pray for a compassionate spirit and the patience to offer those  who seek my advice and my help, my full and undivided attention.

I pray for good health and a feeling of well being, and the continued desire to improve those areas of my physical life I may be neglecting in the name of my spiritual and entrepreneurial advancement.

I pray that today is a day of excellence and at its conclusion I can acknowledge and be grateful for the forward motion I have made and the growth I have experienced.

I pray most of all for the understanding and support of those closest to my heart, my family, that they will equate what may seem like endless hours of apparent pre-occupation with affairs of business to what is at the very core of my being, that which drives me, for once I achieve what I have set out in its fullest, I will become that more complete being I strive to be.

It is for these things I pray, for I am an entrepreneur.

Related posts:

1. The Strangest Secret
2. Great Quotes from Great Leaders
3. Change is Good…You Go First!

My post from yesterday talked about the “WHY.” Here’s another one. I hope it inspires you…

Who said the road to the top was going to be easy? Heck no, it’s definitely not. Au contraire mon ami. It’s actually pretty tough and only the strong will get there. Only the strong, the dedicated, the ones who know their real WHY will reach the top because those are the ones that will not quit until they get there.

Success doesn’t come without hard work. It doesn’t come without commitment either. Nor does it come without drive and determination. You have to overcome incredible obsticals sometimes and you may even have to give up things that are very precious to you in order to reach your final goal and get what you really want.

There will be many heartaches and many rough spots. You will feel like quitting many times, but it will be your WHY that will keep you  going.

If you have dream, if you know exactly what you want out of life, don’t let go of it until you achieve it. Don’t let anyone cloud your vision, don’t let anyone talk you out of it or steer you into another direction. Hang on tightly. Keep your dream alive and don’t quit until you are there. You may have to swim through a sea of no’s. You may have to overcome many obstacles. But you will get there at the end if you don’t give up.

Rocky is one of my favorite movies, but I didn’t know the story behind it until just now. I didn’t know about the unbelievable obstacles Sly, Sylvester Stallone had to overcome until the movie was made. Listen to Tony Robbins tell the story about “Rocky.” It will truly inspire you.

Click here to watch and listen to the story of “Rocky.”

No related posts.

If you are in the network marketing or direct sales industry you’ve probably been told by your sponsor to establish your WHY, the reason you are doing whatever it is you are doing. You’ve got to have the desire. You’ve got to have passion. You’ve got to dream and you’ve got to believe you can do it. It is very important to find out what your WHY is, because there will be times when things get tough, when you get frustrated and discouraged. And if your WHY isn’t strong enough you might not have the drive to go through when things get rough.

A little while ago a heard the story about that dog sitting on the porch howling.

There was a salesman going door to door in that neighborhood and there were dogs on just about every front porch. They would all bark as the man walked by, but this one particular dog would just sit there whimpering and whining and howling like he was in some kind of pain. Everytime the man walked by that dog would be whining and howling. He couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t barking like all the othere dogs. So after a week or so he just couldn’t stand it any longer and he walked up to the porch and knocked on the door. An older gentleman came out and asked if he could help him. The man said, “Sir, there’s something wrong with your dog? Every time I come by he’s just moaning and groaning, whimpering and whining for an entire week. He should be barking like all the other dogs on the street, but all he does is just moaning and groaning. What’s wrong with him?” The owner said, “Well, he’s actually sitting on a nail. “  The man said, “Why is he sitting on a nail and why doesn’t he just get off?”  The owner replied, “Well, it just doesn’t hurt him bad enough.”

A lot of us get caught up in that situation. We’re sitting on a nail, but it doesn’t hurt bad enough. Our situation doesn’t make us uncomfortable enough to do something about it. To change things. But if our WHY is strong enough, if we really want it with every fiber of our being, it will move us off of that nail. Think about YOUR WHY. Better yet, write it down. Studies show that if we are just thinking about something, we have a 50/50 chance of accomplishing whatever we think about. However if we think about it and then write it down it jumps up to 75%. If we think about it, write it down and then tell somebody else that jumps up to 85%. Pretty powerful, huh? So make sure you write it down.

Why are you doing the business that you are doing?

_ Is it to pay off a car?
_ Pay off credit cards?
_ Buy a house?
_ Send your kids to college?
_ Bring your wife home to be with your children?
_ Quit your job?

If your reason is big enough, powerful enough it will move you off of that nail.

No related posts.

If you want something bad enough … go get it!

