Feature
Fire Up Your Goals - Jan Ruhe
Networkers I meet all around the world usually have solid belief in their companies and products, but their confidence tends to be shaky when it comes to setting and achieving their goals. Here are some of the questions I've been hearing most recently from people, who in some cases have been too shy to ask their sponsors. I encourage you to ask your sponsor anything and everything, but for those people I've met who didn't, here's what I had to share-- nothing fancy, just what works!
Is it really possible to set a goal to become a millionaire?
Yes-- and I was six figures in debt when I set that goal for myself. I have heard that you should think and act like a millionaire before you are one. Is this possible? I always tried to think, "What did this millionaire do to become a millionaire?" "How would a millionaire handle this?" "I think today I will act as if I am a millionaire." The truth was, though, I didn't know how. I went to work paying attention to how millionaires lived, how they acted, and what they were willing to do and not do.
Along the way to becoming a millionaire, I shifted my thinking to prosperity and abundance thinking. By the time I got to be a millionaire, I had matured, I had had life experiences. I also realized how very important financial independence really is. Don't be denied the lifestyle. Remember that there are reasons why people succeed and only excuses why they don't. So, hey, why not give it a shot? Act as if!
My goal is to become more organized. Where do I begin?
That was a goal of mine, too. I knew that to be a stay-at-home millionaire mother, I would have to get organized-- big time. I paid attention to how millionaires arranged their lives. They are organized. They get rid of clutter. Period. They work faster.
So figure out what doesn't work and stop doing it. Get up earlier. Go to work, don't come to work. Don't stew, do. Throw away. Focus on M.I.N.-- Most Important Now. Repeat this to yourself all day long. Ask yourself, "Is what I am doing the most important thing for me to be doing right now to reach my goals?" There were times that I would be folding clothes in the morning and M.I.N. would pop into my head. I would stop what I was doing and get on the phone, knowing that I could fold towels after nine p.m. and get more accomplished during the day.
I am not even clear on my goals or my vision. What should I do?
To bring success closer to you, here is a foolproof method to help you help yourself. It's called "brainstorming." Brainstorming began in executive suites before World War II. According to Alex Osborn, who helped create the term, brainstorming simply means, "using the brain to storm a challenge." He claimed that 38 brainstorming sessions produced 4,356 ideas! This result was achieved by the traditional roundtable method which: 1) Ruled out criticism, 2) Encouraged freewheeling, and 3) Strove for quantity. Hundreds of worldwide corporations have proven its value. A spark from one mind will light up a lot of bang-up ideas just like a string of firecrackers.
I have used this system for years. One application of the brainstorming technique is a conscious effort on your part to seek out your own success characteristics. It's not enough to see a luxury car pass by and then decide that you want one. Go in search of success ideas. Look through newspaper and magazine advertisements.
Your brainstorming list can be extensive, and should continue growing. Be specific! A hunter isn't about to fire randomly into a flock of ducks; he sets his sights on specific ducks. He takes careful aim and squeezes off his shots only when he's sure of his target. The same approach must be taken with success goals. They must be carefully defined. For the sake of immediate action, limit them in number.
If you want to work on your vision by having a brainstorming session with yourself, it requires one essential: Being alone. Get into a room by yourself or go for a hike with only a dog for company. Take a pencil and paper along, so that you can make frequent notes.
Years ago, I brainstormed with myself about what I had to do to change my circumstances. For years, I'd been pushed into the thinking that I should be practical, and I hate the word practical! Here are a couple of examples from that time in my life: I should get a brown baby crib for my first born daughter, Sarah, so that it would last through the other babies. Driving a used car makes more sense because it saves money and is practical. I should use a set of sturdy luggage that will last because that's practical. I should buy used furniture so that if the children damaged it, we wouldn't have a big investment.
