Last time I was in Phoenix Arizona for a conference, I headed out two days early because I wanted to climb Camelback Mountain. For years, this annual conference was held in Scottsdale and I could see Camelback from my hotel room. And every year I said, “next time I come, I’m going to stay long enough to climb Camelback.” Well this was finally the year!
 
If you’ve been a reader of mine long enough, you might remember when I wrote an article, “Top Five Lessons from Climbing Everest.” It wasn’t me who climbed Mt. Everest (I’m assuming that’s obvious) but a motivational speaker I had recently heard present.

So I’ve decided this week to write MY top five lessons from Climbing Camelback. Hey, it was my Everest!

1) You can never know the full extent of the kindness of strangers until you travel alone. It amazes me how people really look out for someone who they know is by themselves. I’m a pretty independent woman (just ask my boyfriend!) and I can take care of myself. But I was so touched by people who went out of their way to assist me on this trip.

One example includes a security guard of a very ritzy resort. I was lost on my way to Camelback (part of my independent nature includes traveling to places with no map and no GPS) and turned into the Phoenician Resort. At the gate (you had to be on the guest list before being allowed to enter), I told the guard I had made a wrong turn and was trying to get to Camelback. He told me the best way to get there was through the resort. And after giving me very specific directions, he asked if I wanted a couple bottles of water because I would need them on my hike. Wow! Talk about hospitable.

Then there was the checkout woman at the grocery store who insisted on finding scissors so she could cut the tag off my new sunglasses that I bought for the hike. 

2) Follow the directions – but ask those in the know. When I was at the base of the mountain, I was reading the instructions for climbing. I was really concerned when it said I should wear light, loose fitting clothing (I had on head-to-toe black and as far as loose-fitting? Let’s not go there.), and that I should have at least a quart of water (I had one 16 oz. bottle). I almost considered turning back. But then I decided to ask someone coming off the trail. He happened to be a Phoenix resident and climbs all the time. “You’re fine this time of year. I didn’t even have water with me today. But if it was May or June, you’d be dead.” Great! Onward and upward!

3) Slow and steady wins the race. At the beginning of the climb, I decided to pace myself so I’d have enough gas to get to the top. That means there were plenty of people racing past me. I didn’t mind so much when it was these hard-bodied athletes with backpacks filled with rice and beans training for the Death March in New Mexico (I’m not making this up!). I knew I couldn’t compete so I gladly stepped aside. But when I noticed groups of people with average physiques flying past me, I started to get a little discouraged.

It was then I noticed I kept passing the same people over and over again who were too winded to keep climbing. They’d race past me and then within 5 minutes I’d be passing them again. I beat many people to the “saddle” because I paced myself. I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re the rabbit or the hare, if you just continue on you will reach your goal.

4) Watch where you are going but don’t forget to stop and take a look around. This is the equivalent of “stop and smell the roses.” The more difficult the trail got, the more focused I had to be on the ground in front of me. As I climbed higher, the scenery got more spectacular but I had to make a point to look around and appreciate the beauty or I could have easily missed it. Fortunately stopping to catch my breath often was necessary the higher I climbed so I had plenty of time to see the view.  

5) Never give up. Seriously. There were two times when I almost didn’t continue. The climbing was getting harder and harder and I was getting more and more tired. I had all kinds of thoughts going through my head. “No one else will even know if I don’t make it to the top. I could take a picture from here. I’m sure it’s just as beautiful. Did I even say I was committed to going to the top?” This is called “mind-frick”. And when it starts, the best thing you can do is thank your mind for sharing and come up with a more powerful mantra to overcome it. What worked for me was, “I did not come to Camelback Mountain to climb half a mountain!” I said this over and over to myself and even shared it with a few other people who were ready to quit.

It worked because I made it to the summit. And the rush of exhilaration I felt when I got there (after I caught my breath) was SO worth it! I’m ready for my next mountain!

Q: I always struggle with levels of inventory to suggest new consultants to start with. I want to do what is best for them and their family, but after 20 years in the business, if they don’t have adequate inventory, they don’t have a commitment. But there is so much fear of debt out there, any suggestions?? ~ Colleen Hendrickson

A: This is a question we get quite often. And I think the answer is actually in your question but let me explain a concept first. The concept of projection. The fact is, we often project onto others our beliefs, attitudes and experiences – good or bad. So typically how we got started in business, we assume others are likely to start the same way.