When I was in grade school in Germany I wanted to take an English language class that was offered as an extra curriculum class. (Back then English and French weren’t part of the curriculum like they are now.) The Beatles just started to get real popular and I wanted to understand what they were singing. Since I had to have the permission of my teacher to take that class I went to ask her if she would allow me to go. Here’s what she told me, “Ilka,” she said, “I’m sorry but I can’t give you permission to take that class. Your grades in German are so bad you will never make it. You’ll never learn English. You can’t even speak German properly.” (Well, who at the age of 10 really does?)

I was crushed. Twice a week my friends would take “Walter & Connie” classes and I couldn’t go with them. So I saved up the money for the audio lessons – they came in the old 45 records back then – and taught myself. After I had the basics down I started translating Beatles songs with the help of a dictionary. And after that, I bought every English language book I could find in the bookstores of my hometown. I looked up the words I didn’t know in my dictionary and just kept going.  With each and every book I got better. That teacher couldn’t stop me. I was bound and determined to learn English … and I did! What’s funny is, that years later when I met my husband (he was stationed in my hometown), he had me spell-check his letters to his mom before he mailed them home.

Here’s a video of a few people you might know that didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer either. They tackled that thing that couldn’t be done and they did it!

“If you never failed you never lived”

P.S. Also see my post below … “It couldn’t be done”

No related posts.

This landed in my inbox this morning and reminded me how blessed I am to have a home based business so every day is a Saturday for me. I wanted to share this beautiful story with you today.

3,900 Saturdays

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday morning. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It’s too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital,” he continued; “Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.” And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.”

“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I’m getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail,” he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1,000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.

Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.

There’s nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.

It was nice to meet you Tom. I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 year old man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!”

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”

“What brought this on?” she asked with a smile.

“Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.”

This is a story from the book “Charging the Human Battery.” You can get it at SimpleTruth.com

No related posts.

A couple of months ago I posted this on my old “The Enlightened Networker” blog. This morning I needed a little reminder of the difference between good and great. So I watched this movie again to encourage myself to give it that extra little push that makes all the difference in the world. I thought I’d share it again with you all. Maybe you need a little reminder too.

Did you know that…

• At 211 degrees, water is hot.
• At 212 degrees, it boils.
• And with boiling water comes steam.
• And steam can power a locomotive.
• The one extra degree makes all the difference.

Are you reaching your goals, your dreams, whatever you set out to accomplish in life? Maybe you need to push just a little harder. Remember in last year’s Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps won another Gold Medal by one hundredth of a second.

So many times in business as well as in life (or sports) it is that one extra degree that makes all the difference in the world.

“To get what we’ve never had we must do what we’ve never done.”

See you at the top!

Related posts:

1. Great Quotes from Great Leaders
2. The Strangest Secret
3. The Entrepreneur’s Prayer

21 Ways to inspire Change
By Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein

Read on, or just watch the 3 minute movie:

Change What Needs Changing, Not What’s Easy

SUCCESS

“Before we build a better mousetrap, we need to find out if there are any mice out there.” _Yogi Berra

RE-RECRUIT YOUR BEST PEOPLE

“You get the best efforts from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.” _Bob Nelson

FORGET FOR SUCCESS

“It’s easier for companies to come up with new ideas than to let go of old ones.” _Peter Drucker

FOCUS ON STRENGHTS -

“Focus on the critical few…not the insignificant many.”

REMOVE BARRIERS

“When you’re up to your rear end in alligators, it’s hard to remember that your purpose is draining the swamp.” _George Napper

It All Starts with BELIEF

“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in their leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” _Anonymous

SIMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE

“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple – that’s creativity.” _Charles Mingus

LET YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK

“You can’t teach culture. You have to live it. You have to experience it. You have to share it. And, most importantly…you have to show it.” _Brent Harris

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

“The greatest management principle in the world is ‘the things that get rewarded and appreciated get done.’” _Michael LeBouef

MEASURE RESULTS

“What gets measured gets improved.” _Peter Drucker

SET THE STAGE FOR INNOVATION

“The best way to get a good idea is to get lots of ideas.” _Linus Pauling

STAND WITH THEM NOT ABOVE THEM

“The measure of a truly great man is the courtesy with which he treats lesser men.” _Anonymous

REINFORCE, REINFORCE, REINFORCE

Because…”When patterns are broken new worlds emerge.”

Related posts:

1. The Entrepreneur’s Prayer
2. Break Loose, Change Your “Employee” Mindset Through Personal Development
3. Are You Using Affirmations to Create the Life You Dream of?