Category Archives: Uncategorized

We need tune-ups just like our cars. We have all these complex parts and fluids that need realignment, refills, adjustments and tweaks. We have no choice but to be reminded every now and then when we’re not taking proper care of ourselves. Some kind of physical kink in our bodies will let us know.

But what happens when our physical bodies show no sign of damage, yet we still aren’t quite settled into a sense of well-being, fulfillment, and pure happiness?

The remedy isn’t necessarily success, or money, or love that comes from outside of yourself. Just like anything or anyone in our lives, these aspects are not always going to bring us well-being. In fact, they may want to make us rip our hair out at times! And that’s okay. We have to experience upsets in order to appreciate the gifts we’ve been granted or have earned.

But what happens when the sh*t really hits the fan in one or all areas of our lives? Is there something we can turn to that will give us a sense of peace and balance again?

That something is Spirit. Connection to Spirit doesn’t require a belief in “God” as advertised. Some of the happiest, nicest, most peaceful people I know would label themselves “spiritual not religious.” You certainly don’t have to believe in any kind of God to understand the value of compassion, forgiveness, and non-judgment.

I believe the true source of Spirit was meant to be liberating, to affirm us as we are unconditionally. To have that sense of stability in the occasional storms of life is to truly connect with that power we call God.

Now you may be asking, “Harv, how exactly do you do this?”

For starters, I highly suggest you try 1 or all 3 ways I know of that have personally worked for me to reconnect with Spirit.

These 3 strategies will help you reclaim that sense of peace and balance when everything seems to be going haywire around you.

Here they are…

1) I believe a form of prayer or meditation works wonders. Scientifically, this practice can serve as a focusing tool for the brain, linking neurons together to help you solve problems. Quite often, the greatest source of inspiration and creativity comes when we dedicate time to do nothing, simply sit still, and allow ourselves to just be.

2) Also, get outdoors and enjoy nature. Native Americans, Buddhists, and many cultures around the world include nature as an integral part of their belief system. There’s something about a hike, a swim in a lake or ocean, or even taking a walk through a park that provides a sense of peace and beauty that is unparalleled—and fairly available.

3) Getting involved with your community is a great way to connect with the spirits of others, or any group activity that provides a sense of communal interests with others. Sometimes the best way to escape a “problem” is to focus on the problems of others, or how we can serve people who can use and appreciate our gifts.

Having some kind of focus on spirituality intensifies its benefits, from peace of mind through life’s challenges, to improved relationships with those most important to you, to getting those “lucky” breaks that change the course of life because we’re open to receiving them. Just like the people who enrich our lives, none of us were meant to rely solely on our own power to achieve not only goals, but also fulfillment.

In the world of Spirit, it’s all good.

Today I’m asking a powerful question: how does one become successful and be a good parent?

It’s a great question, because we’re either parents OR we’re a child of a parent, and then we get to see what they’ve done or they didn’t do, and what we’ve done—or are not doing.

I’m going to outline three simple concepts that have helped me to raise great kids with good morals, and a strong work ethic to boot—all while maintaining a successful business.

1. Avoid choosing between kids and work

Let’s start at the beginning. We need to move from the idea of parents struggling and having to choose “either/or” to a mindset of “both.” Not just in terms of money, like I’ve talked about before, but in terms of all parts of our lives.

We cannot let go of our money in order to balance our relationship, or our relationship to make sure our money works. It’s got to be both.

The idea that you have to choose between your life, your happiness, your success and your children is really, really old school. It’s not only old school, it’s for unenlightened people. And that’s okay—however, if you’re open to it, I would suggest you learn and then practice choosing both.

So, first of all, I would suggest using the ‘big rocks system’. I talk about this system in my Get Rich Doing What You Love program, but basically it’s all about making sure you put your priorities down in your calendar first before anything. This way you are making sure you create time for them.

Have you ever heard this saying — “You can’t get orange juice from a lemon?”