So if you came into the business with a large inventory order but didn’t sell it, or went into significant debt to get started, you will assume others will do the same – and naturally would be reluctant to advise they do the same thing.

However, in your question you state that after 20 years in business you’ve seen that if someone doesn’t have an adequate order (however you define it), they lack commitment. So that is your experience. As long as you’re coming from that place – you are in integrity with the amount you recommend.

Last week, I shared with you something that really bothered me…but promised to rectify the temporary negativity with something positive this week!
 
So the article this week is 12 books that have changed my life – in no particular order!

COMMUNICATION: Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson. This was the first book that drove home that there was an Event and then there was my Story about the Event. It made me realize that we communicate primarily from our Stories of what’s happened, not necessarily the facts – but so does everyone else. Hence why communication with others is so tricky! CLOSE SECOND: Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT: Handbook to Higher Consciousness by Ken Keyes, Jr. The first time I picked up this book, I read a few pages and put it back on the shelf. The second time I picked up the book, I read a few pages and couldn’t put it down. Books resonate with you when you are ready for them. This book is just one of many that has taught me that if something bugs me, it’s about me. CLOSE SECOND: The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford 
 
RELATIONSHIPS: Loving What Is by Byron Katie. This booked essentially saved my current relationship. I was just getting into the habit of blaming everything on Chris – why couldn’t he be more like this, why did he always have to do that? I read the entire book one afternoon in my car, went home and told Chris I was sorry for everything I was trying to pin on him and that “honey, you’ve got to read this book!” 😉 CLOSE SECOND: Getting The Love You Want by Harville Hendrix 
 
FINANCIAL SUCCESS: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. This book was like a wake-up call when I was on the verge of bankruptcy! It explained exactly why finances were such a challenge for me – even though I was a very smart, creative, hard working person!! It taught me about my inherited “financial blueprint” and what I would have to do to change it. CLOSE SECOND: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 
 
BUSINESS SUCCESS: The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes. Don’t let the title fool you. This book is about SO much more than business. Chet takes on training, hiring, sales, marketing…and does so with such simple, effective advice, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of his ideas before. I go back to this book again and again and refer it often to others. CLOSE SECOND: No B.S. Ruthless Management of People and Profits by Dan Kennedy 
 
SPIRITUAL: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. This was the first “spiritual” book I had ever read after being raised in a fundamental religion. The concept of the law of attraction (way before The Secret was ever heard of!) was fascinating to me. I liked the self-responsibility inherent in this belief. Heaven or Hell wasn’t so much a location as a place we create for ourselves right here on Earth. Also intriguing was the thought that what is required to “save the world” from angry, destructive forces is a collective awakening. CLOSE SECOND: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

As I was reading the Sunday paper this past weekend, I happened to look at the weekly “Top 20 Best Selling Books” list. While this list included fiction and non-fiction, only three were non-fiction. This is how it broke down further.

• 6 of the 20 books were Young Adult/Youth titles. Yay! Our kids are still reading! Boo! 5 of the 6 were violent themes where the characters had to kill or be killed.

• Of the 14 adult titles, 8 were also violent themes. Everything from vigilante gunmen to assassinations to a 14 year old charged with murder.

Again, 17 of these titles were Fiction. That means that we, as a nation, and especially our youth are reading stories written with violence as the main theme.

Yep, that pissed me off!

But if you really get the concept of the quote by Earl Nightingale, “You become what you think about,” you’ll see that the themes of the entertainment you allow in your life will undoubtedly play out in your life – in some way.

I once had a kid tell me his mom was “addicted” to courtroom dramas and reality TV shows about judges and litigation. Is it any surprise that this mother, on a regular basis, has a legal battle going on in her life? Custody issues, eviction notices, wrongful termination lawsuits, etc. She is manifesting in her life exactly what she is filling her mind with.

Perhaps why this is such a trigger for me is because I KNOW the power of books and their ability to change your life. I know because I’ve been reading almost solely self-development and business building books for the last decade.

Maybe as important as what I do read, it’s just as important to note what I STOPPED reading:

• Romance Novels in my late-20’s because they were wreaking havoc on my love life. No guy I dated seemed to match my expectations. Plus the hero in romance novels was always the strong and silent type who could never express how he felt until the heroine came along and melted the wall around his heart and…alas, he was cured. So guess what I kept being attracted to?

