Carl Taylor, Entrepreneur and Author

There are a lot of websites and speakers that are trying to motivate you. They motivate you to take action, to get off your ass and achieve more. But if you’re an idiot and someone motivates you, you are now just a motivated idiot, and you are going to do idiotic things faster.

Motivated idiots are those people who go to their first property seminar, hear a sales pitch disguised as education that says you must invest right now in this off the plan unit block, immediately sign on the dotted line and a few years later wonder why they don’t have the returns they expected.

I’m not meaning to have a go at seminar selling, or even property seminars; they are viable business methods and have their place.  What you should be focusing on is “their first” as in it was their first seminar. The presenter did a great job and got them motivated, but at this stage they were just a motivated idiot and they made an idiotic decision because they didn’t know what questions to ask.

No need to be alarmed as there is a cure… a 3 step process that you can use to avoid being a Motivated Idiot.

Step 1. Get Educated

Step 2. GET Educated

Step 3. GET EDUCATED

Education is the key…and I’m not talking typical education that you go to school or university for years and years to get. I’m talking about practical how-to steps and specific experiences – the kind of knowledge that you get from having been there and done that, from mentors and friends, the kind of knowledge that is shared in non-fiction books and videos and at educational seminars.

The better educated you are on a subject, the better the questions you can ask, which in turn will help you make better decisions.

So get out there and educate yourself, pick a topic and start absorbing information through books, mentors, seminars and so forth…then you will know that you are not a motivated idiot.

Here’s to YOUR Success.

Carl Taylor is the author of Red Means Go! - Secrets to Achieving a Happy, Effective and Successful Life with You in the Driver’s Seat, which is now available on iTunes!  Get TWO free chapters from www.carltaylor.com.au

Great: they asked me to write a bio for a new collaboration project I’m working on. I hate writing bios. No matter how hard I try, they always come out sounding plastic and fake and manufactured. So instead of writing a bio, I just wrote a bunch of stuff about me.  I know that sounds like a bio, but it’s not.  In fact, you could call it my Un-Bio.

And since I’ve been railing on in the last several posts about sharing who you are and what you believe in and why you do what you do, I decided to post my Un-Bio here, too.  Let me know what you think.  Or, better still, share your Un-Bio (or a link to it) in the comments.

1. I’m pretty opinionated. I don’t think that’s a bad thing; in fact, I embrace it. Really. I even include it in my bio sometimes, usually preceded by the word “outrageously”. And if you don’t believe me, just ask my friends what I think of James Cameron’s “movies”, or anyone who’s ever met me what I think of Bob Dylan’s “music” (I don’t know how, but it always seems to come up in conversation…genius my ass).

2. I love ideas. I think ideas are what make life fun. I love having ideas, and I love sharing them even more (see #1). I love hearing other people’s ideas, too, especially the brilliant ones. I love it when my ideas have sex with other people’s ideas (you can blame Matt Ridley for giving me that phrase to play with), and my ideas are pretty promiscuous. They also refuse to practice safe sex, so don’t be surprised if our ideas get together, have loads of idea sex, and spawn lots of tiny new baby ideas.

3. I sing karaoke every chance I get, which actually isn’t all that often. That’s probably a good thing, since I don’t really sing that well. I also play golf every chance I get, which is even less often than karaoke, so what I actually do is less like golf and more like drinking beer and swearing at my clubs.

4. I love pop music. Get over it. I don’t care if you think it’s lame or if you believe the people who make it are sell-outs. Feel free to listen to your indie/emo/techno/screamo/trip-hop/whateverthehell noise in your basement with your friends, and leave the radio airwaves free for more Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson and Bob Marley and Muse (even the stuff they did for Twilight) and Metallica. The rest of us like it.

5. If I’m putting it in my mouth, it had better taste good. No “challenging” food flavors for me (seriously…unagi is not food: it’s chum). The same goes for beer. Keep it simple: cold, refreshing, and tasty, NOT warm, thick and bitter. Ever. Thanks.

6. I believe that knowledge is power, and I believe that every human being on the planet has not only the right but the responsibility to improve his or her mind through the acquisition of knowledge. I believe people should read more, and by people I mean you. I don’t care if you like it or not; reading is the BEST way to add to your knowledge. Learn to love it, or clear the way for those who do.