I hated this thinking. I know that some people have gotten rich from being practical, but so what? I didn't want to think that way. I didn't want to live in that world. I wanted to live and enjoy the journey of life. I realized with full force that my future and the future of my three children were up to me! Fortunately, I came across a magazine by Dr. Robert Schuller called Possibility Thinking. Bingo, that was what I wanted to be. Right then, I got clear that I just wanted to explore all my possibilities.
Today, I love my life that I was willing to work for. I value driving a car no one else has driven and living in a custom-built home with the most beautiful home furnishings and clothes and custom made jewelry available in the world. I was willing to work for it, but I bought nice "things" along the way and dropped the word "practical" out of my vocabulary. Have the courage to unhook your train car from the old train. Sail away from your safe harbor. Dream big and clarify your vision! Use the Internet and TV to expand your success horizons. Whenever you're traveling, whether on your way to work or vacation or wherever, keep your mind open to success signs. Develop an aggressive success consciousness. Keep your brainstorming list growing, adding dream after dream as they come to mind. You are going to meet your goals. Dream big-- your dreams are going to see you through.
What is the real benefit to me of setting goals to achieve my vision for my life?
The benefit of developing and following a plan is that it also strengthens your decision-making faculty. Presented time and again with the task of choosing a course of action, it soon becomes easy to decide what to do. Ninety-five percent of the people in the world never achieve anything, yet the reason for failure is obvious. The majority only drift through life instead of navigating through it. The hiker lost in the forest during the night may wander aimlessly for hours. But light a lamp for him to use as a guide, and he will march in a straight line toward it.
With a definite goal, braced by the stamina to reach it, you will move toward success. Self-analysis of your needs and desires will result in self-directing goals that become focal points for action. This simple, yet crucially essential task is the cornerstone for great achievement. And be happy along the journey. Happiness and fulfillment are, unfortunately, enjoyed by the few.
Do I have to spend money to achieve my goals?
Achieving your goals may mean additional costs to you, but the revenues of success are more than enough to compensate for whatever expenses you accrue. I even recommend writing a $200 check to a friend who will agree to check on your progress regularly. Tell him to cash it if you fail to meet your commitments. Set those goals, get your map, know where you're going and do and spend what you have to do get there.
I have failed at just about every goal I have set, what about me?
Some of the most successful people in history have become monumental failures. They have been pushed to the depths of misery, and yet rose to success. They never lost sight of a gleam of light and eventually stood completely in the glowing spotlight of success. They just chose to go for greatness. Success is up to you and every day is new. Give yourself permission to start over every day. Make every day January 1. Get back in the game, make new goals, and never ever give up.
Have the rich discovered a secret formula?
No! There is no formula for success. There is no magic potion that turns someone into a Master in Life. I do know that readers are leaders and leaders are readers. How many million-dollar homes without a library have you ever been in? Having a library screams "here is a dedicated-to-greatness student."
Success in reaching your visions is the result of strategic effort. Examining records of rich, successful, great people, we find that all of them had a plan. They knew where they wanted to go, and they used every drop of energy, every thought, every movement to carry them towards their goal. Success may come in an instant, but the preparation for that instant in every case takes time and effort.
What if I feel like giving up on my dreams?
The father of my children was a quarterback for a big university in Texas years ago. I remember, one night, feeling out of control and wanting to give up on my dreams. He shared a story with me that I have never forgotten.
In his senior year as a quarterback, he had won every award in the school. He was Class President, in a Fraternity, Team Captain of the football team, "big man on campus," and in one of his last games, he was hit and his thumb was popped out of joint. He said the pain was excruciating.
He ran to the sidelines and showed his coach, explaining that he couldn't go on playing. But the team needed him. He was the leader; he was the one with vision to win. The coach took one look at his thumb and popped it back into place, spun him around and pushed him out into the field, shouting "get back in the game!" They went on to win that game and the conference that year.