This means you can’t give what you don’t got. If you don’t take care of yourself, what kind of juice is going to come out of you?

I’m a big believer that a stressed out mother puts stress into a kid that’s breastfeeding. I’m a big believer that a freaked out mother or father puts that into their kid—not just energetically. It’s all transferred.

Einstein said, “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed,” but it definitely can be transferred.

So you’ve got to take care of yourself and you need to adopt the mindset that you don’t need to suffer in one category of life because others are predominant.

2. Challenge your beliefs around parenting

Next, you want to look at the premise of what you’re doing — the belief systems that you have.

Your kids barely hear what you say, but they certainly watch what you do. Watching what you do and understanding what you do, those are much more powerful than anything you say.

You can’t say to your kid, “Hey, don’t smoke,” while you’re lighting up a cigarette. That’s just ridiculous. “Hey, don’t drink,” and they’re watching you drink. Come on. “Well, you know, you shouldn’t do what I’m doing.” This isn’t the kind of thing you want to be doing—saying one thing and doing another.

As parents, we think that’s okay. We say, “Hey, go upstairs and do homework”, while we’re watching TV for six hours a night. The truth is they’re going to model what you’re doing—so YOU have to be the model.

Now, the idea many parents have, that you’re needed every moment, and that your life has to revolve around your child’s—that’s just arrogant.

That’s all about who? It’s not about them—it’s about you. Because really, the number one job of a parent is to teach your child how to become independent.

If you look at nature, what does pretty well every animal do? They feed their children for a time. Generally, as short a time as possible, and then they put them out into the world, the forest, into the jungle—whatever it is.

They don’t stick with them for 18 or 24 or 32 years. Half their life. Only we do that. Why? Because of us, not them.

So if you ever find yourself thinking, “My children need me every moment”, you might want to question that. Because truthfully, they don’t—you do.

You need you every moment. You want them to need you every moment so you can feel special and important.

Don’t listen to what you say you want—watch what you do, that’ll tell you what you really want.

3. Banish entitlement

Whether you’re a parent with younger children or you’re young and part of this generation, there’s something going on right now with millennials.

There’s a word that’s being bandied about, and I certainly wouldn’t generalize this to all millennials—absolutely not. But there is a predominance of groups of people right now that has a disease.

It’s this disease called “entitlement.”

It’s a problem because they grow up, they go out into the world with a false sense that the world is just going to bend over backwards for them, and they believe everything good is going to come their way.

Well, I’ll tell you what: everything will come their way, but it ain’t going to be really good. Even if it looks good for awhile, there will be struggles and issues that they won’t know how to overcome. It’ll be like the baby bird in the nest that never learned how to fly.

It’s unfortunate for a lot of people that they’re giving their kids the disease called “entitlement” when they make believe, they pretend, they think—falsely—that they’re helping their kids.

Now, nobody said they have to struggle. Don’t teach them to struggle—teach them that they need to take the actions necessary to get what they want. That’s all.

There’s consequences for everything, both positive and negative. You’re not doing them any favors by protecting every single thing about them.

You can monitor this by watching the way your kids react to hardships and obstacles in their lives, and how willing they are to do things for themselves.

If they’re at home at 26 years old, not helping out and not paying their fair share, then you need to monitor yourself. At this stage, it becomes “learned helplessness.” We’re the only animal in the kingdom that does that.

I’ll give you an example of my kids. As far as I’m concerned, I want to give them as much as I can, without making them feel entitled to everything, or that they don’t need to work for it. Not just for productivity, but to feel fulfillment and inner success.

My kids have a great work ethic, and I’m very thrilled that they do, because I don’t see them being as entitled as they could be. But I monitor that. And as a parent, that’s what you need to monitor.

Watch your kids. If they’re beginning to take advantage of a comfortable situation, take stock. But at the same time, if they are really learning values of effort and work and service and helping others, then you’re in great shape.

To me, the idea of a parent is to teach independence and teach values.

