Live YOUR Dreams Today

Thanks for coming back! Please leave a comment or let me know what topics you would like to read about. I appreciate your visits. Linda

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Have you ever looked at the top distributors or representatives in your MLM company and wondered how they got there?  Is there a secret formula they use and haven’t divulged to anyone else?

If you are brave enough to approach them at a convention to ask, what would you ask?

I’ve done that.

I’ve asked: What is the one thing that you did, thought or changed that contributed to your success the most?

I never got the same answer twice.  Each person probably never really thought about what came to them “naturally”… the specific traits that helped them succeed in the different endeavors throughout their lives.

When I reflect back on my success in my accounting and business consulting practice, I couldn’t really answer the question with just ONE thing.  In my MLM business, the same applies.  As I thought about it some more, I identified at least 5 important traits a person should have in her/his arsenal to succeed as an entrepreneur and networker.

Here they are:

1. START! If you have a dream of having a flourishing business, it’s going to take some physical action to bring your dream into reality! It doesn’t matter what you do first.  Just begin.  Set your course.  Have a daily action plan of doing at least ONE step that will get you closer to your dream of being a success in MLM.  Don’t wait for someone to come along to help (not even your upline).  If you’re uneasy about speaking in public (which is a required skill for top leaders in network marketing), then join a Toast Masters Chapter in your area.  Just visualizing being a mesmerizing speaker is pure fantasy!  Your dream is something you ACT on.  And if one action doesn’t work, do something else.  Remember what President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: ” It is common sense to take a method and try it:  If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another.  But above all, try something!”
2. Know Challenges Are Part of the Process.  Folks, going for their dreams and wanting to achieve success, know that obstacles will block their path along the way.  Obstacles are simply things that must be dealt with … not whine about.  Yes, it’ll take some effort to go around, above, below or through a barrier.  Yet it’s part of the process to get where you want to go.  A secret is to look at your challenges and frustrations as clues to major breakthroughs.  It seems that when you are close to reaching a part of a major goal, the Universe throws up one more test: to see if you have the resolve to really go for your gold.  Ask your friends and mentors for help.  You will know someone who knows someone who’ll have an elegant, creative solution to your dilemma.  ASK.  It’s smart to ask for help.  One small change in your perspective or game plan can lead to huge success.  Staying stuck or being afraid to ask for help will not accomplish your objective.
3. Turn “Mistakes” and “Failures” into Dazzling Successes. Think back when you were about 9 months old.  Don’t remember much?  Well, that’s when most babies start learning how to walk.  They fall down a lot!  If they didn’t get back up and try again … they  wouldn’t be walking adults!  “Mistakes” and “failures” in learning how to walk are necessary.  From them, babies learn what doesn’t work and what does.  Then they continue to perfect what does work until they’ve mastered walking.  Well, you need to do the same thing in your business.  When you make a mistake or a strategy fails, don’t stop.  DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!  Keep on tweaking your actions until you find those that bring you the results you want.  Zig Ziglar has this to say about failure:  “Failure is an event, not a person.  It’s just an experience where we didn’t like the result.”  If you want your dream to come true … to be a reality for you, then you can’t quit.  You must make a commitment to your dream - a successful MLM business - and turn your blunders into wonders!  This is a necessary mindset for success - how you react to your setbacks determines your destiny.
4. Self-Discipline Is a Must Have. Building a successful MLM business (or any kind of business) is not an overnight event.  It takes consistent and persistent, small daily actions towards your goal.  If you work full time aside from your business, this trait is especially necessary.  There will be times when you get home from work that you won’t “feel” like working on your business.  Your business is a HUGE project, so you’ve got to figure out a way to whittle it away, in small bites every day until you’ve completed it … reached your gold.  Also, keep in mind at all times, that the small, daily steps you take are leading you to your dream.  Maintain a joyful outlook.  Keep your flames of desire roaring.  Then the required self-discipline will sustain itself with ease.
5. Be Like Duct Tape - Stick to It.  Don’t give up.  Most who get into network marketing give up too soon!  They’ve bought into the idea the business was going to be easy, the big money was just around the corner, and no effort was required.  This is not the case!  Not with MLM or any other business.  I’ve had business partners who quit when they got their first “No”!  I was floored that they would let someone’s “no” hijack their destiny.  When you meet with adversity, DO NOT become discouraged, give up and think your dream isn’t worth the effort.  Talking about mistakes, this would be a HUGE one!  Instead, know that anything worthwhile is going to take work and effort and learning.  If this is your first entrepreneurial effort, then there is a TON of stuff you’re gonna have to know.  And it ain’t gonna come to you instantly!  Mastery, according to Malcom Gladwell, takes at least 10, 000 hours of practice (equivalent to 5 years of full time work)!  So, to reach the “galactic, star fleet commander” level in your company, it will take perseverance, effort, practice, disappointments, set-backs, victories, successes, education and dead ends.  Your dream-  to have a successful MLM business -  must be the reward in itself.  Your dream of success must have the power to keep you inspired, to pull you towards what you want no matter what!  NO MATTER WHAT.

