Doing the little things really works

As January 1st rapidly approaches, we find ourselves filled with ambitions and dreams for the year ahead. On this day each year countless individuals set goals for themselves in hopes of improving and bettering their lives. Common resolutions include eating healthy, exercising more, getting out of debt, or taking up a new hobby.

Of course those of us who desire to have better year for our business also set ambitious goals. The following is a message I received from Linda Lavold who has been a long time sales leader. I think her message is unique because she decided to be part of an accountability group and she writes what happened to her business in the month of December.     Read Linda's words carefully. Make your 2016 a new story like Linda's.

Gary Burke 

Hey Gary,

I don't think I'm ground breaking news ... But I'm going to tell you something very new in the life of the Lavolds!  

Since August, and since I've joined an accountability group... Thanks to Joanette Coogan.... And my wonderful new friends Margie Mischler, Judy Ciasto, and Sandy Dietrich....... I've been writing down my business everyday in a notebook ... Even  if just an email, a phone call etc!! At any rate... Enough of me... 

BUT... I have never seen a PV of 7000 and mine is at 7100 for December!   WOW!  Thank the LORD for blessings beyond my imagination!  I know you have tons of people with much, much higher... I'm just sayin' that it can work if you apply yourself just a little bit more!

Happy New Year and many blessings in 2016!

Linda Lavold

We all have a comfort zone

Thanks to Sarah and Renee Drew for the following message about something we all have, our comfort zone. If there is one major thing that stops people from doing things they want to do it is staying comfortable right where they are. When we challenge ourselves by doing something we've never done, or something we've done but haven't done it recently, we must understand it's normal that we feel uncomfortable for a while.

It's something to think about for those of you who want 2016 to be a great year.

Gary Burke

Quote about your comfort zone:

"If you are out to accomplish significant things in your life, you are going to be spending a lot of time outside your comfort zone. The bottom line is this; you can either be comfortable and stagnate, or stretch yourself, become uncomfortable, and grow. You may think comfort leads to happiness; it doesn't. Happiness comes from growth and feeling like you are making progress. In short, the really important stuff happens outside your comfort zone."

-Michael Hyatt

Ideas for creating your plan

In yesterday's message I mentioned it's time to get mentally ready for the new year that starts on Friday. I also added that what you will need is a plan of some kind to help you get started to kick off  2016 with a positive attitude and a plan that will guide you to succeeding at what you want to happen. The following are some ideas of what a plan might be for you. Very simply, a plan is five things:  

- A Method for Proceeding

- A Blueprint

- A Roadmap

- A Game Plan

- A Path

And a plan has two main elements: 

What am I going to do? 

How often am I going to do it?

For example -

What am I going to do?  Prospect effectively, have weekly appointments, sponsor my core group, conduct in-home events, follow-up, be consistent with my efforts, attend area meetings, always show up, make it my responsibility to keep my dream alive, and ask for help when I need it. 

How often will I do it?  There are two words that are important: frequency and quantity.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas for building your plan. Think about it. Talk about it and of course get your plan on paper so it's a reminder of what you want to get done. I have done this many, many times over the years because I learned that when I had a plan that I created it was easier to refer back to my plan and put action with my efforts.

I hope this helps in some way.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke         

The new year is coming fast

Here it comes. What's coming? 2016 starts on Friday and it's never too early or too late for that matter to commit to a new journey. Have you given any thought to what you want your business to look like one year from today? I know it's kind of difficult to look forward a full year but it also can be very exciting to think and dream about the future. In my opinion it's the thing to do on a regular basis, but the beginning of a new year always seems to fit for thinking, dreaming and for setting some serious goals and getting off to a good start for the year.

There were many times in the early years when I took time to look at where I was and I would get overwhelmed because my dreams were big. After doing that a few times I found it more realistic if to ask myself some simple questions and go from there.

What if I would double my monthly PPV? Triple?

What if I worked extra hard in January, February and March to get off to a great start?

What if I could give myself a $500/month raise or $1000 or even $2000?

What if.... (you fill this one out)

What do I have to change in order to have the kind of year I'm capable of having?

I'll be talking about this subject for the next week in my messages. My suggestion for you for the next few days is to take some time to dream. Take some notes. Get into a discussion with someone you know will be encouraging.   Dreaming is a step and what follows is a creating a plan and being willing to make changes where needed.  

