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1. Your attitude is everything. You get what you expect. Are you looking forward to a prosperous 2002? You increase your probability of success when you expect it. For example, I'm about to introduce a new eight-cassette album, called How To Get Surefire Selling Results During Tough Times. I've set a personal goal to sell 1,000 albums and I EXPECT to do it. It's that simple. 2. Start every day with a six-pack. No, not that kind of a six-pack. Few of us get everything done on our daily To Do Lists. If you can't get it all done, it's wise to at least take care of the most important items. Begin every day with a list. Using a yellow ighlighter, highlight six things you want to get done today. Once highlighted, prioritize the six items and you have your six-pack. You'll avoid distractions and interruptions when you stay focused on your six-pack. 3. Take periodic mental breaks. Take time throughout your hectic day to reflect on what's working and what's not working. Got a favorite soundtrack - play it. Have a favorite poem or Psalm - read it. Got a favorite family photo- look at it. Buy a book of inspirational quotes and read one a day during the middle of the day. Dull blades need to be sharpened and so do overloaded minds. 4. Make exercise a part of your daily routine. Before you start thinking you don't have any time, consider this for a moment. Your family doctor calls you tomorrow morning and says if you don't exercise for at least 30 minutes that day you'll be dead by 8PM that night. What would you do? You'd find a way. Too much stress isn't good. Not enough exercise isn't good either. You an kill two birds with one stone. Exercise reduces stress and builds self-esteem. Why wait until after the heart to begin an exercise program? 5. Do less to get more done. Learn to let the unimportant things go. Focus on your priorities. You don't have to get a million things done every day to be successful. To be successful, however, you'd better be getting the most important things done. If it doesn't need to be done today - it shouldn't even be on your list. It's easy to start something. The challenge is in completing it. If you can't complete it, why start it. Focus on the priorities and concentrate on getting them done. To get more done, you may have to do less. Think about it. 6. Get an idea book. Go out and buy a composition notebook and plan to keep it in your car. Tape your business card inside with a note offering a reward in case you lose it. Form the habit of reflecting and writing your thoughts and ideas in your notebook. Evaluate your sales calls and write your observations in this book. This type of reflective writing builds inner strength for the author. Writing reduces stress. Writing becomes your personal repository for your thoughts, words, and ideas. This is a rock-solid idea for you. Just because you've never done it before, don't be too quick to label it as goofy. 7. Make your calendar the centerpiece for your life. Make sure all personal and professional priorities are noted in your calendar. Plan and calendarize all vacations at least six months in advance. The next time you attend a training program or selling skills workshop, put everything you intend to do (Good intentions) on your calendar. When it hits your calendar it gets done. When it misses your calendar it gets vaporized. One final note: When possible group like activities together on your calendar - you'll be more efficient. Also, build slack time into every day. Don't schedule every minute of every day. 8. To achieve more, read more. Invest at least 15 minutes everyday reading about your sales profession. Books, magazine articles, and even sales-focused web site, like www.frogpondgroup.com make a big difference over time. Here it is plain and simple - you will become what you read. You will also become what you think about most. So, when you're reading make sure you're thinking positive thoughts. If you want 2002 to be better than 2001 you can't do in 2002 what you did in 2001. Remember, it's insanity to do the same things over and over and expect different results. These are exciting times. Are you an exciting person? To get more excited, experiment and do things differently. As you get started in the New Year, make a list of all the changes you're planning to make in 2002. If you expect 2002 to be a great year, you'd better have a long list. You can be a "C" person or a "D" person. C = Change and D = Dinosaur. It's your choice. January 2002 Issue |