• Cosmo and Glamour as my main sources of information. Not only did I get the impression that everyone was have more and better sex than I was, I also constantly compared myself to airbrushed images of women that I could never match up to.

• Newspaper (or online news nowadays). Just scanning the headlines of the daily paper was depressing. What is that saying “Good news doesn’t sell”? Agreed. Which is why I stopped buying the paper!

Once I freed up that time, I was able to devote more time to reading that could actually improve my business, health, relationships and finances. Next week I will share a list of books that have changed my life.

Q: Hi Nancy! How do you “close” the S/C personalities in a short window of time? They always seem to need time to research or are simply full of fear. On the flipside, how can I ensure signing up the D/I personalities on the spot? ~ Ana G.

A: Hi Ana. It is difficult to close the High Steady and Compliants on the spot. They, by their very nature, have to think every decision through carefully. The only way is to give them an incentive to sign up right then. If it’s enticing enough, they may go against their nature. 😉

With the Dominant or Influential person, they are used to making quick impulsive decisions. D’s like options and I’s LOVE free bonuses. So lay out several options (always starting with the highest pricepoint) and offer a bonus if they sign up right then.

Where do I start? When cash flow is tight and every part of your business needs work, it’s a little overwhelming. Right? Yes, it is important to keep all the balls juggling in your business. But it also makes sense to focus on the ONE thing that makes everything else flow and that is…SHARING! (Thought I was going to say “selling”, didn’t you? 😉
 
When you are sharing the benefits and solutions you have for people, that is where you truly make the largest difference. So why is it so often the last thing on our list??

Because we do what we know. We know how to organize our office, order inventory, create a newsletter, or email customers. Our mind always pulls us back to what’s comfortable and easy. Here are a few simple instructions to get the right things done.

1. SHARE FIRST. Create structure and systems second. I know this feels backwards. But what is the point of spending time creating systems to run your business when you do not yet have a team? Yes, you do need some basic structure in place for your business but nowhere near what you think you need. When you start growing your team – then the way to create structure and systems will appear. 

2. FOCUS ON PEOPLE if you’re looking for cash flow. There is a lot we could be doing at any moment in our business (tweaking our websites, marketing through social media, etc). BUT if you need to increase your income quickly, ONLY focus on the activities that will have direct results in income. (Booking appointments, calling customers for re-orders, lead events, etc.)

3. DO NOT GO IT ALONE. Get help or support. If you are wondering why you are not making enough or have enough clients yet and you are doing everything yourself, that is one big AHA! Outsource some of the day-to-day administrative tasks to a virtual assistant. Delegate the details and distractions that keep you from making money!

4. STOP, BREATHE & BELIEVE. We usually get fixated on the details of our business because it’s easier than marketing and selling. When you cannot seem to get out of the planning and preparation process (getting ready to get ready), stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself “What am I avoiding? What is the fear?” Then check in with a friend, coach or Director to bust through that belief.

5. HELP MORE PEOPLE. The perfect product, packaging or process does not help more people. It is important to make your products and offerings professional, but these details are not what change people’s lives. The moment they invest in themselves is when your client begins to change. Arrange everything you do around creating more of those moments.

Go out and make a difference through reaching women every day. It will help more people and make you more money. And in business, that is the only detail that matters!

*This article’s content was inspired by Suzanne Evans of www.helpmorepeople.com.

We’ve all heard about the power of visualization.  Maybe even tried it for a time.  But most of us have had little or no success manifesting the dreams and desires we’ve had for years!  So it leads many to believe that things like Vision Boards don’t work.

If you’ve seen “The Secret,” you may remember John Assaraf’s story about how he put a picture of his dream house on his Vision Board.  While moving around for a period of five years, his Vision Board ironically got put out of sight!  Once he moved into a house he was going to stay in for awhile, he went through some old boxes and found his Vision Board.  He was amazed to see that he moved into – not a house like his dream house but – the EXACT house that was on his Vision Board.
 
I found this a bit hard to believe until I heard John explain that the picture of his dream house was an aerial view.  So when he saw it from the ground – he didn’t realize it was that exact same house.

I recently had my own “well whatdya know – Vision Boards DO work” kind of experience.

