Goal Check with Jim Rohn

Sometimes it's not whether you've accomplished your goals, it's how.

What goals did you set at the start of this year? Have you accomplished them? Personal development legend Jim Rohn says it's ok if you haven't yet achieved your goals. The more important question to ask is if you've started.

"The real value in setting goals is not in their achievement. The acquisition of the things you want is strictly secondary. The major reason for setting goals is to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them,” Rohn says. Say you want to be a millionaire. The greatest value to becoming one is actually not the million dollars. (Seriously!) “The greatest value is in the skills, knowledge, discipline and leadership qualities you’ll develop in reaching that elevated status,” Rohn says. 

Answer this question: What kind of person will you have to become to get all you want? Write down the kinds of skills you’ll need to develop and the knowledge you’ll need to gain. Your answers might give you some new goals for your personal development. Work on your goals. Your ability will grow to match your dreams. “This is the magic of goal setting. The more you work on your goals, the more new opportunities will present themselves to you,” Rohn says.

You can make big changes in your life. “You can make startling changes you can’t even conceive of right now, if you just give yourself half a chance.”

From SUCCESS Magazine

Motivation...I know I need it too!

From http://www.entrepreneur.com:

 Here are five steps to get in the right mindset for a business turnaround.

Step 1: Be social, even if you don't feel like it.

Shutting yourself away from everyone is a common mistake too many business owners make when times are tough, says Debra Condren, a New York-based business psychologist and author of Ambition is Not a Dirty Word (Broadway, 2008). "Sometimes you can be your own worst underminer," Condren says. "You start feeling like a fraud."

"[Business] started to pick up because I kept fighting the recession and I kept promoting myself and getting my name out there," she says.When Oliver's business slowed down, she started going to more networking events for women and small business owners, while raising awareness of her business through social networks and daily-deals sites.

If you don't have one already, create an advisory board you can consult about business challenges, says Condren.

"Talk to people who have been there and done it and fallen through the same hole," says Mark Parkinson, a Somerset U.K.-based business psychologist and author of Using Psychology in Business (Gower, 1999).

Step 2: Avoid naysayers and watch what you feed your mind.

It's easy to start and end your day watching the news, but beware of the negative messages you're getting from headlines, says Condren. She suggests limiting your news intake to once a day. "You want to stay current and skim the headlines, but stay away from the rest of it," she says.
Exercise is one of the first things people skip when under pressure. But when we are feeling stressed our body produces noradrenaline, a stress hormone that can affect our attention and quality of thinking. Exercise spurs endorphins to counter the buildup of stress hormones in the body. "Literally, your brain does work better if you exercise. The quality of your thinking is improved," says Parkinson.

While solving day-to-day problems can be all-consuming, taking the time to learn about new aspects of business is an important way to stay focused on solutions -- not just your problems. Condren suggests starting simple, like reading an article related to an area of business that's been giving you trouble, taking a half-day workshop or attending an industry conference.

Studies have shown we remember uncompleted tasks better than we remember what we've accomplished. But even if you're faced with a never-ending to-do list, Condren says it's important to remember everything you've already accomplished. For example, if a client sends over a complimentary note or you close a major deal, print out the email or document and put it in a file you can turn to when you're feeling discouraged. Also, update your resume, even if no one else sees it, as a reminder of your achievements.

Read something inspiring instead, ideally just before bed and right when you wake up. "The last thing you put into your mind before you go to sleep is what you are going to focus on," says Condren. She recommends books like the 1937 classic Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill,The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Warner Books, 2003) and The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman (Miramax, 2004).

Step 3: Get up and move.

Even if you can't make it to the gym, you can still find small ways to incorporate exercise into your day. Condren suggests taking a few flights of stairs instead of the elevator or simply walking around the block to get your blood pumping and help clear your mind.

Step 4: Keep learning and stay on top of industry trends.

