Purposeful
&
Pretty
Your Daily KIP©
Start your day with a little kick in the pants!
Encouragement, motivation and good 'ole get up and get moving advice!
What are You Feeding?
Unless you live in a bubble, or some world I've never heard of, distractions are pretty much impossible to avoid. Some things? We can accomplish even though we are constantly distracted We ladies can be amazing multi-taskers!! Like; talking on the phone and cleaning! Or folding laundry while calling out spelling words for children to practice.
But let's be honest for a minute. Accomplishing work, for our business, is not something easily done with a barrage of distractions coming from all directions! Some of these distractions are unavoidable. We won't discuss those. We all have them. We have to face them, deal with them, and then get back to the matter at hand.
What I want to talk about are the distractions that we feed and feed into, every.single.day. These distractions are not only unnecessary and non-productive but also totally avoidable!
* You need to respond to emails for your customers, but you get sucked into the latest sale email from a store you like and shop instead.
* You decide to post on Facebook to attract some attention to your company's products. Two hours later you've done nothing but scroll and read through other people's posts.
* You put "follow up calls" on your to do list, but then the phone rings and you spend an hour gossiping with a friend over the latest drama going down.
* You know you need to book events and parties to keep your business moving forward but you allow distractions to become your excuses for not booking them.
And so on.
Perhaps I should have titled this post, "What are Your Excuses?" Because the hard truth is? That is what our distractions become. Our excuses. Just one more "thing" we can blame for why we aren't doing what we need to be doing, what we say we want to accomplish and why we are not where we claim we want to be. Got any band aids? Because here comes an "ouch".
The truth is: I think we allow things to distract us on purpose. It is simply easier to get sucked into shopping, scroll through mindless Face Book posts and gossip with friends then it is to just do the work! Lets stop making excuses and feeding into our distractions. WE have BIG, amazing dreams! We have people to help, customers to serve, empires of teams to build! You can only "feed" into so many time suckers each day. Some things are just going to have to starve! Time to starve those distractions that leave you feeling drained and unaccomplished and like a failure at the end of the day! Close Facebook! Don't open the sale emails! Don't pick up the phone if you have work to do! Instead? Feed Your Focus! Pick ONE thing today that you can and will focus on and get 'er done! You'll feel SO amazing and when you do? I won't be at all surprised if you rip off that band aid and accomplish another!
Famished for Focus!
Shannon
10/25/16
Chasing the Wrong Rabbit?
I get it...you have bills to pay, children to feed, vacations to take and more! Money might not buy happiness, but it sure buys a lot of things we need to live and things we want and things we think we can only dream about that might make us happy!
But here's the problem. When we focus on the money, and spend so much time and energy just trying to keep our head above water earning it, we lose all the joy in our journey. We are no longer chasing a rabbit of happiness..but one of requirement. And let's face it-that rabbit is not such a fun guy!
IF you are like many people, working a traditional 9-5 job, you may have found yourself in a place where "work" has become monotonous at best and grueling at worst. Even those that are self employed and business owners can find themselves chasing that requirement rabbit and wishing instead they could just find happiness!
I believe the difference is in our intentions, our heart and our daily choices and actions. Chasing the requirement rabbit might pay your bills, buy a few nice things, and even provide a family vacation. But if you are miserable every day you are doing it? I ask you: is it worth it? Do you want to continue chasing that one?
You do have a choice. There is another rabbit! People the world over have found much happiness, success and Yes! Even much financial gain by chasing after different dreams. Not dreams of getting "more..gotta earn more...gotta do more" but dreams of giving. Dreams of serving. Dreams of helping others. And in the fulfilling of those dreams? Chasing after that rabbit? They find two things happen.
1. They are happy! Focusing on others and how you can serve and help them (regardless of what business you are in...helping and serving others is ALWAYS a rabbit you can chase) brings joy! and
2. They are paying those bills! Providing food and other needs! And even getting to take vacations and see other dreams come true!
You see, chasing the happiness rabbit doesn't mean you have to give up on those things you need and want. You just change your intentions, your heart, your daily choices and actions. Instead of just another day of fulfilling requirements, reach out and serve! Help one more person get what they want and desire. And soon? Without even realizing it? That happiness rabbit won't even need to be chased anymore. He'll just abide right there, daily,with you!
Here's to a Happy Day!
Shannon
10/24/16
Intentional Actions
"Oooh! Oooh! I've got it!! I'll buy this, and do that and then that other thing and I'll say such and such and...and..." Everything will go just right and your business will explode, right? Sound familiar?
Don't get me wrong, exciting ideas are exciting! And thinking through all you will do and say and being hopeful for the growth to come are all fantastic! However, there is a final step that goes far beyond the thinking, the planning, the buying, the preparing, the excitement and the hope.
