Success Philosophy , by Debbie LaCroix
If you have any idea what I'm rambling about, let me know!
Here is some Discovery Toys/direct sales/life philosophy for you to think about. My goal this next week is to get you thinking about why you are or why you are not successful in your business and even in your personal life.
Often times, we have the "If it's going to happen, it will happen NOW" mentality. Meaning, after 10 calls if no one books, that's it. I suck. We don't take into consideration the "no answers", the "not right nows" and the "can you call me backs". We hear "no".
No one answered, that's a "no".
They can't talk, that's a "no".
They have a wedding in 4 weeks, that's a "no".
Who said "no"? In our mind, we create the tiny, dreaded word.
And our ego deflates. And each "no" we don't hear makes us smaller.
And suddenly, this isn't for me. I can't do it. No one in my area is interested. (Before you say that, let me know exactly how many people you talked to.)
Have you ever learned a new skill? What about walking? When you first tried to walk and fell, did you stop?
What about learning to drive a car. Some people will get behind the wheel and go, go, go. They have no problems following the rules while keeping inside the white pac man lines. Really, it shouldn't be that hard. But others, like me, get in the car ready to show off, and find themselves spending time after school taking driving lessons with others in the car who really do scare you! I'll never forget when my friend turned the wrong direction down a one way street! Yes, a car was coming.
Do you think I have my license now? How do you think I got it? Do you think I thought I really needed those extra lessons, or did the instructor just not like me?
I tell you, he didn't like me. Not one bit. He thought I talked to much, was scattered brain, and wouldn't stop bouncing. Or maybe he didn't like me because of the fear of being in the car with me?
Anyway, whatever the reason, I was determined to get that license. And I was
IMPATIENT!
After we got our certificate, I passed with a C!!!!! I did not get a lot of C's in my life, but I had set my expectations low since this driver didn't like me. Hey, every time he knocked a point, my personal expectations of success went down. But, I did what I needed to do get him to pass me. And it was more then I thought I would have to do originally.
So I get my report card with my certificate, and there is a note, "wait a few weeks before getting your license".
Ha! I knew I could drive! My friends were all getting their's, I was ready. So I went down, and had to take the really scary driving test with the DMV cop who stares you down, has no expression and makes you feel smaller then a pencil. And guess what!
I failed.
I failed? I was ready! I knew my stuff! I really did. I was to going the speed limit, no one was around so it seemed like I was driving faster. It wasn't my fault the curb came out of no where. I'll never use parallel parking anyway. He just thought he heard the tires squeal. And I didn't hit anything, really, I didn't. Don't give me that look They guy failed me because he didn't like me. It wasn't my fault, nothing I did should have made me fail.
Even though I was convinced I knew how to drive, do you think I stopped there and said," I'll just walk"? Or did I practice, restudy and try again?
I did. Why? I needed the personal satisfaction of having my license, the freedom, the ego and I wanted to get my friends to stop teasing me! They still do to this day, by the way.
Finally though, I did pass and I do have a valid license. Not to many speeding tickets or accidents in my driving career.
My points?
Sometimes we don't hit our goals. Maybe we set them unrealistically timewise. However, it takes time to learn. As long as we are learning from our mistakes, we can make anything we want happen. We just need to leave ourselves room to grow. You are learning a business. You won't know the words and everything right off the bat. Sometimes, just one little thing will change your biz, like a word you are or are not using. Just because it doesn't happen the way you thought it would, doesn't mean you have to walk. Reevaluate your goal, look at went wrong and practice.
We often misinterpret. Did the instructor just not like me or was he looking out for the safety of me and the thousands of other drivers I'd be running into, I mean driving in the flow of traffic with? Often we hear more what we want over what is said and focus on that negative, rather then seeing it as positive for the future!
No answer? Great, I have someone to talk to tomorrow.
They have a wedding? Cool, I have a party 2 months down the line.
Can't talk? That's OK. I'm busy anyway. So when is the best time to get ahold of you? How late can I call you?
Look at the situation more carefully before throwing the name in the garbage. Did they actually tell you "no, never call me again?" If they did, well, then throw it out.
We often displace blame because it's easier. It doesn't make us feel as bad, or as a failure if we can blame something else. But instead of avoiding the truth that we may or may not have done something wrong, why not look at it as a learning experience? Everyone makes mistakes. That is the natural curve of growth. I had to learn to parallel park. Though I blamed it on the other cars parking badly, this was something I had to go outside my comfort level and desire to do if I wanted the end result. It wasn't the driving instructors fault I didn't master, or attempt this skill. But it was easier for me to blame him. Can I do it now? Yes, if I have to. I still don't like doing it, but there are times where I am soo glad I learned that skill. So if your biz isn't where you want it to be, look at the real reasons why, not the excuses. I've heard them all, I've even given them, and trust me, I know an excuse from a legit reason.
Debbie