Once you’ve taught them what they need to know, you can start to move them out of the nest—you’re not doing kids any favor by having them hang around forever!

At the same time, if you’re not a good model, you wouldn’t want them around to witness that. So, good parenting has to do with one thing—it’s always about you. Keep notice of that.

If you want to be a great parent, then be the best model possible.

If you are not exercising and you are always stressed out, and you are this and you are that, do you think your kids are going to be any different?

The truth is, they’re going to be like you, or they’re going to be the anti-you. It’s generally one or the other—and the choice is yours to make.

How do you focus on parenting while maintaining your business and life? Have you encountered entitlement in your kids—or in yourself if you have no kids? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

We’ve been getting so much positive feedback from our guest blogs that we decided we would bring in some of the heavy hitters for you!

Today I want to introduce you to one of my very good friends who is also one of the world’s most elite experts on time management, becoming an author and success.

My friends, time management is crucial to your overall success and happiness.

Poor time management leads to stress and overwhelm and in return leads to procrastination on the things you need to do to succeed.

Today we have an action-packed guest post by the great Brian Tracy. Enjoy it and please make sure you show him your love by commenting below!

For Your Freedom,

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The 4 Biggest Time Management Mistakes That Create Stress And Make You Procrastinate
By: Brian Tracy

Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by many because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Indeed, when a project seems too big or complicated, it’s very easy to find reasons to put off working on it. The next time you look at the project, it doesn’t seem like the right time or you’re not in the right mood to work on it.

Procrastination then becomes habit, with the stress of your guilt nibbling at your conscience every time you continue to put off the work.

Fortunately, when you’re aware of your behavior, it’s much easier to catch the common mistakes that cause you to procrastinate. Here are 5 reasons that you’re procrastinating and how to overcome them.

1) You’re Not Focused

You know the project needs to be done, but you’re having problems with focusing on the matter long enough to solve the problem. When you have a project coming up that you’re having trouble focusing on, start with small goals.

Focus on one part of the project or set a timer to only work 15 minutes on it that day. Often, once the timer rings, you’ll be making progress and will want to continue working, making it easier and less stressful to complete the project.

It’s often easy to break large projects into smaller chunks, and complete one small task at a time. When you complete one small task, you’ll often find yourself completing another task, and another, and another without thinking about it. The act of checking off a small task is excellent motivation and it feels good.

Lack of focus means a lack of goals…

Remember how important setting goals are for focus. Often a lack of focus comes from not having set clear goals.

Remember the importance of clear, written, goals. You will accomplish much more with clear, written, goals on any project than you ever could with great conversations and good intentions.

When setting goals, make sure they are clear, specific, measurable, and time bounded. A goal without a deadline is not a goal. It is merely a discussion.

2) You’re Trying To Master Everything At The Same Time

Everyone feels like they’re spread too thin.

When you’re learning something new, it can be really exciting. You’re making progress and are successfully learning new skills or knowledge.

But, like being spread too thin, it can also become overwhelming. As the learning progresses and becomes more difficult, the amount of work increases and becomes overwhelming.

Take the time to slow down and, if needed, drop a few of the items you’re trying to master until a later date. All things are learnable with practice. It often helps to break up tasks into bite sized chunks and master one thing at a time.

Choose the one area that you want to improve the most. Focus on that area first. If you want to improve your leadership qualities, choose the one quality that will benefit you the most and master it.

3) You Have A Lack Of Clarity

We’ve all had tasks that were not clearly laid out. Whether it’s a general direction that your company needs to take or a specific job task that doesn’t have clear instructions on how to complete the task, lack of clarity can be a productivity killer.

Perhaps the most important word related to success of any kind is clarity. Successful people are very clear about who they are and what they want, in every area of their lives. They have written plans of action that they follow every day.

4) You’re Unsure Of How To Work Efficiently

This can be a tough one. You’re working on moving a special project forward but also have daily tasks to undertake and aren’t sure how to prioritize your time.