If you don't have the time or money to spend at a conference, consider online educational videos. Not only can they get you thinking about your business in new ways, they can help you stay current in your industry. "Instead of watching the news while you're cooking your dinner that evening, listen to a home-study course," Condren says. "You have to stay current, or you will feel left behind."

Step 5: Be your own cheerleader.

It's tapping back into your passion for the business that will ultimately help turn it around, says Parkinson. "You've got to remember all that positive stuff that got you fired up in the first place," he says. "It's like falling in love. You've got to remember what it's like and then you might want to do it again."

Some Tips on Running Late

We all run late once in a while and while it's never good to do that for a party or a show, here are a few good tips for dealing with it when it does happen...

http://dianegottsman.com/2012/09/running-late-etiquette/

Enjoy!

Don't forget this is our best selling season, you should be out there at shows, fairs and calling everyone you know to host a show - persistence pays!

You have to give at least an hour every day to your business to make it successful - set a time and do it in 15 minute chunks, make calls while waiting for your kids at practice or talk to the other parents at their games....every contact may open a door!

Words of Wisdom from Seth Godin's Blog

"I have kids at home, I don't have a manager, I need to pay off student debt, my boss never lets me, I'm really busy because of soccer season, my knee is acting up, there's already five galas coming up, my RSI hurts when I type, I don't have a degree, I have a degree and can't waste it, I'm not good at that, I tried it before but it didn't work, I've never tried it before, the weather is crazy, isn't it, the election is right around the corner, it's been too long at this job they won't listen to me, I'm going to retire soon, I'm too young, I'll never learn, it's too risky..."

We all have a list. Most of the things on it may in fact be legitimate reasons for no.

I guess the self-marketing question is, "how often do you remind yourself of what's on the list?"

If the first thing you do when considering an opportunity is consult the list, the list is the most important thing in your life, isn't it?

Check him out at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

What's it all About? Bookings....

Bookings! The life blood of the direct sales industry. Everyone knows when you’re out of bookings, you’re out of business.

Party plan consultants everywhere are looking for the magic words, the best booking games and the right combination of products to entice the guests at the demonstration to book.

Recently, at the beginning of a one-on-one coaching session with a consultant, I was asked for more booking ideas. I was a bit frustrated as I had, in the previous call, provided her with several sound ideas. I asked her about the results she had in using one, and she replied, she hadn’t used it because she was afraid she wouldn’t remember all of it. I asked her about another, and she hadn’t used that one either because she was afraid they wouldn’t like her selection. The third idea I’d given her wasn’t attempted either and, again, because she was afraid she’d forget something.

So I asked her what type of ideas she was looking for and her response was, “A simple, easy game that will guarantee me bookings.”

The theme here is not the “magic” words to say or the “guaranteed game.” Those things don’t exist! The theme here was this consultant’s fear. So I asked her what she was afraid of, and her response was typical: “I don’t want to look like a fool.”

What is the number one reason why they book? To have fun!

Now I may sound like I’m changing the subject here, but I’m really not. Have you ever gone to a professional play? Didn’t the actors appear to be confident in what they were doing? Yet, at the same time the actors could go with the flow when a prop didn’t work correctly or someone forgot a line.

The other thing actors do is, they are “up” for each performance. They make you believe, at least for a little while, that this really is a sweltering courthouse in the south, and he really is Atticus Finch. They make you believe these are the streets of London, and she is Eliza Dolittle. It truly is amazing how the audience is swept away in a performance.

How do they do that? They practice! They practice and practice until every mark on the stage and every facial expression is second nature to them.

Did you enjoy the play? Did you have fun? Did you tell others about it? Did you enjoy it so much you wanted to see it again?

Isn’t that exactly the response we want from our audience? We want them to enjoy themselves and have fun. We want them to tell others about us – by booking. We want them to see it again – by the hostess rebooking. Yet most consultants recreate the wheel every time they do a “performance.” They walk into the hostess’s home and have no real idea what they’re going to say and do. They wing it at each presentation. No wonder they’re afraid! No wonder they lack confidence! No wonder they hem and haw. No wonder they don’t get bookings.