It's called.....being Intentional. Or in other words- Paying Attention! All those great ideas, and even things you might buy to somehow enhance or grow your business are useless. A waste of your energy and money even. If you are not paying attention when an opportunity comes knocking!
Just last week I took my littles to the zoo. While they enjoyed a several hour long zoo class, I had the pleasure of doing whatever I pleased with that time! I planned to get some work reading accomplished and found a nice place to sit in the zoo cafe. Now, long before this zoo trip, I got excited about buying the bag you see in the photo. I put thought into the purchase, as well as setting up the bag with my products on display. I imagined the attention and questions it would attract and was more than hopeful for the growth it would bring to my Lilla Rose business.
But I left out that one final step. I wasn't paying attention. Yes, I remembered to bring the bag to the zoo. Yes, I even (out of habit more than anything) remembered to put it up on the table, rather than the floor. But I wasn't paying attention. Plenty of ladies walked past my table or sat at their own near mine that morning. But all opportunities for sharing about my amazing products and company were wasted. As I was about to pack up and pick up my children, to my horror, I realized the bag had been sitting on the table, the entire time...BACKWARDS! Yup, backwards.
Being intentional is not always easy. Distractions and "life" in general put our mind on other things. But next time you are excited about your plan, what you have bought, set up, gotten together or whatever-for your business? Pay attention that you follow it through to completion so you can reap the rewards and excitement of actual benefits! Not just empty hope.
Success is more than possible. It's right there waiting for you to take it! But the difference between success and failure? Could be as simple as paying attention and turning around a bag!
Intent on Good Intentions,
Shannon
10/20/16
What a Waste!!
Did you ever hear the story of Punchinello & his boxes and balls, by Max Lucado? Punchinello is a wooden person, created by the Maker, Eli. One time, he and the other wooden people became obsessed with collecting boxes and balls! Who has the most!? Whose are the prettiest or the most expensive?! Finally, towards the end of the story the characters upped the ante! Now they raced to see who not only had the most boxes and balls, but who could be at the highest point in the village while holding them all! They pushed, shoved and ran for the mountain top!
In the story, the illustrations show the wooden people stepping on one another, crashing into each other, knocking each other over and boxes and balls tumbling everywhere! Punchinello was, himself, so busy watching what others were doing and his arms were so full of all the '"stuff" that he wasn't even on the right path! None of those wooden people reached what we would consider a "mountain top" experience. Or what you might call, "success".
It reminds me a lot of what happens sometimes when consultants are so busy comparing themselves to others and trying to one up each other. Feelings are hurt, "balls" are dropped, people go off course completely and at the end of the day? None of those consultants succeeds in reaching her goals! Stop wasting your energy on struggles and strife trying to beat others to the top!
Instead-just focus on being the very best YOU that you can be! Focus on serving your customers, building personal relationships with them, meeting their needs and providing such top notch value with every interaction that they will start raving about YOU to everyone they know! And who knows, along your way to success at that mountain top? Maybe you could even help someone up whose been knocked down carrying two many boxes and balls and racing against the others.
Here's to a day filled with serving & succeeding!
Shannon
10/19/16
You CAN do the Impossible!
I have heard too many women share the same sentiments to think I am alone in my all or nothing dilemma.
When I can't clean the entire house? I'm tempted to not bother cleaning any part of it. If I'm afraid I won't complete a project well, or at all? I'm likely to avoid accepting the challenge in the first place. And the more overwhelming a task appears? Or the more I doubt my ability to do it very well? The chances increase that I won't even give it a go.
This is for some, a defensive strategy. One might prefer being able to fall back on, "Well, I never actually tried" instead of a feeling of failure. For others it is simply a matter of letting circumstances overwhelm reality.
The circumstances might be that the entire house is a disaster! But the reality is that it would be better if even one room was cleaned! The same is true in almost every area of life and most certainly in your business!
One day I found myself overwhelmed with a huge pile of receipts from customers. The purpose of the receipt copy is for me to be able to follow up with and build relationships with the customers. But one neglected stack from a craft show soon became two, then three and so on. The pile was overwhelming! A daily, visual reminder that I am not doing what I'm supposed to be doing! And due to the stack's growing size? It started to become a temptation to just toss the whole thing in the trash! I mean, then I wouldn't have to see it and be reminded I'm a slacker, right?! My circumstances were overwhelming my reality!
Thankfully, I did not cave and ditch the stack! Instead? I planned an attack!
When you feel overwhelmed, instead of giving up or giving in, try this:
1. Start by doing what's necessary! In the circumstance of a disaster house? That might be one small load of laundry so the kids have clean clothes tomorrow! In the case of my daunting receipt pile? It was contacting the one customer that had already emailed me and needed a response!