As you may know, Chris and I moved in December.  I’ve always wanted to live on the water and in Rochester there are two choices – Irondequoit Bay or Lake Ontario.  So one day about four years ago, I went out to the Bay and Lake and took pictures for my Vision Board (see TOP picture).  I thought maybe if I looked at these every day then I would eventually manifest a house on the water.

So we’d been in our new townhouse about two weeks when Chris pulls out my Vision Board and is stunned by what he saw.  This picture is the view from our townhouse (BOTTOM picture).  We were not even conscious when we decided to buy this townhouse that the view was so similar.  Yep, like John Assaraf – we had forgotten the picture on my Vision Board!!

So four years after I posted the pictures, I have achieved my vision.  Okay – so it wasn’t instant manifestation.  But certain things had to happen along the way for my vision to take place. There are things I did right (and things I could have done better) that led to the eventual manifestation of my goal.

Here’s my take on it:

1) Be very specific about what you want.  I was very specific – so much so that I went and took pictures of the view I eventually wanted.  

2) Focus on your vision every day.  I had my Vision Board in my bedroom where I saw it every morning and every night.  What I could have done better was paid more “conscious” attention to it.  It was in the background, peripherally, yet obviously seeped into my subconscious.  But to create speed around my goal – I could have made it more of a conscious activity.

3) Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.  Everything that has happened in the last four years, changes in my business, changes in my relationship status, have all required stepping out of my comfort zone.  What I could have done better is be less resistant to the changes.  I fought every one of them.  See #4.

4) Don’t let fear stop you.  There were times I wanted to run and hide from the changes that were taking place.  Share my business with someone, give up 100% control, be vulnerable to someone else and their mistakes?  Not something this independent gal was used to!.

5) Be willing to let go of “NOT QUITE RIGHT” in order to get “EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT”.  We looked at other townhouses that were very nice but not on the water.  As I was about to settle, we decided to look at one more neighborhood we thought we’d already been to (but hadn’t).  I walked in and from the living room saw the view above.  Chris tells me that I said “I’ll take it” before I even found out how much it was!

You can see how applicable these 5 steps are to anything you want to do.  Lose weight, get a better job, or find a great relationship.  It all starts with knowing exactly what you want.  But after that, ACTION is required. 

We find that this is where most people stop.  What are you DOING in order to make your dreams come true?

Q: “Dear Nancy, I’m overwhelmed with everything there is to do in my business and end up frustrated and feeling further behind. Do you have any tips on how to prioritize the tasks that need to be done?” ~ Vicki Milberger, San Francisco, CA

A: Hi Vicki. Your question is a common problem among business owners. There is SO much to do, and not enough time for one person to do it all. Here is my short answer to get you started.

Start sorting out what is most important for you to focus on in the next 90 days. This will depend on your goals for your business right now. For example, if you need to generate some cash-flow immediately, you would put “ask customers for re-orders” higher up on your list than “design new newsletter”. Keep sorting and making new smaller lists if necessary until you have narrowed down what needs to be done ASAP.

You will probably find that the revenue-generating activities should always be at the top. (That is the point of business after all, isn’t it? Otherwise, you just have a hobby!) And yet, they are often the activities we get to last. In order to be successful in business, you have to keep activities that bring you business as your main priority.

Other activities that are important (inventory, bookkeeping, customer service emails, website maintenance, etc.) but not mission critical are the ones you want to start looking at delegating to an assistant as soon as possible.

So it’s January 17th and I have a question for you:  How are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions?

I once heard a shocking statistic that over 80% of all New Year’s Resolutions are broken within 72 hours.  I don’t know if that is accurate or not but I can tell you it lines up with my experience with making resolutions.

So with my own “failure” as the motivation, I created a new way of starting a New Year powerfully.  It has worked very well for me for the last few years and since I believe in “not fixing what ain’t broken,” I’d like to share them with you!

First, set aside about 30-minutes and get a nice NEW, clean notebook or journal to write in and a pen you love to write with.  (New Year’s should be about getting rid of tolerations, so why start with a blotchy, crappy pen? 😉

Once you’re ready, write down:

1) Your Top 25 Accomplishments from the previous year.

Now sometimes I capture these throughout the year when I think of them, but the best thing for me is to look at my wall calendar where most significant events are captured.