7. I love technology. Let me rephrase that: I’m a nerd. I geek out over cool new gadgets and toys, with one glaring exception: I have no love for Apple. Sorry…I just don’t get it. And I’m not interested in hearing why I should, either; I’m totally OK with my Blackberry. Save your rant for someone else, have another sip of the Kool-Aid, and get back to figuring out how to hold your iPhone so that you can make a call.

8. I don’t want followers. Followers freak me out. I trust you to make your own decisions with or without me. I want friends, peers, cohorts, and partners in creation. I want to be surrounded by people to share ideas with (see #2), people who give as much (or more) than they take. Please don’t just read my stuff; respond to it. If you disagree, say so. If you agree, add to the discussion. And if you don’t tell me about it, tell someone else. The world needs more conversation!

Now, wasn’t that better than a bio?  I’m looking forward to reading yours!

When I say this has been an interesting week, you should understand that I’m probably making one of the most egregious understatements of my life so far.  Without going into too much detail, let’s just say that my vision of who I am and what I do has been shattered and rebuilt over the course of the past few days.  It wasn’t as bad as it sounds; in fact, it was just what the doctor ordered.

For the past several years, I’ve thought of myself (and promoted myself) as something of a sales expert.  I want very badly and am working very hard to travel the country and the world revitalizing the lives and careers of salespeople everywhere, to be the sales trainer of choice for organizations everywhere.

I have a great WHAT: a system I call HERO Selling, which you can learn about elsewhere on this blog.  HERO Selling is, I’m sure, going to change the face of sales for decades to come.  I realize that belief is stupidly optimistic, and I’m OK with that.

I also have a great HOW.  My vision is to talk about the things no one else is talking about, to bring topics like character, honesty and spirituality to the forefront of the conversation about what makes a great salesperson.

The piece I’ve been struggling with, though, and what I now realize is the reason I’ve had so much trouble reaching a larger audience, is that I really haven’t been clear about my WHY.  Oh sure, I have a mission statement; it’s all about raising the bar for the sales profession and brining honor back to the job.  It has words like “passion” and “enthusiasm” and it’s very inspiring.  The problem is that it’s not accurate.  It focuses on WHAT I’m going to do, not WHY.

This came as a bit of a shock to me, and I spent a few days in a foul mood while I was sorting it all out in my head.  Fortunately, I’ve managed to surround myself with some pretty spectacular people and they were a huge help.

What I’ve come to realize is that the thing that drives me most is my desire to have better communication with the people around me and to help others do the same.  I want to make it easier for all of us to share our ideas, because I believe that the free flow of ideas leads to a happier, more enlightened world.  That’s WHY I do what I do, and the more often I’ve talked about that, the more people who resonate with the idea respond in kind.  Funny, right?  The fact that the WHAT that springs out of that is focused on making better salespeople is a secondary issue.

So why am I sharing this story?  Because I think it holds an important lesson: people aren’t interested in WHAT you do or HOW you do it until they understand and agree with WHY you’re doing it.  The more clear you are about your WHY, the more attractive your product or service is to those who share your belief.

Try this: make a list of your five favorite clients or customers, the ones who are a delight to deal with, who never haggle over price, and who always take your recommendations about what to buy.  Next, make another list of the five clients or customers you like dealing with the least, the ones who you have to constantly persuade to do what you know is good for them, who always ask for a discount, and who drag their feet when it comes to paying an invoice.

Now think of all the conversations you’ve had with each client on each list, focusing on the level of resonance or dissonance that existed between your ideas and beliefs and theirs.  I’d be willing to bet my next paycheck that the five you enjoy working with the most and who represent your best customers are the ones whose beliefs most align with yours, while the ones you hate to deal with are the same ones who disagree with your view of how the universe works.

So here’s the big question: who would you rather do business with?  Wouldn’t you rather have more customers like your five best and fewer like your five worst?  Of course you would!

And the way to attract your best clients and repel your worst is simple: always speak from your heart.

When you’re talking to a prospective new client, stop puking up facts about the features and benefits of your product.  Stop telling them what you can do for them or how your service can save them money or make their operation more efficient.  In other words, stop focusing on the WHAT and HOW.  Trust me: even though they seem to be paying attention, they don’t really care.

Instead, tell your prospects WHY you do what you do.  Talk about the things that excite you, the ideas you believe in, what you’re passionate about.  Speak from your heart, and the ones who resonate with your heart-based communication will find a way to justify to themselves buying your WHAT and HOW.  These are the folks who will become your best customers, and eventually, your biggest fans.

“Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, was just a freight train comin’ your way.” – Metallica, No Leaf Clover  

Wile E. Coyote, the poster-child for persistence

Do you ever feel like you’ve been channeling Wile E. Coyote in your business or career?  

You know what I mean: just when you start to think you’ve got everything under control and that next sale is in the bag, BLAMMO! What you thought was a roadrunner with a flashlight on a handcart turns out to be a full-blown steam locomotive, and you find yourself with track marks all over your body and a lot of pain and frustration.  

What can you do at times like that? My advice is to follow the lead of said Coyote: get up, dust yourself off, get out your trusty Acme catalog and TRY AGAIN!  

After all, the coyote who gives up never dines on roasted roadrunner…  

While you’re at it, try another of Wile E.’s tactics: get creative.  Don’t settle for the same tired old methods everyone else is using.  Sometimes, going a little overboard is a good thing.  Why use gasoline when you can have rocket fuel?  

Your ability to get up no matter how many times life knocks you down is ultimately what determines your success or failure, but it’s not just getting up that counts.  You have to be willing to try new approaches or you’ll literally end up beating your head against life’s wall.  

Instead, get a trampoline and bounce over it.  It’s less painful and more fun.

“I will pray for guidance.” – from The Scroll Marked X, The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

Man is born with an innate spiritual need, a hunger that longs to be fulfilled. Since the beginning, we’ve sought to fill that need by discovering the nature of God and the meaning of life. Everyone has, at one point or another, asked “Why am I here?” To deny the reality of that impulse is to deny our nature.

No matter what your belief system, I’m sure you’ll agree that we all want something more than to spend our days just providing for our necessities; we want to know that what we’re doing has a purpose, a meaning greater than ourselves. This scroll speaks to that part of you.

Mandino makes it clear that he’s not preaching religion; he’s simply speaking as a man conscious of his spiritual need. He points out that we all possess the impulse to cry out for help in times of need and, he reasons, we wouldn’t have that impulse if there weren’t some superior power able to answer. And when you stop to ponder the vast complexity of the universe, you probably agree; it seems reasonable to believe that there’s something greater than us. For now, let’s not get hung up on exactly what that something is or what it should be called; call it what you will, we sense it instictively.

If that’s the case, then, doesn’t it make sense to seek the guidance of that greater power? Whether in prayer or meditation or quiet contemplation, we can find that guidance. If we can quiet the noise of our minds for even the briefest moment, we can get a glimpse. Herman Melville said that “God’s one and only voice is silence”, for it’s in our moments of silence that we’re open to receive the guidance we seek.

What does this have to do with being a great salesperson? Just this: without a sense of something greater than ourselves, we tend to stop striving. What’s the point, after all? Why be great if it really doesn’t mean anything? If we’re nothing more than highly evolved animals, why try to be better?

What do we ask for, though? A promotion and a new Mercedes? Are we simply placing orders at the Universal Cafe? Here’s what Mandino suggests:

“Never will I pray for the material things of the world. I am not calling to a servant to bring me good. I am not ordering an innkeeper to provide me with room. Never will I seek delivery of gold, love, good health, petty victories, fame, success, or happiness. Only for guidance will I pray, that I may be shown the way to acquire these things, and my prayer will always be answered.”

What a fitting conclusion to this series of principles! We’ve considered 9 ideas leading up to this one that encouraged us to shape our character through patient effort, making tiny improvements, day by day, and never giving up in our journey.

We’ve learned the importance of qualities like humility, persistence, and joy. We’ve seen the necessity of mastering skills like controlling our emotions, laughing at ourselves and living in the moment. We’ve learned that procrastination is our natural enemy and that optimism is a precious asset. And now we bring it all together with a sense of reverent awe and an acknowledgement of our need for guidance.

The real lesson is that no matter how dark the depths we find ourselves in, we’re not alone, and no matter how great the heights we reach, an attitude of gratitude is always warranted.

“Let me become all you planned for me when my seed was planted and selected by you to sprout in the vineyard of the world. Help this humble salesman. Guide me, God.”

