You're probably familiar with all the current buzz-words and phrases about working from home. There are many excellent motivational speakers and books out there and they do offer great advice. Yes, it IS important to have a positive attitude, goal-setting is critical and the Law of Attraction is not just a concept - it is real! So, if you're a network marketer like me you set your daily goals; maybe you want to have at least five "meaningful" conversations per day with prospects you're calling. You've written out your affirmation/s and you pick up the phone and start "smiling and dialing". After three or four hours or five hours of doing this non-stop, you may find yourself a bit annoyed - these people just aren't realizing what a great opportunity you have to offer them and they're not jumping onboard. OK, now what do you do? How do you respond to this onslaught of negativity? Our culture teaches us to work harder, to double our efforts, to spend even more time doing the activity. We've all heard that phrase "massive efforts equals massive results". That's exactly what I did initially in network marketing and I found myself working longer hours than I would have if I'd been working for someone else. The only difference was I had a much shorter commute and I didn't have to dress for work. But I wasn't getting the results; people weren't calling me back. Then I remembered something I'd heard 30 years ago. It had to do with not being able to give unless you HAD something to give. In other words, if there is no water in your "well", you'll dip your bucket into it and simply come up dry. As I thought about this, the word that kept coming to mind was "balance". If nothing goes in, nothing can come out. I knew that my work ethic was in good shape; I didn't have any problem with hard work. What I had a problem with was allowing myself to stop working long enough to recharge myself and let the level of water rise again in my personal "well". As I plunged ahead with more frantic daily activity, my affirmations took a back seat. The more calls I made, the less I thought about my daily goals - in fact, my only goal was to make more calls! I grew increasingly frustrated and even began feeling sorry for myself - after all, I was working at home to have more freedom, not less! This came to a head one day after 3 months of intense, draining work when I actually considered quitting. I'd convinced myself that I was just not the right person for direct marketing, that I'd probably have to go back "out there" and find a J-O-B again. Thankfully, I didn't do that. Instead, I gave myself permission to take some time off each day. I realized that the energy of my frustration was being transmitted to the people I talked with and it was no wonder they weren't calling me back to sign on! During my break, I rearranged my thoughts and reaffirmed my goals. I repeated my affirmations and read an inspiring message or two. I took walks with my wonderful dog and puttered in my garden. I ate a good lunch instead of just a couple of handfulls of M&Ms. I noticed the weather and the beauty of where I live. I reminded myself of all the things I had to be grateful for instead of focusing on the things I did not yet have. Yes, I still DID what I needed to do - you cannot be successful in a business without customers. But that frenetic desparation was gone because I took time out to simply let the well fill up each day. And, my prospecting results changed dramatically for the better because the people I talked with were now picking up on my positive, clear-headed, focused presentation of the business opportunity rather than on my doubts and frustrations of not being able to "sell". So yes, it is true that all work and no play, or at least time off, is unproductive! Give to yourself and others will want to follow. |