Items that you’ve accomplished may include workshops attended, salary increases, weight releases, personal and professional goals accomplished, new activities, awards or recognition received.

But don’t forget things like new positive habits picked up, bad habits eliminated, relationships renewed or strengthened. If you’re not too hard on yourself, you’ll find 25 easy to come up with.

The first year I did this, I got to include belly-dancing and skiing as new activities that I considered to be quite an accomplishment.  This past year, I finally took a 2-day spa retreat all by myself and released 22 pounds.  Both things I had “resolved” to do for years – finally accomplished!!

2) Top 10 Distractions from the previous year.

This is a tough one. Mostly because we don’t necessarily want to acknowledge what distracted us from our goals. (Also, this list is only pertinent if you have well-defined goals.)

But this is also one of the most valuable exercises because it is a great reminder for the year ahead to not let the same thing distract you again.

I’ll give you an example from my list. Ever since I started my own business, many opportunities come my way. I am very grateful for these and in the beginning, when I was unclear about the direction of my business, I went down the path of quite a few opportunities that didn’t turn out to be right for me. I failed to evaluate them properly from the beginning.

When these showed up on my list of distractions a couple years in a row (they all looked different at the time!) it was a huge lesson staring me in the face – and I was much better this past year about letting erroneous opportunities take me off course.

So capture your distractions. These may include other people, worries, conflicting priorities, lack of organization, or lack of boundaries.

3) The Top 10 Goals for the New Year.

This should be fun to complete. This is your time to plan the next year and what you want on your list of accomplishments at the end of it. This is not the time to beat yourself up over everything you didn’t complete last year. Let that stuff go. Resist putting it on your list again unless it’s something you really, really want to do.

Besides your professional goals (salary, new job, more clients, etc.) and personal goals (lose weight, less travel, etc.) don’t forget some PLAY goals.

My list of 10 Goals usually contains 4 professional or financial goals, 3 self-development or improvement goals, and 3 fun goals.

And I’m a big proponent of the goals being specific and measurable. And realistic for you.

Then do you know the next step? Create some momentum around your goals by getting into immediate action.  There is power in momentum. There is also power in speaking your commitment. If there is something you’ve been wanting to do for a long time and haven’t spoken it to anyone – that is one indication that it will go undone again.

Next, find an accountability partner, a coach, or a friend to share your goal with. And then tell them how you like to be supported. A gentle word of encouragement, a friendly email reminder, more regimented support? Everyone is different so help them help you!

Lastly, if you’ve come up with any juicy goals for yourself, share them on our blog and I’ll share with you my juiciest goal for the year!!

Q: Hi Nancy! I just became a Director in my direct sales company. While I’m thrilled, I’m also a bit scared because I see a lot of women make Director but then fall short afterward. I’m wondering why this happens and how I can ensure it won’t happen to me. ~ Jennifer Fox

A: That’s a great question and I’m so glad you’re thinking of this scenario now, so you can avoid against it. I think there are a couple of reasons why someone might reach a goal and then backtrack and it happens with everything from weight loss to business growth.

First, there is the “There, I’m done” syndrome. It happens when we adopt behaviors to reach a goal that we do not enjoy and we really can’t sustain long-term. So when we reach the goal, we stop doing the behaviors that got us there. We see this a lot with the women we coach in your company. Once they hit Director, they stop working their personal business and pay too much attention to their new team. Not that you shouldn’t be building your team – but it’s a balancing act. So the solution is look at your behaviors that got you where you are and make a commitment to continue them even now that you’ve hit your goal.

Second, there is the “Terror Barrier.” This is something we learned from our coach, David Neagle, and it explains exactly why we revert to old, self-defeating habits and behavior. Once you hit a certain level of success (or income, or weight) if your new state doesn’t match your sub-conscious belief of what you deserve, you will unconsciously sabotage yourself. And since the sub-conscious mind controls about 96 to 98% of our behavior (sad but true!), even if you conscious mind wants to sustain the goal, the sub-conscious wins out.

The first step is to become aware of this phenomenon. The second step is, when you get to the point that you want to stop, to push yourself to take action NO MATTER WHAT. That is the only way to defeat the insidiousness of the sub-conscious mind.

I wish I had the room to go into the full explanation of this but it would require pages and pages. We go into this topic in much detail in our Think Pink & Grow Rich coaching program. I would encourage you to check it out.