2. Next do what is possible! As soon as that one laundry load is going, you will realize you are up, you are making progress and you still have time before you have to head out the door! So do what is possible and continue in that room, or with other small tasks until you run out of time. After contacted that first customer? She was so grateful for my response and help, I didn't feel like such a failure anymore! I had about 45 minutes available and wound up getting through about 1/2 of the stack!
3. Suddenly? You will realize you are doing the impossible! That disaster house didn't consume you after all! Everyone has clean clothes, you can see the floor and , "ahhhh! It feels so good!" That monster piles of receipts? Was tackled in just 2 sessions! That first one, and one more the following day! What seemed overwhelming and impossible due to the circumstances was in reality not nearly as hard as I expected!
Now...before you head off to pop in that load, or call a few customers....one last thing. Take this truth. This principle. And multiply it out. What is your biggest, you think it's impossible dream?
Yup....you've got it now! That dream come true is within your grasp! Go on...it's time for you to START!
Here's to your impossible becoming your reality!
Shannon
10/18/16
Are You Leading or Bossing?
In the direct sales world, there is an upside down truth.
Some embrace this. And others? Fight against it tooth and nail.
The truth is, that no matter how many people have joined underneath you-no matter how big your "empire" or your paycheck, you are not-and never will be-their boss!
And even more? In some ways? They are yours!
"What? How could that be!" you exclaim. "I'm the one at the top! I built this team from nothing! I enrolled them all! I trained them! If it weren't for me......."
Stop! If it weren't for you? Let's back this train right up! If it weren't for THEM. YOU wouldn't have had customers, hostesses or a team at all! When they chose to enroll under you, and join your team, they essentially "hired" you. Once you grasp this upside down truth, you can get down to business of being a fantastic leader and stop trying to be or even thinking of yourself as a boss! Once you realize that your most important role as a leader? Is to actually lead? Phew-that can take a load off! You don't have to be perfect! You don't have to know everything! You certainly aren't there to tell them what to do or when to do it.
I once met a women in a different direct sales company to mine. She flat out told me, "Ha! I don't plan to ever buy or sell a thing! I'm awesome at recruiting and plan to make my fortune from training and my team's sales." Would you like to guess how that story ends? You're right. She did "recruit" a bit of an army. But they quickly tired of her drill sergeant approach with all talk and no action. They stopped selling (I mean, why should they? If she's not!) and she soon quit and moved on to the next shiny object.
What you can and should be doing? Is leading. Leading by your example of consistent activity, determination and hard work! You help them most when you work right along side of them. They can see you selling, building a strong team and providing amazing support to your customers and them! They will catch on and begin to do the same leading for their team as it grows! They will appreciate your willingness to learn something new and share with them and your sincerity in wanting what is best for them in reaching their business goals! Rather than what is best for lining your pockets!
Here's the very best news of it all! Every day is a brand new day. And even if yesterday? You were a tad on the "bossy" side? Today you can show them you'll get your hands dirty!
Time to Keep on Digging!
Shannon
10/17/16
I won't lie to you. Reaching "the top" isn't easy. It takes consistent, purposeful, hard work. And anyone that tells you different? Is likely one of those about to squash you and use you on their way to their top! But here's the secret to making your success possible-and not only that? But enjoyable! Get behind, even "under" if you will, those in your business and all around you. Do all that you can to help them reach their goals and give them a good positive shove on their way to their top. The more people you help? The more people you serve? The faster you, yourself start to move! And before you know it? You'll be standing on your very own mountain peak of success. Looking around and smiling with all the wonderful people you brought along on your amazing journey to the top!
Here's to your journey!
Shannon
10/16/16
How many times have you read a book, listened to a training or overheard a conversation that included something along the lines of: "Gotta look out for #1, no one else is going to!"
This "me first" attitude is, sadly, quite prevalent in the direct sales world. I have heard countless times from consultants, in various companies, who had been hurt by another representative trampling over them on their way to trying to reach the top first!
If they only knew that there is a much better and faster way to reach the top! One of my favorite quotes is from Zig Ziglar; "You can have everything in life you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want."
Cooperation NOT Competition!
Opportunity is Optional!
Let's face it...owning your own business, even working from home, is much harder then we thought! Well, it is if you plan to reach
your goals and make some dreams come true!
What started out for many of us as a
discount on a great product we love,
has turned into a family business!
The earning potential in a direct selling
company is amazing! And that's the great news!
But, the not so great news is that we all face obstacles.
And when difficulty comes, it's not always easy to embrace it and see the opportunity in the middle of it!The truth is, opportunity is optional. It's optional to believe it's there. It's optional to see it. It's optional to take it. Yes, we all face difficulties in our businesses and in our daily lives. Your opportunity to stand strong, never quit, persevere and come out ahead is right in the middle of that hard thing! Every time. Whether or not you will accept the challenge and see it? Never mind take it? Is a question only you can answer. (say "yes!" say "yes!")
Wishing you a day of seizing the best!
Shannon
10/15/16