You’re responsible for a number of tasks, but don’t know which ones should be completed first.

The ABCDE List…

The best thing that you can do when you’re unsure of how to work efficiently is to complete a simple exercise I like to call the ABCDE list. First, make a list of all the activities you need to get done in a day. After you’ve done this, go through your list and label each task with an A, B, C, D, or E.

• A tasks are tasks you absolutely must do or there will be serious consequences. Put an A next to those tasks.
• B tasks are tasks you should do or there will be minor consequences. B tasks are not as important as A tasks and the rule is you never work on a B task when there is an A task left undone.
• C tasks would be nice to do, but would have no consequences either positive or negative.
• D activities are activities that you can delegate to someone else.
• E tasks are tasks that you should eliminate. After all, you can only get your time under control if you eliminate tasks that are no longer necessary for you to do.

Conclusion

If you are not headed toward your desired destination, you don’t want to get there any faster. If you are not moving in your own self-determined direction, there is no point in managing your time in a way that accelerates your speed of accomplishment. Time management strategies and tactics applied without a clear future vision will get you to a destination that holds no interest for you, only faster.

Once you are clear about your values, vision, and mission for your life and work, and you are clear about what it is you want to accomplish and the best way to achieve it, then, and only then, can you begin to apply some of the powerful time management techniques that are available to you.

Join Me For A FREE Live Training

By being aware of these mistakes, you can recognize them and choose to take a different path. When you take action on an item that you would otherwise procrastinate over, you can see the progress you’re making and know that you’re making a difference in owning your own productivity.

If you’re ready to take the next step in mastering your time, I’m hosting a webinar called “Kickstart Your Productivity” where I’ll teach you several time management rules that I rely on for becoming a powerhouse of productivity. Only 300 spots are available for this training so act quick!

Click here to reserve your spot!

Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it?”

I believe it was Einstein that first said this. I think this is a very powerful statement, but what exactly does it mean?

It means that if you want a new solution, you have to come up with a new way of thinking about that problem.

I want to share with you what I believe could be one of the most important things you’ll ever learn – or ever get reminded of – in your entire life. This is critical thinking if you want to go through life in a joyful, happy, balanced, and less stressed way.

Now, you don’t have to believe this—you just have to be open to it and see if you can resonate with it.

Ready?

For the most part, all of our problems are caused by the way we think.

Meaning that ANY problem you experience beyond your primal human needs (food, shelter, and water)….are SOLELY created by your mind.

Now, you might not like that. You may be thinking, “Harv, you’re not saying that I’m just ‘making up’ my problems, are you?”

Well, it depends. But I’m going to say with certainty that almost all of the time…you are.

Again, I want to remind you of a few things. Your mind is based on survival. Its job is protection. Therefore, it’s always looking for what’s wrong, or what could go wrong in any situation.

Imagine a security guard. What kind of security guard is going to be looking for what’s right? Can you imagine hiring a bodyguard that’s only looking for what’s right?

No, that would never happen,. Why? Because that’s not their job. What does a bodyguard look for? It looks for problems, it looks for danger.

It looks for things that can shake up what’s familiar. If you’re considering a new business opportunity, perhaps trying something a little risky, your mind will just look for problems.

Consequently, your mind is 100% fear-based.

Now, if you know your mind is fear-based, where are your problems?

Yep, you got it – in your mind.

In other words, if you want to create real solutions, you’ve got to get outside that mind, because that mind is loaded with fear. By trying to protect you, your mind is actually limiting what you’re capable of… so instead of just listening to it, you need to constantly bring it into question.

Instead, acknowledge your thoughts and say the 4 magic words: “Thank you for sharing”, and then take the necessary action and do what you were going to do, anyway.

By understanding that your mind is your greatest asset, but also your greatest liability, you’re able to consciously accept or reject what it’s telling you – so you have the power to decide your next move.