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke         

Challenges are a part of growth

Something that I recognized very early in my Shaklee career was the idea that I was going to have to make some changes if I wanted this to work to the level I wanted. Once I decided I wanted the benefits I saw in this opportunity I found myself looking at things to do that I really didn't know how to do - and to top it, that I really didn't want to do.

Approaching someone about this opportunity was obviously a major step, as was conducting meetings. Neither was on my list of things I couldn't wait to do. I was not comfortable even thinking about speaking in front of people, but at the same time, it was clear that If I wanted this to work I was going to have to step out of my comfort zone and do some things I wasn't very good at. 

What is it that is possibly holding you back from achieving to higher levels of PV and finding some new builders every year? Do you have to step out of your comfort zone as I did? All I can say is I am very happy that I decided to accept the things that challenged me. If you feel challenged but still step out, give it a try and continue to do that, I know you will change and your future will change as well.

Now is the time to make some choices about what you want your 2016 to be like. Decide on the size business you want; accept the challenges you may have, and I know you and your business will grow like never before.

This will be my last daily message until after Christmas.   

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The best time to read this message is now

There are times when I read something and it just kind of jumps off the page. I had that again this AM so I hope this makes you think about what to do and when to do it. Simple stuff but interesting.

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.

The best time to call someone was last month. The second best time is now.

The best time to build this business was in 1970. The second best time is now.

The best time to achieve your goals was last year. The second best time is now.

The best time to make a commitment to achieve was when you first got started. The second best time is now.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What's your approach to growth?

The messages I've been sending the past week or two have been directed at making 2016 a tremendous year for you and your business. I came across a simple comment by Peter F. Drucker that says there has to be something more than hope and promises. 

"Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans."

Do you have plans to reach a new rank in 2016? Do you have a plan for what it's going to take to make 2016 your year? Do you have plans to double your personal group PV? The key word in the above quote is commitment. It's easier to grow when you have a plan to follow but just having hope won't get it done. As has been said many times before, evaluate yourself. This is your business and it is up to you to commit, then work out a simple plan or approach the way you want to take, then put yourself to work.  

My favorite thought about commitment is thatcommitment doesn't start when you say you're committed, it starts when you face adversity. Think about it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What is it you're trying to accomplish?

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

- Samuel Johnson

Do you have a big vision for what you want to accomplish during the coming new year? Are you giving it attention?   Have you thought about setting new goals or just refreshing your old goals?   New goals will always need new behaviors. What new behaviors do you need in order to have 2016 be a magical kind of year? What is it you have wanted to attempt but just haven't gotten to it yet?

There are some people who want all the answers first but it just doesn't work that way. It's about deciding what you want, then starting to do the activities before you know everything you'll need to know.  Have a mentor(s) and be coachable.   The greatest idea is to accept the fact that you'll be able to learn as you move forward, but not before you move forward.  

The only way to learn skills is by stepping across the line and just doing it. You can learn about skills by listening and reading but you can't develop the skills you'll need without doing what has to be done.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Take the first step then answer a couple of questions

Asking yourself questions is something we should do more often. The following quote is a suggestion that is worthy of your time to think about. 

"The first step to getting anywhere is to decide you are no longer willing to stay where you are."

Am I ready to make 2016 my year to make things happen?

What's holding me back from doing what I really want to do?

1. ________________________

2._________________________

Why not take some time to give some serious thought about making 2016 your banner year?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Do you feel challenged?

Do you feel uncomfortable when you are about to do something you haven't done in weeks or maybe even months or years? I know I have felt that way many times over the years I've been in this business. Doubt seems to creep into the mind, we start to think of reasons not to follow through and maybe we back off and think to ourselves "I'll do it tomorrow or next week." Everyone has experienced fear or doubt at some time in their life.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge." There's that word again, challenge. Many of us have been challenged to approach someone, to make appointments, to give a simple presentation, to follow up, or to be asked to speak at a meeting. I know that I have and the biggest challenge I had to accept was the idea to speak at a meeting. I had to take a speech class in college in order to graduate and I waited until the final semester to take that class. I can still recall the fear I had about speaking on my feet in front of people. To make a long story short, I hated that class but I got through it and got a "C" for my grade.

The point in this message is simply this.  We are all faced with challenges of sorts.  I feel challenged every morning to sit down and try to think of something that might have meaning for a few people.  I've been challenged this AM but "YEA"  I'm done. Do something today that you've delayed to do. You'll be glad you did.   

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

One thing that mentally strong people don't do

The following is just a reminder that failure doesn't always mean it's over. In all walks of life there isn't a person who doesn't experience failure many, many times. It's just part of the process.