The confident consultant is the one who knows what she’s going to say and can go with the flow of the audience. She has practiced. Her confidence allows her to relax and enjoy herself. That allows her audience to relax and enjoy themselves. What happens when the audience is having fun? They book!

Practice your presentation until it is second nature to you. Once you know exactly what you are going to say you can start to analyze your presentation, tweak it, and make it better and better. The better it becomes the more your audience will enjoy themselves and the more bookings you’ll have.

Ruth Fuersten is the author of HOW TO BOOK, SELL, AND RECRUIT YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS, a step-by-step recipe for success in direct sales. Ruth has 12+ years in direct sales. She earned many incentives including international vacations. Ruth’s top show was $5,956 and she moved into management in 3 months. 

Top Ten Reasons to love Cookie Lee (from our magazine)

Top 10 Reasons to Love a Cookie Lee Business
	50% Discount on ProductCookie Lee Consultants enjoy a 50% discount  on jewelry when they join (Option 2),  or as soon as they purchase $500 retail within their first 12 months of business!  This means our Consultants earn a 50% gross profit from every piece sold!
	Affordable Sign-Up OptionsReady to start a Cookie Lee business?  You get to choose the sign-up option that works  best for YOU! Invest in Option 2 and receive an immediate 50% discount  on your sign-up purchase and all subsequent orders.  Prefer to build your inventory as you establish your customer base?  Then the $99 Option is perfect for you! You'll get 25% off your jewelry  purchases and a 50% discount as soon  as you've sold $500 retail within your first 12 months of business.
	Wearable Advertising Wherever You Go Just throw on a necklace, earrings and bracelet and you're set for success!  Fill your Cookie Lee Tote Bag with jewelry and sell it as you share your  business with others. Whether you're running errands, picking up the kids  from school, going to the doctor or heading to work,  your business travels with you!
	Purchase What You Like Our Option 2 sign-up offer allows you to choose the jewelry that YOU  want to sell. Plus, with your Upline's support, you can learn how to  collect catalog orders or host a show to offset sign-up costs.
	FUN Home Shows: No Formal Presentations Cookie Lee Consultants hold FUN, "Girls' Night Out" shows that don't require a  formal presentation to sit through. Guests can mix, mingle, try on items, play with  jewelry and shop.
	Customers Take Home What They Buy  Talk about instant gratification! Unlike other direct sales companies, Cookie Lee  customers come home from shows with their jewelry purchases in-hand. Better still,  Consultants receive an immediate gross profit on sales from the jewelry at their shows.
	Monthly Jewelry Releases  Cookie Lee Consultants always have new jewelry to share with hostesses  and customers. Our Founder and Chief Jewelry Designer,  Cookie Lee, designs two catalogs per year along with monthly releases  of brand-new jewelry (not found in ANY catalog), to keep  hostesses and customers coming back for more. With our budget-friendly  interpretations of runway designs, we've got the looks, feel and fashion for  everyone at any age.
	20+ Years of Experience!Our Consultants may start a Cookie Lee business for themselves but they are  never by themselves. With over 20 years of success and a loyal and dedicated staff,  we are invested in our Consultants' businesses. Even better, when you start your  Cookie Lee business, you become a part of the Cookie "sisterhood" and your  Upline will be there to help you every step of the way.
	FREE Vacation on US Cookie Lee Consultants earn a FREE Dream Getaway Trip vacation each year  just by doing what they love-wearing, sharing and selling jewelry! Next year's trip  is a 7-night cruise to the beautiful islands of the Bahamas, St. Thomas and  St. Maarten, so come and join us. Your FREE vacation is waiting!
	Training from COOKIE and Ultimate Reward ProgramsGetting rewarded has never been easier!  New Consultants can earn exciting  rewards with our QuickSuccess Program just by selling jewelry and building their  Team. Plus, once you've signed up your first Consultant, you can join Cookie's  "Fast Track to TM" program and attend exclusive monthly conference calls to  receive her vital business training and tips.