Is your mind creating problems in your life right now? How do you overcome it? Share your thoughts, and any tips or techniques you use in the comments below!

The first step to change is awareness, so once you can pinpoint the #1 problem in your business, you can quickly and effectively solve it.

In this article, Josh Turner, Wall Street Journal bestselling author goes into detail about a study within his company that revealed the #1 biggest problem most businesses have.

We had such a GREAT response from Josh’s first article, so we asked him to do another one for you! Over 10,238 people viewed his first lesson, and Jesse and I personally think this one is even BETTER.

So ENJOY and make sure you comment below because we want to hear from you!

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Part 2: Study Shows The #1 Biggest Problem For 87% Of Business Owners…Are You Suffering From It Too?
By Josh Turner

Picture this.

After years of hard work, sleepless nights, and too much stress, your business has become secure and stable. You no longer have to worry about how you’re going to pay next month’s bills or if your work is drying up.

Now you’ve got the time to look forward, to be creative and focus on growth, instead of scraping by and constantly riding on what I call the “Cash Flow Roller Coaster”.

How many small business owners are actually achieving this lifestyle?

In 2016, my company conducted a study of nearly 2,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs to gain a better understanding.

We discovered some amazing insights on what they’re struggling with, their goals for the next year, and how they’re planning to improve their business. We also discovered what separates the successful businesses from those who haven’t quite made it yet.

The evidence is quite overwhelming, and points to one specific thing that is keeping most businesses from realizing their potential.

In fact, the study revealed that 87% of business owners have recurring cash flow problems in their business.

87%!

At the same time, we found that almost none of those businesses have a system in place to generate consistent leads and appointments with qualified prospects.

Of respondents who said maintaining cashflow IS a consistent problem in their business, 77% also said they DO NOT have processes in place that consistently generate new leads and clients.

On the other hand, out of the 13% of business owners who report that they DO NOT have cash flow problems, 83% of these profitable, successful businesses DO have systems in place to generate leads and appointments consistently.

Clearly those businesses who are more successful have one thing common. They have systems in place to generate leads and appointments consistently. The key word here as Harv would like to say is SYSTEMS.

For the businesses who reported to struggle with cash flow, it’s clear that a lack of systems is creating significant problems and challenges.

When we dug deeper to discover why they have cash flow problems, it became quite clear. Most of these businesses rely solely on referrals and word of mouth.

As a result, 84% of responders say that their current lead generation strategies are NOT sufficient to reach their desired income goals.

Now, referrals are great when you get them – but you can’t rely ONLY on them, because you can’t depend on referrals waltzing through the door in a consistent stream day in and day out. It just doesn’t happen that way.

So you can’t just sit and WAIT for referrals… but you can do some things to GENERATE them.

One thing you can do is to make yourself super visible… be seen all over the place.

When you’ve created an, “I see your name everywhere I turn” type of presence, then YOU are the one your prospects think of when the timing is right.

When you quickly position yourself as a leader in your market, people will see you as the go-to expert.

Think about this: When you need help, who do you go to? Joe Schmoe from the phone book… or that person whose name you hear everywhere you look in the industry?

So how good are most businesses at this?

60% of business owners say they’re confident demonstrating what differentiates them from the competition.

But when you combine different pieces of data, a different story comes out.

Of respondents who said they have VERY FEW differentiators, 92% said they sometimes or consistently have cash flow problems.

Standing out from the competition is clearly a crucial step in the communication process that turns prospects into clients.

But how do you do it?

Years ago, I was staring at my computer screen trying to answer that exact question. I knew that I needed a way to stand out, and a way to bring in clients without having to spend a bunch of money on advertising and other old-school tactics.

Through trial and error, I stumbled upon a system that quickly positioned me as a leading expert in my market. This was amazing to me, because my business was brand new!

I was using the same online tools as everybody else (LinkedIn, Facebook, and email). But I was doing it in a way that was actually getting results. Not the fluffy social media bs that you see most people talking about.