Gary Burke

One thing that mentally strong people don't do.                                                      by Darren Hardy

Give up after their first failure.

Some people avoid failure at all costs because it unravels their sense of self-worth. Not trying at all or giving up after your first attempt will prevent you from reaching your potential. Almost every story about a wildly successful person starts with tales of repeated failure (consider Thomas Edison’s thousands of failures before he invented a viable lightbulb, for instance).

Face your fear of defeat head-on by stretching yourself to your limits. Even when you feel embarrassed, rejected or ashamed, hold your head high and refuse to let lack of success define you as a person. Focus on improving your skills and be willing to try again after you fail. 

It's here, it's December!

I've already heard the comment that December is a really busy month. What that usually means to many people is that December will be a slow month. NOT TRUE. Here is what December will be.  December will be a reflection of your effort from September, October and November. I say that because we qualified as sales leaders in the month of December with 5000 PV and we know it was because of our efforts in the months of September, October and November.

What you want to avoid is convincing yourself that this month will be a slow month. Watch your self-talk. Yes, it will be a busy month but as long as you keep doing the right things you will find that this month can become one of your stepping stones for making January, February and March great months.

Make up your mind that you're going to do what you can to make this one of your best months.   

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's really all up to you

December is right around the corner and that is always a very busy month. This also means that we have 2016 to look forward to and a question I have asked myself over the years is: what do I have to do to make the new year to be one of my most productive years? The following comment is my answer. The following quote is from Urban Meyer who is the head football coach at Ohio State University. Coach Meyer is one of the most successful coaches in the country and he said the following to his team: "It's up to you. I know you have big dreams. I want to help you fulfill them.  But if your habits don't reflect your dreams and goals, you can either change your habits or change your dreams and goals."

If you take those words and read it as if coach Meyer is talking directly to you,  what are your thoughts? To me that is a very challenging idea. Do I have good work habits? Can I expect to reach my goals if I continue to do what I did in 2015? Am I putting in the kind of effort that it takes to grow myself as well as this business? Do I have good thinking habits? Did I reach my 2015 goals?  

I suggest that you take some time to reflect in December so you can get yourself ready to make 2016 an incredible year. Be the example for everyone on your team. Think about it. I can. I will. I did.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

When all is said and done...

This is a simple message but yet vital for any of us to build the kind of business we dream about.

"When all is said and done, usually more is said than done. So be bold and courageous."

- Les Steckel

I don't think much has to be said about this as it's very clear what is being said.  If someone has a dream about the kind of future they want, being bold and courageous will be a requirement. The following words are from the definition of "boldness."

- Beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.

- Necessitating courage and daring; challenging.

Most of us who have built this business came in with little or no experience doing what it takes to make it work. But many of us did it. How? By being bold and courageous.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Today's post is nothing new, but it's important

The following three quotes are nothing new but of course are very accurate.  

 "Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” — Zig Ziglar

 

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." — Willie Nelson

 

"Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.” — Harvey Mackay

I personally believe that what stops people more then anything else is doubt. What leads to doubt for many people is negativity in some form. So the question might be, what are we doing to fight doubt and negativity?   

Some questions may be:

What are you currently reading?   

How many good books do you read every year?  

Who do you listen to?  

Are they a positive influence for you?   

Do you have a balcony person in your life? (A balcony person is someone who cares for you and always seems to be encouraging you. If you have two or three balcony people in your life you should be very thankful. You might want to call that person and thank them for being who they are.)    

Do you have a positive purpose for what you are doing with your time?

I think those three quotes are right on the mark.     

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

Getting on track for growth

A NFL football coach was asked the question about what will he do to get back on the winning track? He said the following: "Very simply it's about getting back to the basics. We've kind of slipped away from focusing on the basics and have gotten away from some of the basics it takes to win football games."

If you're wondering what it takes to get yourself and your team on track for more consistent growth just sit  down and think about where you are spending your time. Are you doing the basic things that create growth and is it just that maybe you're just "doing Shaklee" and not doing the basics? Basics is another word for fundamentals. The following are what I would label the basics for building this business:

- Having business goals

- Having a plan

- Asking questions

- Being a great listener

- Having appointments

- Telling the Shaklee story simply

- Following up

- Sponsoring people 

- Attending meetings

- Doing in-home events

- Leading the way

The above list might not be the perfect list of the basics but it certainly would be a good place to start. This is something to think about. I believe it's always a good idea to take some time to evaluate yourself.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What do I want to become?