When it comes to creating and maintaining forward momentum in your career or in your business, there is one factor that rises above all the others: your why, your reason for doing things, the motivation behind your motivation.  It’s been said that you can accomplish any what, so long as you have a big enough why.  I’m a firm believer in the truth of that statement.

Have a look around, and you’ll see that those who get what they want out of life are driven to succeed by their why for doing it.  In other words, their reason for succeeding is bigger than any defeat they may experience along the way.  These may sound like empty platitudes, but look a little deeper and you’ll see what I mean.

Think of a time when you were close to achieving some particular goal but stopped just short of getting there because of some obstacle that came up.  Most likely, like the fox in Aesop’s fable, you made a declaration of “sour grapes”, justifying to yourself that not attaining the goal was probably for the best anyways.  Dig beneath the surface, though, and I’ll bet you’ll realize that, no matter how important attaining that goal may have seemed to you at the time, somewhere along the way you lost your zeal for it: you no longer had a big enough why.

Now think of a time when you did achieve some goal you’d set for yourself, in spite of any roadblocks that may have come up.  No matter what the setback, you got up, dusted yourself off, and kept right on going, pushing ahead until you got what you wanted.  What kept you going in this case?  Examine your motivation, and I’m sure you’ll find that in this case, you had a really significant reason for achieving that particular goal.  In this case, your why was big enough to accomplish the what.

Now think of your plans for the upcoming year.  This is the time when many of us will be examining ourselves and setting our goals for next year, hopefully challenging ourselves to reach greater heights than we have in the past.  While you’re working though that process, here’s a little something to consider: a goal, no matter how specific and measurable it might be, is useless without knowing why you want to reach it.  You have to examine your reason for the desired outcome.  Once you have a strong enough why, nothing will stand in your way, no matter how big the goal is.

If you’d like some help in delving into your motivation, click the link at the end of this post to download a free 10-minute excerpt from the “Motivation 101″ audio program.  It’s step one of the program, “Ask Why”, in it’s entirety.  In it, you’ll get a better understanding of the importance of having a clear purpose, a why big enough to keep you on track.  You’ll also learn the steps for creating a powerful why statement for each of your goals for the coming year.

I hope you’ll enjoy this gift.  And don’t worry: you won’t have to provide any information to receive it (not even your name or email address).  This is my gift to you to help you prepare for massive success in 2010 and beyond.  Just click on the link below, and enjoy!

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a big believer in the power of positive thinking.  I know there’s no better way to get what you want than to believe that you can; I also know that optimism is essential to success.  The big question everyone always asks, though, is “How do I do it? How do I become a positive thinker when my life/business/career is so crappy?”

That’s a great question with a really simple answer: you need to have a little chat with yourself.  I’m serious!  One of the biggest saboteurs to success is that nagging little voice in your head that says things like “Yeah, but…”, “I can’t do that!”, “That’ll never really happen!” and all the countless other negative phrases we say to ourselves when we have a great idea or try to take some kind positive action.  The voice might be that of a parent, a teacher, a sibling, an old boss…all those folks who, whether they meant to or not, planted seeds of negativity in our brains that we’ve never quite been able to shake.

Well, it’s time to strangle that little voice and replace it with a new, more supportive one, and it’s going to be easier than you think.  I’m going to encourage you to do something that’s going to feel a little weird, possibly even a little uncomfortable (imagine that!), but that will pay huge dividends in your personal development.  I’m going to encourage you to start doing…*gulp*…affirmations.

Now before you write me off as a new-age wacko in salesperson’s clothes, let me remind you that the Great Ones (Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, etc.) all encourage affirmations in one form or another.  And I agree with them all: positive self-talk is good for the soul.  More importantly, though, positive self-talk is GREAT for activity, which leads to results, which reinforces beliefs, which opens your eyes to greater potential, which spurs even greater activity…and so on.

But I’ve always had a problem with actually doing affirmations.  Why?  Well, because I felt a little silly.  Standing in front of my bathroom mirror and shouting positive phrases at myself while my wife was trying to sleep was always a little uncomfortable for me, so I never really got in the habit.  That is, until I found a nifty little shortcut that made doing affirmations and creating positive self-talk (and a more positive self-image) easy to do.

Using the sound recorder on my computer, I started recording positive phrases, things like “I’m a talented and intelligent business person” and “I’m always on time with customer proposals” and “I always make the time to read positive books”…really, anything I wanted to change my beliefs about was fair game.  Next, I transfered the file to my MP3 player (alternatively, you can burn the file to a CD), and I made a habit of listening to it for 10 minutes when I wake up in the morning and 10 minutes before I go to bed at night.