As I was writing this post, I’ve come up with some more ideas as to what characteristics and traits a person must have in order to have a successful business.  I’ll write about these later.

In the meantime, I would love to get your comments.  I especially would like to get YOUR suggestions as to what you think would be necessary  MLM success traits.

What one action did you take today to move closer to your dream? 

Tally ho for now,

Hello Everyone,

Only one more day left in 2008.

How was your year?  Did it go as planned and as you wished it would?

One thing for sure, probably most of us didn’t envision that there would be a melt down in the housing market that would lead to a financial market collapse; that ALL the investment banking firms would disappear; the big three auto companies would be on the verge of bankruptcy; and that there would be almost a TRILLION dollar bailout (funded by taxpayer’s money) given by the federal government!  All of which contributed to the nearly 50% drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other stock market indices.

Recession is upon us.  And most people few poorer.

This was a surprise to everyone and to all the pundits.  These events could be described as one of those “outliers” nobody saw coming.  If you’ve ever read the book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, what happened in our country is a real live example of what he was talking about!  We definitely felt the massive impact of these highly improbable events in so many areas of our daily life.  And, they came out of left field so to speak!

Things like this are out of our control in some sense … especially if your livelihood is dependent upon a job or a career in the industries affected by this upheaval.  Even if you are in another industry or field, you’ve probably felt the effects of the economic melt down indirectly. None of which is pretty.

So how can you protect yourself from such economic devastation?

Take control of your financial destiny by creating other streams of income!  Yes, that means start your own business.   There are so many ways that you can do this.  I know a few … and can help you figure out what would be best for you.

In this blog, I will be offering tips, guides and other sources of information to get you started.  So, you will not be alone on your new journey.  Nor will you be wondering what is good information … I will provide solid, up-front advice that you can check out and then take what you find useful for your own needs.

I’m doing this because I’m so passionate about people having choices in their lives - especially for their economic future.  Secondly, when I started my first business over 25 years ago, I needed a resource like this to go to.  This is my gift to all of you who are searching for mentor who can help you and give you the means to draw your road map towards your success.

For 2009, make a resolution and a commitment to take control of your financial destiny.  Then ACT on it by taking small steps toward your goal or target.  One of those small steps is to come back to this blog often.  Subscribe to it or add to your feed reader.  Next, follow me on Twitter and FaceBook (see the side bar for the link.  Also, add a note to your friend request that you visited my blog.)  You’ll be able to get back in contact with me and this blog.  Finally, reflect on what you would REALLY like to have in 2009 - what would your dream life be like.  Then write out that vision or make a mind movie (see my post below for more info) about it.  Your vision will be your connection to your grandest future!

My wish for you is a most wondrous New Year in 2009 … may it be filled with joy,fun, health, love and tons of prosperity for you and your family.

Linda