Don`t Make The Same Mistakes I`ve Made, Time For A Review

Time for a review!  Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you`re mostly treading water? – not going forward and perhaps even going backwards?  Asking yourself questions like – where is my life and my business going?  Why? Why? Why? 

I titled this article quite purposely -“Don`t Make The Same Mistakes I`ve Made, Time For A Review”.

So what`s this all about?

I have been worried for some time about my business, and about my finances. Not growing as I quite want. I needed some quiet contemplation and to forensically examine my business.  After agonising thinking and checking out advice from online mentors to get perspective; I asked myself the following very specific questions.

1. Why am I doing what I`m doing in my business?
2. How am I going about it?
3. What exactly am I doing -what`s working, what`s not working?
4. What do I need to change?
5. What value am I providing to others?
6. What do I do next?
7. Why am I waiting around for others?
8. Why do I feel like I have little or no control?

And the big question – the very big question for me and for everyone I expect is –

“Am I feeling really passionate about what I`m doing? Have I lost that passion?”  

How`s your passion?

I recorded everything, all the answers to the above questions – I needed to make them organic, not mind based. I organised them into a simple PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting). This clarified just about everything. It gave me further think time, then……

But first just a little bit about me… just how did I get to where I am today? (short version).. 

I`ve lived hard, I`ve played hard and with passion. 

I have been and still have a career as an educator, teacher, Principal (some years back). I still teach 7 to 13 year olds part time in a local primary school.

I`ve been in business for about 10 years, I`m a learner and a consumer of knowledge. I guess that`s part of me being a teacher. I`ve worked as a Coach.

I`ve been in affiliate marketing and network marketing. And as I said, consumed lots of courses to solve my problems.

I needed to find the answers to all the questions I had, the better way, the best way.

I clearly understand that I`m a long term sufferer of ‘not knowing what I didn’t know in business’. It`s almost like a drug, an addiction!

I have been a buyer of far too many shiny objects – I suffer from “shiny object syndrome” -not sure if that`s a recognised disease or not – but it`s a marketers nightmare!

 

Commitments from my review exercise.

1. I will not buy, promote or sell any shiny objects.
2. I will unsubscribe from ‘those’ mailing lists!
3. I will delete people from my mailing lists who practice me first-money first people.
4. I have enough knowledge, I will activate and share it. 

In my business –

• I will be very guarded about which products and services I promote.
• My promotions must assist my clients and customers to gain in knowledge.
• Our business status, finances and welfare must be enhanced.
• The promotions must be aligned to ‘people connectedness’.
• The promotions must assist businesses to be unique and to stand out.

• sell the next thing
• to sell the next thing!
• to sell, to sell the next thing!

Going Forward…it`s all about people, about connecting, about relating!

1. I`m about helping and empowering people to generate quality ‘people leads’ and to use quality processes and systems to achieve this.  
2. I will encourage people to be smart and to discriminate about offers made to them. 
3. I will encourage people to know their own strengths and to be clear about their weaknesses.
4. I will encourage people to be unique and to stand out.

Making time for a review should be scheduled on your calendar … regularly.  The review ought to be seen as essential, as a very positive exercise. 

The review needs to be done with ‘eyes wide open and not with eyes wide shut’

Key to any review is …. to ask directions of where to next!

To ask questions… Why? How? What? (these are by far the best starter questions).

• My blog will feature best products and systems, best thinkers, best leaders, best options!
• Specific focus .. it`s all centred about people!
• Ask…  Why do people/customers/clients need you? (because there are people out there looking for you and what you have to offer).
• You need to know how to find the right people!  (more articles soon)
• Who are the buyers that are looking for you?  (because you have the answers to their problems in the products and services you offer).

Take away –  Time for a review can be any time you choose. You need to pre-plan when the next ‘examination’ occurs. Clarity of mind is needed to maximise the effect and outcome of the review -so are you someone who meditates? And what about the other parts of your life? Health. Relationships. Finances. etc …. but one thing at a time is best?