Presto!  I was doing affirmations!  And did it make a difference?  You bet it did!  Within just a few weeks, I was noticing a difference in my self-talk throughout the day, which very quickly made a difference in my behavior and level of activity.  I was surprised hat ow quickly this was having a positive impact on me.

So, set your doubts and cynicism aside and give this technique a try. Record some positive self-talk to replace the little voice in your head, then listen to it every day.  Believe me: the little chat you have with yourself every morning and evening will bring  you a new kind of power, the power of positive thinking!

I just finished recording a couple of segments about  the Motivation 101 process with Keith Keller of Career Success Radio.  For details on that chat, you can check out this blog post over at their Ning site.  Our conversation got me thinking, though: job seekers and salespeople have a lot in common, and they could learn a lot from each other.

One similarity in particular stood out: the need to avoid desperation and anxiety by asking “Why?”, engaging in the process and detaching yourself from specific outcomes.  Sound a little esoteric?  It’s really not.  Let me explain what I mean.

As I’m fond of saying, asking “Why?” is critical to your success because it unlocks the subconscious mind to act in your behalf in achieving your goals.  This is because it helps  identify the positive emotion behind a specific goal or outcome you’re looking for, and identifying this positive intent gives your subconscious something to move toward on a continuous basis. 

For example, let’s say you’ve got your sights set on a particular account and you’re closing in on the end of the process.  You’re pretty confident that you’re going to win the sale and, in fact, you’ve set an intention and written a specific goal about doing so successfully.  Then you find out that the prospect decided to go with a different provider.   That can be pretty devestating, especially if you’d been counting on the commission check, right?  In fact, for a lot of salespeople this kind of event is the beginning of the downward slide into the slump.  It can create a feeling of desperation to “close” the next deal at any cost, and prospects can smell that despeation 10 miles away.

How would asking “Why?” help you avoid this situation, though?  Simple.  If your goal is to win a particular sale, ask yourself why that outcome is important to you.  Your answer might be something to do with the fat commission you’ll earn as a result of the sale.  Again, ask yourself why that matters to you.  This time, the answer might be that you’ll be able to spend the extra money on that new TV you’ve had your eye on.  And again, why is that important?  As you progressively answer the “Why?” question, eventually you’re going to come to an answer that begins with “Because it would make me feel…” and ends with a positive emotion like joy, happiness, contentment, etc..  Bingo!  You’ve just foud the key to detaching from a specific outcome and avoiding desperation.  How so?

Giving your subconscious mind a positive emotion to pursue allows you blow right past the negative feelings associated with losing any one particular sale and right on to the next sale in your pursuit of, not a specific outcome, but the specific feeling behind that desired outcome.  Your subconscious knows millions of ways for you to have that specific positive emotional state, and it will drive you to get engaged in the process that it knows will eventually lead to an outcome, any outcome,  that will provide that emotional state.  This is the power of asking “Why?”! 

Knowing the “Why?” behind your specific goals lets your subconscious get really creative, and it allows you to stay focused on all the good sales habits that so often become the casualties of desperation.  Keep this in mind the next time you’re writing out your goals, and remember to include the specific desired emotional state behind the goal so you can stay engaged in the process and detached from the outcome!

 Until next time, happy sales to you!

Jerry

P.S.  I love the comments, so keep ‘em coming!  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post.  Thanks again for reading!

As the name of this blog indicates, I believe that proper motivation is one of the fundamental building blocks of a successful life.  In sales (a category which includes all you entrepreneurs and small business owners, whether you like to admit it or not), motivation is the key distinction between success and failure.  It’s a simple formula: having the right motivation keeps you moving and in action.  Without it, you stop.  Over the past several days, I’ve shared five techniques that will help you stay motivated, no matter what is going on in the world around you.  Let’s do a quick recap.

The first step was to start asking yourself the power question: “Why?”  Why do you want to acheive a particular goal, a certain level of income or anything else?  Asking “Why?” helps you identify the emotional component of your goals, which in turn engages your unconscious mind to help move you closer to their accomplishment.  So stop asking yourself “How am I going to do that?” and start asking yourself “Why do I want to?”  You’ll find the results much more satisfying.