His advice for me was, "get back out into the sales field." When you feel like giving up on your vision, that's the time to start all over again. Sometimes your goals will bloom in the springtime, and then, like flowers in the summer, they might fade. That's natural. Your vision can also change in a heartbeat-- never be afraid to start over.
I have huge goals-- can I really reach them?
Success thinking brings a whole way of life. Tired old thoughts are replaced with dynamic new ones. Shiftless existence is exchanged for a plotted course. Frustrations, fears, anxieties, defeatism, all vanish to make room for our new spirit. Fire Up! You can reach big goals.
Thomas Watson of IBM once wrote: "Within us all there are wills of thought and dynamos of energy which are not suspected until emergencies arise. Then oftentimes we find that it is comparatively simple to double or triple our former capacities and to amaze us by the results achieved. Quotas, when set up for us by others, are challenges, which guide us on to surpass ourselves. The outstanding leaders of every age are those who set up their own quotas and constantly exceed them." This statement has been true for countless great people. Study the philosophy behind it, and the glow of success can be seen shining through.
Make use of image repetition. When you get a vision of yourself, put your ideas on paper. Let's say that you and your spouse have been hoping to take a fabulous trip of a lifetime. Suppose you have two weeks. Your embarkation point is Miami and your destination is South Africa and a train safari with stops at private game ranches, like Bahati, and diamond mines. Look through travel magazines and the internet for advertisements and photo-illustrated stories of these places. Cut out or copy a color shot of an airplane, of the Rovos Rail, of Africa. Put the illustrations into a special binder. Look at the photos of your journey again and again to make it a reality. By seeing the ultimate goal, you accent the desire to save for it. This trip is certainly a possibility.
How does image repetition work? When you see a certain image in your mind's eye once, it makes only a small dent. See it twice, and the picture deepens and strengthens. Force yourself to see it three times, four times, five times and the picture makes an impact. After five more impressions, it becomes indelible.
Visualize yourself as if your goals are achieved. Create mental pictures of yourself being successful. Picture what the extra $300-$5,000+ will buy. See these objects in every detail.
Years ago, I sat at the feet of my mentor, Tom Hopkins. I bought all of his material and paid attention to every word he said. For over a decade, I worked on my performance and practiced and drilled the information he taught. All of a sudden, my income took leaps and more leaps. He heard about me and began to speak about my accomplishments in front of thousands of people. He named me at the top of his lists of best students. Word began to get back to me from far and wide.
Why did this happen? Because I believed in what he was teaching and took massive action. It saved my life. I saw myself globetrotting, meeting new friends all over the world, helping others achieve their dreams. For years, I only saw myself in America sharing my wisdom. Fortunately, my friend John Fogg came for a visit to Aspenglow, and sought me out. He painted the picture for me. He encouraged me to share my wisdom and experiences and gave me my start in Lake Tahoe many years ago. With the courage I got from Tom Hopkins, I got the vision of becoming a Worldwide World Class International Sales and Marketing expert trainer. My first speech, everyone in the room was mesmerized and my books sold out in the first 15 minutes. I became an Upline Master after that event and have trained thousands of people since. From those events, people in the audiences came from all over the world. Today, I am the trainer I wanted to be-- in 1998, I was asked to be the success speaker for the Tom Hopkins Boot Camp, the Success Speaker for Discovery Toys, National Convention, and to speak at two Upline Masters Seminars. Worldwide attention began moving my way. It all began with a vision.
JAN RUHE has been a champion of Network Marketing for over 20 years. She is a million dollar income earner, one of the Upline Masters, a member of the Network Marketing Hall of Fame, and the top Diamond Distributor in Discovery Toys. Jan is also listed as Woman of Distinction in the International Network Marketing Directory. She's a popular international speaker, consultant and the author of Fire Up! and MLM Nuts $ Bolts. She has three children, and she lives with her husband Bill in Aspen, CO. You can reach her through her website www.fireup.com or by calling 970-927-3010.
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Reprinted with permission from Upline, Ruhe Feature - June 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
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