Short & Sweet and to the point that deserves a reminder!

The other day I was reviewed  a list I have of motivational business quotes and this is the one that struck me as being important considering all of us are building our future business in challenging times, wondering will it work?  Is the business out there?  Are we crazy???  The following quote summed up what I think are the most important points we need to remember:

"Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work.  But if you're not frightened b these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were."

David Rockefeller

Anyone who has reached any level of success has had to become good at all three parts.  Learning a skill, trade or profession takes training...be it on-the-job, school or the hard knocks of life but becoming an individual who is trained at something is the first step. 

Next is discipline.  I have almost had a romantic notion about writing and how wonderful a life it would be to be an author.  But when I've read interviews with successful authors what stood out was the discipline by which they met each day.  Write write write...each day, every day.  And finally, hard work.  There are those people who think that success just happens.  Let me correct that thought...success does happen after hard work that is consistent, focused and disciplined.

If you can integrate these three ideas into your goal of building a business the odds are with you that you will be successful...why?  Because most people give up too easily; too quickly and find success much to "hard" to achieve.  You know differently so go for it!

Tracking your Progress

How do you keep yourself motivated?  How do you link your marketing efforts to results? 

Without thinking we are always working to build our business.  When you are relaxing or cycling, taking a walk or even watching your favorite TV program...your mind is probably drifting to thoughts on how to get more business and create more success.  I don't know about any of you but I am always thinking about how to build my business.  Sometimes I wish I could shut my brain off and stop the process but right now it is so important to me to make ends meet that I am almost obsessed with the idea.

One thing I have done from the very beginning is to keep a journal of everything I do.  If I send out marketing letters I write down how many and to whom they went.  If I put an ad on Craigslist I write it down.  If I call someone and have a conversation about business...I write it down.  If I am actually working for a client I write it down.  Writing it down is important for me.

Why???  Because I review constantly what I've done and where I need to follow-up.  As I've said before and stressed over and over following up is key to getting to where you want to go.  If you have no record of all the effort you've made to get clients, there will be days when you feel like you're going nowhere...spinning your wheels and it "just ain't so!" 

So to stay motivated and feeling good about moving forward find a way that works for you.  Track your progress so you can evaluate results.  What did you do that got you a client?  What did you do that provided nothing towards your effort?  Did the cold calling prove to be a good investment of time?  Did you follow up with these people?  Continue to search your book and you'll find the questions that are specific to your efforts and they will show you that you're working hard to build your business...and that will get you up and working each and every day!

Just one day at a time!

As I sit here signing letters to be mailed to potential clients I feel the anxiety building over how I will get the clients.  I don't know how anyone else copes but for me I just acknowledge my anxiety and continue to do things towards the end I am looking at on the horizon.

It helps to have good friends you can talk to or do some things to be distracted by.  My inclination is to keep my nose to the grindstone but as tempting as that is to sooth my anxiety, it doesn't make sense.  After you work on business for 3 or 4 hours, get up and take a break.  Go for a run, a bike ride, a walk or even sit back with a cup of coffee and read a book.  Those down times are equally as important as the focused building business times.  It is through these down times and relaxation that our creative minds can work and be released.

Sounds crazy ... not so.  Just try it - and see what bubbles up and write back and let me know.

Now...get busy and relax!