JIM ROHN

What you become directly influences what you get.

Here's the great challenge of life:  You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is, it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everyone, it would soon be back in the same pockets.

However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads: Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got. The major thing that makes the difference is what you do—it is the human effort that counts.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says, "If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off." If that is your philosophy, you are destined to stay there. Some people say, “If I had a lot of money, I would be really generous, but I don't have much, so I'm not generous.” See, you've got to change that philosophy or you will never have "the lots of money.”

Unless you change, it won't change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves, the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

It's about our mindset

I would like to recommend a book to those of you who have a desire to be a better leader and then develop leaders along the way. The name of this book is: Making the First Circle Work by Randy Gage. The following is a quote from this book.

"Our mindset may have more to do with success than any other single thing we could have.  Because our mindset creates our attitude and our attitude determines the actions we will take.  Or not take."

How is your mindset about your future in this business? Are you totally sold in your mind on the idea that you can build whatever size business you want? I think the word mindset is about our expectations. If we expect people to reject our idea, that is probably what will happen. Do we approach people thinking they will be skeptical? Then we probably won't approach many people. If you expect people to be interested in the idea for building this business you probably will find those people.

Another quote from this book is: "When you have a negative mindset, every minor challenge will turn into a distraction and distractions kill growth. When you have a positive mindset, distractions don't affect you." We've got the company, the products and the marketing plan that's awesome. Growth and success is really more about the person and that is what mindset is about. So that brings us back to the idea about personal development.  I believe that when the person gets better the business gets better.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

If you go to "resource store" on www.networkmarketing.com, you'll find the book.

Miracle on the Hudson and Shaklee growth

On the news last night I watched an interview with Captain "Sully" Sullenberger. On January 15th, 2009  Captain Sullenberger was flying a USAir flight that had no choice but to crash land in the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey. I'm sure that you recall this incredible event. All 155 passengers ended safe because of the many people who rushed to the scene in their boat of some kind to help the people get to shore.

The person interviewing Captain Sullenberger made a comment about his skill as an experienced pilot and his response was, "It wasn't that I was so good, it was because I did so much of it."  

When I heard him make that statement I couldn't get his words out of my mind and how that relates to our incredible business. Read his quote again. Do you get it? If any of you are wondering what it takes to become better at building your business and your future, just read that quote again. Regardless of who you are or how long you've been in this business this quote is the answer for getting better for growing yourself and your future.

How much are you doing?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke  

The time is now

The following is from Louise Rees who has been a strong sales leader for many years in our organization. Everyone should read this and think about what she is saying as her message is very clear. The opportunity has never been better to put the effort in that will change your future financial position.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

As I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more how valuable my Shaklee business is. We are not affected very much by the bad economy and the checks just keep coming in.  Eleven years ago, I had breast cancer, and my immediate priorities changed.  I needed to be good to myself.  Now I'm ready to revitalize my business because I meet too many seniors and almost seniors who are not in a comfortable place for retirement. Or young couples who just can't keep up with the rising costs and stagnant wages.  AND Shaklee keeps getting better and better. Better income potential and better products. Every year Shaklee has another scientific innovation that keep them on the forefront of the best products available - Guaranteed!  The time to "take a look" is when you are still working and not yet retired.  You CAN change your future for the better.    

Louise Rees

Something to think about

I remember when I went over to this guy's house to look at an opportunity on May 1, 1970. I had never met him before, didn't know anything about him except his name, address, phone number and that he was looking for people to talk with about his opportunity. I called him, made an appointment and went to his home and that was the start of my future in this business.

I chose to listen to this guy about what he had and then I chose to learn more because I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't true. Then this guy invited me to attend a meeting he was going to have at his home so I chose to attend.  The rest is history as they say. I use this example to support the following quote from Henry Thomas from his book CHOICES.

You do not decide your future; you decide your choices. Yourchoices decide your future.

When I read that quote it was one of those moments where it just kind of jumped off the page and made me think back about how I got started in this business. It was my choice to learn more.  I made a series of choices and everyone who is reading this has done the same. I chose to make this new idea work and I chose to be willing to do whatever it would take to make it work.   

Enough about me. What choices have you made about your future with Shaklee? Have you chosen to run high monthly PV or have you chosen to do the minimum? How about reaching higher levels of earning? What's your choice on that? Take some time over this coming weekend and write out your choices for what you want your future in this business to be. Like Henry Thomas says, "Your choices decide your future."

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke