Planning for change

Change is inevitable and it can catch you by surprise or you can plan for it. When change affects your income, especially in today’s financial environment, it is best to plan for it and hedge off disaster.

Even the largest and what appear to be the most financially stable companies are eventually subject to change. Look at IBM, GM, and MCI all fortune 100 companies that lost major market share and all had to shed thousands of employees and close facilities to stay in business. I fell pray to this many years ago when Aetna Insurance merged with US Healthcare. My department was considered no longer part of the corporate strategy and that change in philosophy resulted in thousands of jobs being eliminated including mine. In the years following the Aetna US Healthcare merger allowed both companies to shed thousands of employees and actually almost put the new company out of business. All changes that effected my live and they were completely outside of my control and totally unexpected. Even back then I had a backup plan and I had a separate business outside of my primary source of income so I had a secondary income source.

Planning for change should start today. If you do not have a savings and multiple streams of income then you are at risk regardless of the size or financial status of your company or employer. Wisely investing little as $10 a day, about what we spend on lunch, will compound into close to 1 million dollars over 20 years. This is money that can be used to back up your income and will make for a more comfortable retirement.

If you do not have a part time business this is a good time to re-evaluate why not. This is also a place to obtain the extra income you need to save for your future. Remember as little as $10 a day will provide for your retirement. Do you think you could generate $300 per month part time? Of course you can. This way you can continue to live on your primary income and invest all or part of your secondary income. People ask why someone with my background and experience I got involved in Network Marketing, here is the answer:

• It cost very little to get started so there was a limited down side. It also allowed me to work part time right out of my home without impacting my primary income.
• It is a great way to get experience in starting and running your own business and “Become your own boss” and I was in the position to help others because of my experience.
• I did not have to stock anything or even come up with new products to replace aging ones I could simply focus on building the business.
• I did not have to be a sales person. I could sell without pressure and at the same time build a business helping others do the same.

Think about the many reasons you should get started in your own business and hedge your future, then take action.

Remain in control

Without realizing it almost everyone you encounter and form a relationship with tests your confidence and leadership. They do it by questioning your ideas, plans, and goals. The way you respond to those challenges demonstrate your leadership ability, determination, and resolve. The reason we do this is to determine if we should be directing (leading) this person to do what we wish, we should be following them to do what they want, or avoiding this person because their beliefs differ from ours. If we encounter a person we like, but they are wishy-washy and do not have direction we will naturally provide that direction. If we encounter someone that is confident and setting the pace, we will naturally allow them to provide that direction. This is instinctive in our nature and if you understand this you can use it to control your direction and who you associate with.

Now let us apply a few principles to our daily life:

• Become confident that what you are doing is in your best interest. If you are questioning your decisions then any challenge will probably result in your backing down. Do what ever it takes to become confident that your path is the correct path for you. Let your friends set their own direction.
• Set the pace that works for you and take action. Only action creates results. If you are standing round watching things happen you are not setting direction and you are not going to achieve results. If you want people to take you seriously be serious.
• Learn to recognize challenges. When your decision is challenged with a question or a rejection remain confident and in control. If you find yourself backing down on a regular basis it is time to take a look at your decisions, direction, and most importantly the people that are challenging you. Ask yourself if these people are also heading in the same direction or just keeping you from following your path.

Again it is natural for people to question your decisions and challenge your direction. You do not have to lead others to be a leader and set a direction and follow that course of action. Once you have a direction and start to follow that course people interested in traveling on that same path will automatically join your team. Some will be a head of you and some will follow, but at least you will all be going in the same direction. But it all starts by taking control of your actions and not wavering in your commitment.

Could you imagine a pilot flying the plane based on the choices of everyone on the flight? The plane would either never take off or it would never land and should he achieve flight he would never be at the correct altitude and he would need a team of people nearly equal to the number of passangers adjusting the temperature, air quality, meal selections, and dealing with the seating arrangement. The pilot through experience and confidence takes a leadership position and controls the flight to completion. Because we are all following the same path we naturally follow his lead. Many of us will not agree with his decisions throughout the flight but we naturally allow him to control our direction and set the pace. Become the pilot of your future.

If everyone got it, it would not be this big.

It is amazing what you get as a response when contacting people. Some people get it and some people do not. I love to hear and read the responses to my contacts from people that do not know me, my background, or my successes. They tell me that helping other people reach their personal goals is wrong or immoral. This is probably because their self-esteem is so low they can not think of anything that would make them a better person. The reality is if everyone understood what was really happening and jump on board the ability to be successful would be very limited and the competition would be intense. My biggest fear is that over the next 3 years while we building this new division that will happen and everyone will be signing up and the company will no longer need to pay us the big money. We know that won’t happen, but it makes a point.

As soon as the words pyramid and scam come up I know they do not get it and they know little or nothing about the industry or our company. The next questions are “Can they be educated?” and “Is it worth the time to try?”

I was taught early on not to pre-judge anyone because the people you least expect to be successful are. At the same time we only have a limited amount of time to spend on people and I like to spend that time on people that are open minded and ready to take action.

It takes time and experience to separate someone that really does not get it from someone that is just giving you a quick excuse. There are two ways to get that experience: One make contacts and experience these people; second, do not just move on when you hear an excuse. Address it and see what the reaction is. Here are a few easy answers to quick responses:

E: I am not interested.
A: How could you be, you have not seen what any of this is about?

E: I do not have time for anything
A: This is the reason most people get started in my business so they will have more time.

E: I do not have any money
A: Does it not make sense to take a look at starting a business so you will have money?

E: Is this a scam or pyramid?
A: This Company has been in business for over 22 years, if it was a scam or pyramid it would have been shut down years ago. But please do not believe me; check it out for yourself before you make a decision.