Using my new system, I began getting even more referrals, leads and clients.

Before long, some of these clients started asking me if I thought this online marketing system would work for them too. That was 2011, and fast forward to today, and my company LinkedSelling has since helped over 7,000 clients and business owners get off the Cash Flow Roller Coaster using our proprietary client attraction system.

The main reason it’s been so successful, is that businesses like yours and mine can easily and quickly implement it and get big results. Without having a list, without needing a budget for ads or any of that stuff, and without having any special tech skills.

So how does it work?

It’s that 5-step process that I mentioned in my last article for you.

1. Laying the Foundation

You must build the correct foundation to assure you’re ready to launch and put your best foot forward from day one.

Just like any built structure the foundation is a key element to the sturdiness of the building. The structure is the determining factor of whether it withstands any turbulent times or not.

Once the foundation is built, then you will be positioned like a rock star. First impressions are VITAL to your success. You must be sure that your foundation is laid first.

2. Building Your Authority Leadership Platform

The social media platform that you pick is next. How do you pick it? Well, think about where your target customer is hanging out.

Is it Facebook or LinkedIn? It takes a bit of time to set up, but once it’s up and running, you won’t need to spend much time on it. The primary focus for this leadership platform is to eventually generate appointments, but it’s also great for the secondary purposes of general marketing, brand awareness, content distribution, and getting eyeballs to your website and so on. The main purpose is simply that you are running a Facebook or LinkedIn group, and the positioning that goes with it. Make sure to adjust your profile slightly on both Facebook and/or LinkedIn, to make it clear that you are the founder of your group.

3. Prospecting and Building Your Database

It’s now time to build your database with your ideal prospects and buyers. In my book I’ll show you the most efficient and effective way to pack your prospect database with warm, targeted leads any time you want to, so you can proactively pursue high quality clients every day.

Even if you currently have no list, no following, no nothing…this will work for you. In fact, many of our clients come to us with nothing. And using this process, they are able to create a database of hundreds of targeted, qualified prospective clients in a matter of days.

But here’s a quick tip. If you’re using LinkedIn, all you need to do is simply send connection requests to a large number of targeted prospects. You’ll use the advanced people search (LinkedIn’s search tool) to find qualified prospects and send them a connection request. You’ll want to send at least 300 connection requests in the initial database build. If you really want to go all out, you can send up to 1,500.

The key is including a personalized script in the connection request, which will typically get 50-70% of prospects to connect with you.

Here’s a simple example of what this script might look like:

Hey First Name,

I came across your profile here on LinkedIn and thought we could benefit from being connected.

Thanks!
Your Name
Founder, Your Group Name

Easy, right?!

4. Creating Your Messaging Machine

Having a powerful messaging strategy to leverage and convert your database into leads and appointments on a regular basis is crucial to your success.

This is a critical step to getting off what I call the “Cash Flow Roller Coaster”. This is a system to consistently bring new prospects, leads and clients in the door. Without it, you’ll just be relying on referrals and the old methods that just aren’t working as well anymore. And your business will be stuck in neutral, if not sliding backwards.

Here are a few campaigns we teach our students and you can probably Google to get some ideas for yourself:

• Multi-Touch Point Nurture Campaign
• Referencing a Shared Connection
• Request for Call Right After Connecting
• Re-Engaging Existing Connections
• Asking Permission to Send Your Lead Magnet

And so on!

5. Using An Email Blueprint Strategy

This strategy will allow you to integrate what you’ve built on Facebook or LinkedIn and take it up a notch or two, generating an ADDITIONAL 10-20% more appointments.

Over time, this adds up to a significant source of new clients! As the saying goes the money is in the follow up so this is all about having a system to keep you in front of your prospects mind at all times.

And that’s it (in a nutshell). Doable? I know so.

If you’re in a place where you’re not sure where your next client is going to come from, then I highly suggest you look into implementing the ‘Booked’ system right away.