Happy Monday, and I hope that you had a great Easter Holiday weekend with family and friends!
I like to start every week with some words of wisdom, and this weeks are:
“It was character that got us out of bed,
commitment that moved us into action
and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”
-Zig Ziglar
This is a followup on my “Change is Hard” message from a few weeks ago. (If you missed that email, reach out and let me know – I would be happy to send it to you!) In that email, I stated:
“Many professionals start their businesses filled with excitement and passion for their new venture, but quickly realize that building a brand is hard work! Once that realization sets in and business problems begin to surface, it is very easy to get disgruntled and lose your motivation for what you originally set out to accomplish.
In the beginning, your passion creates energy that keeps you moving forward, builds excitement for the next project, and helps overcome fears and obstacles. However, maintaining that passion can be difficult as time goes on, and you might find yourself in a “rut,” or longing to reconnect with the spark that once drove your business. Whether this longing resonates with you currently or you’re teetering back and forth on the fence of business growth, it’s imperative to implement 6 practices into your business to regain focus and reignite your flame!”
We covered the first 3 that week, and I promised to tie all 6 together in another email. Well, I’ve kept you waiting long enough! Here are the other three practices:
4. Join a Mastermind group AND participate – A mastermind group can offer new perspectives on old problems, and provide much-needed motivation and support to keep you going when you feel overwhelmed! If you’re receiving and reading this newsletter you’re probably thinking, “Well, I am a part of a mastermind group.” Yes, that’s the first step. But the next step (and the most important step) is to get involved, participate , and implement! To get more involved, start posting in our private Facebook group with questions, ideas, and concerns (this is a safe environment of like-minded professionals, so don’t worry about any negative or uncool comments). In addition, attend your company’s weekly class and ask questions, send out emails similar to this one to the people that know, like (or love) and trust you, and follow-up consistently and persistently every week with you Dunbar’s 150 (Need help getting started? I have a strategy for that!), and ask for help when you need it
5. Systematize, automate and outsource – What’s the most valuable use of your time? To find out, create a list of tasks that you perform each week and ask yourself, “Are there items on here that could be handled by someone else?” If that’s the case, hire a virtual assistant or a right-hand person who can take care of the tasks that suck up your time and keep you from being productive. Also, invest in a time-saving client follow-up system that automates some of your communications. With this technology, setting up follow-up campaigns for past clients take only seconds of your time, and continue for years without you ever touching it again!
6. Follow-through on new systems and ideas – One of the most important principles in success is follow-through. When you make a plan to implement a new idea or system into your business, the dedicated follow-through is what will make it a success or a failure. There will be obstacles to overcome with any new venture, but the key to a successful follow-through is staying the course through those frustrating and sometimes downright demanding moments of growing pains. It’s also important to compare the amount of change you’re implementing vs what you and your team can realistically handle. Think of it this way: Following-through on one new system or idea will be way more beneficial to your business than starting 10 new systems and ideas and not executing any of them!
And know that you are LOVED !
Now, go out and DOMINATE your week!
