The Silent Avatar Speaks

Ever since I got into business for myself I have come to know this one thing. The key to success is to find someone who is spectacular at business and then become their best friend.

That doesn’t mean that you want to become exactly like them, but it does mean that you want to see a similar form of success to what they have.

So why stick to them like glue? Because there is one thing that they have which you are likely still seeking – and that is… Vision.

Establishing a vision for your life and especially for your business is easier said than done! That is why getting to know people who have already achieved a measure of success will give you a much better chance at finding your own calling in the world today. Ultimately, they will make you successful.

Excellent candidates for this are Small Business Mentors. There are four different things to look for in a Small Business Mentor.

1) They need to show that they can achieve results.
Since a Small Business Mentor has the JOB of being your mentor they need to show that they can achieve some form of success on their own. I was made painfully aware of this fact when I put myself under the mentorship of a bad business husband/wife team who ultimately ended our relationship yelling at me on the phone because I had called them out for damaging my reputation to a third party for no reason at all.
Hey, that kind of stuff happens. But I have since recovered and have been made the wiser for it. So you’ll need to be weary of a Small Business Mentor because they can really cause things to go downhill for your business.

So bottom line: do your homework before you approach any kind of Small Business Mentor and make sure that they have had similar results in their own business that you would like them to help you achieve in your own business.

2) They should be helping their clients establish a vision
As I said above, one of the major keys to success is vision. If your Small Business Mentor doesn’t have some kind of emphasis on helping you to set up a vision then you are going to have to think twice before becoming their protege.

3) They should freely give of their information to grow your business.
Part of working with a mentor is the ability for them to give freely to you information which will help you grow your business and make it successful. Unfortunately, there is a saying “you can’t know what you don’t know“, and this means you are only going to get the information you need if you ask the right questions – unless of course they freely give over their information.

4) Find a mentor who has been there and done that.
Good mentors have been through the mill, made mistakes, (and plenty of them) and are now willing to not only advise you what to do, but also what NOT to do.

They can offer you a shortcut to success, based on what they know works.

If you are looking to find a mentor, you don’t have to go and pay someone. Forums abound with people who are willing to impart their knowledge for the good of all. Of course, don;t take up their valuable time with questions which have already been answered. Search the forums for answers to your question first.

If you would like a mentor which is a bit more personalised, I recommend The Internet Entrepreneur Club run by Derek Gehl. This is a membership site where you can post any questions,  include links to your site for feedback, and generally make good use of someone who knows what they are talking about.

I’ve included a banner link below for you to check out.

Until next time,

I’m the Silent Avatar… and I have spoken

Tags: Business and Management, Marketing and Advertising, Online Business, Promotion and Marketing by the silent avatar
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Today I spent the first hour of my day listening to an audio CD from The Internet Entrepreneur Club between Derek Gehl and Brain Tracy on time management. Brain says time management is a core skill of life and can be learnt.

He has written a book which has sold over 500,000 copies called “Eat That Frog- 21 ways to stop procrastinating and get more done”

Brian starts the ball rolling by saying “You have all the time there is”, and the choices about what you do with that time will determine where you are headed.

His other sobering thought was “you will never get caught up with the tasks or jobs you have to do”. So true. there is always something else which seems to get added to the “to do” list.

The ability to set priorities is the key to utilising time in the best way possible.

If you are a procrastinator, or suffer from being overwhelmed with too much to do, I want to summarise here what Brian says works – which (by the way) has been determined what all good business leaders do)

1. Take a clean sheet of paper
2. Write on it everything you have to do.
3. Go over the tasks and determine which 6 tasks are most important.
4. Put those tasks on another sheet.
5. Do the tasks in order of priority (tick them off)
6. Transfer to a new sheet those tasks you didn’t complete to the next day.

If you constantly get side tracked Brian suggests using “back To Work” as your mantra. Ultimately if you keep saying it (aloud or in your head), the subconscious will act on it. I am constantly getting sidetracked, so guess what? I now have a sticky note on my monitor saying “Back To Work” as a reminder.

How do you prioritise your tasks?
He suggests using his ABCDE method – which he said has contributed more to his success than anything else. Though I like his other way of looking at priorities. What tasks have the most serious consequences if I don’t do them? Which tasks have fewer consequences? This works for me to determine priority.

Here is Brian Tracy’s ABCDE Method:

A = Must be done – there are serious consequences if you don’t do them.
B =  Should do: Tasks like calling a friend, doing your expenses, etc
C = Would be nice to do: Your life will not be negatively effected if you don’t do these.
D = Delegate: if its not imperative you do these tasks, get someone else to do them.
E = Eliminate: there is no value in doing these things, they are of low value. Eliminate them.

The thing about setting yourself tasks and completing them is the sense of achievement you feel when the task is finished. Your body secretes endorphins because you are happy you have finished the task.

He goes on to say you need to reward yourself when you finish a task. It could be something as simple as having a coffee break. Take completed = reward. Your mind soon equates completing tasks = reward = feel good.

Everyone strives to increase their self esteem, and no better way than to reward yourself!

If you have just competed a really big task you really feel wonderful. Its a bit like drug addicts who continue to use drugs because it makes them feel good. Its an addiction to what it is that is making them feel good. This is however a negative addition. What you want is positive addictions.

Never give into the temptation to complete small tasks first. Start on big things that need to be done.

Brian Tracy continues on by using the 8o 20 rule, (80% of sales come from 20 % of customers), and uses the 8020 rule with time management. The 20% of what you do will determine the value of your day.

He also goes on to say we should all know our hourly rate, so you can focus on everything you have to do in a day that pays the most.

What is that one thing in your day that pays you the most? What is the second thing? The third thing? These are the areas you should be focusing on.

He gives a great story about how each generation has the opportunity to go up the socio-economic ladder by where they invest their time.

He gives examples of the lower, lower class being focused on one day at a time, the lower class focused on a week at a time (pay check to pay check), right through to the upper class who use their time to build their futures by putting into place things that will benefit the long term, and the upper, upper class (like the Rockefeller’s and Fords) who are reaping the benefit of sacrificing then to have now and passing the legacy on (inherited wealth).

Do you get enough sleep?
We all know that with lack of sleep we are less productive and clear headed. Why do we all do it?Because we have so much to do sleep is wasted time. Really? Tests show that when you are rested you are more alert and productive, less inclined to make mistakes, and enjoy what you are doing more.

If you want to be-more productive, make less mistakes, and enjoy what you do more – Get More Sleep! Eight hours should be sufficient to re-charge the batteries and keep them from burning out.

The Law Of Forced Efficiency
“There is never enough time to do everything, however there is always time to do the most important”.
or
“Work expands to meet the time allocated”.

It goes without saying if you have a week to prepare for a test you will not use your time as efficiently as if you only have 2 days to prepare.

If you really want o ramp up your success, Brian suggests tackling your tasks with the thought of someone holding a gun to your head. That would certainly make you move.

If you Go Into The Woods You Can Expect Mosquitoes”
I loved this saying, and bottom line it means you will always have problems to deal with. The greatest people of our time are those who were really good at solutions. If the solution just seems too overwhelming, break the tasks down into small chunks.

Follow Brian’s tips and before long you will be getting more done, have more free time, and really utilising your time towards  growing your business.

If you want to check out Brian Tracy’s website click here

Tags: General, Tools For Your Business by the silent avatar
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