Second, we talked about shutting off the news to create your own National News Free Week.  This step will help you avoid distraction and stay focused on doing the activities that are in harmony with your purpose.  While news overload can create anxiety, worry and despair, living a news-free life is liberating.  You are far less susceptible to negativity and far more open to possibility and gratitude.

The third topic centered around the need for passion, enthsiasm and excitement for your work.  Instead of being among the 87% of Americans who hate their jobs, finding passion for what you do puts you in the happy minority of people who actually enjoy thir work, even considering it to be a form of play.  And if you can’t find passion for what you are doing now, remember: you are always free to pursue something that you are passionate and enthusiastic about.

The fourth post discussed the need to win the battle between your ears by choosing optimism.  Despite what many people think, optimism is a choice.  In fact, it’s a choice you have to make every minute of every day for the rest of your life.  Let’s face it: sometimes life throws you a curveball; chossing optimism allows you to keep swinging.

The fifth and final step was to get moving.  While a success mindset and positive mental attitude are critical to your success, without the action to support them they are nothing more than pleasant thoughts that will eventually lead you to frustration.  Action is the final step in the chain that brings all your energy together in support of your dreams.

As you might have figured out by now, I have a real passion for helping people find and keep their motivation in order to help them unlock their true potential.  I discuss each of the preceding five steps in greater detail in my new audio program, so feel free to check it out if you like.  

Know this, though: whatever you want to acheive, you have the power and ability to do it.  In fact, you have more power than you give yourself credit for.  I want you and every other person on the planet to use that power for your higher good.  That is the mission of this blog: to be a source of information to help you stay motivated and inspired.  I hope you enjoy what you read here, and I hope you’ll engage in discussions about the content through your comments here and in your interactions with others throughout the day.  

It’s like my teacher James Ray always says: “Energy flows where attention goes!”  Place your attention and focus on finding and keeping your motivation, and watch what the inspirational energy you tap into will do for you.  Thanks for reading!

Question: What have you done this week to move yourself closer to your goals? Do you have a clearly defined, written plan to get you where you want to be? If not, what are you waiting for?!

We’ve all heard that what gets written down gets done, yet the majority of us don’t do it. It really amazes me how many salespeople I talk to who have no idea what they need to accomplish on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis to help them achieve their goals; in fact, I still encounter many people who have no idea what their goals are! I only have one question: if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you’ve arrived? More importantly, how will you even know if you’re on the right course to get there?

Specific written goals are vital to your success. You know that. If you haven’t written out your goals for this year, stop reading and go do it now. Don’t come back until you’re done, because what I’m going to suggest next will require you to have your written goals in front of you. This is a powerful tool that will help you achieve any goal you set, and it is actually very easy to do. Unfortunately, anything that’s easy to do is also easy not to to do, so I want you to make a commitment, here and now, to try this method out for the next seven days. If it doesn’t work for you, you can stop; but you have to try it for at least seven consecutive days before passing judgment. Ready?

Looking at your list of goals, I want you to think of the six most important things you could do tomorrow to move you closer to their accomplishment. Limit your list to only six things, the six most critical. Now, prioritize the list in order of highest impact; in other words, the most impactful thing you could do becomes number one and so on. Now comes the hard part.

Tomorrow morning, start your day with task number one from your list. Don’t do anything else until you have completely finished task number one and can cross it off the list. Next, move on to task number two, again not moving on until it is completely finished and can be crossed off. Do the same for the rest of the tasks on the list. If you get to the end of the day and haven’t completed all the tasks, those left unfinished move to the top of tomorrow’s list. Do this for seven days, and you’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished.

How do I know this works? When I first read about this technique in James Arthur Ray’s new book Harmonic Wealth I decided to give it a try. You wouldn’t believe the impact this habit has had on my effectiveness every day since! Knowing what you need to be doing now and what comes next is truly one of the most powerful methods I’ve ever used to get more done.

It’s like my friend Tibor Shanto of Renbor Sales Solutions said in his blog the other day: taking daily action is the key.  If you’re not in action every day, you’ll find your motivation beginning to wane.  You can have grand plans, but without action you’ll also have massive frustration when those plans don’t materialize.  

So, no excuses now! Get out your day planner and make your “Must Do” list for tomorrow; repeat this practice every day for the next seven, then let me know what you think. I look forward to reading all your comments.