In this day in age, opportunities come, some opportunities go and some opportunities change. Expansion and change is something to be expected & for whatever other reasons, branding yourself is your strategy that you can use to hold as your value, that follows you everywhere you go. This strategy is becoming a your best investment choice that you can make in business.

One of the benefits to branding yourself is this enables you to stand in front of your product or service of your choice. You get to make the choices at anytime how your attitude looks, how you portray your reputation, how you want to be seen & reflected in the public eye.


STEPS ON HOW TO BRAND YOU
- Choose your name to brand & motto statement that personalize you,
- Find your vision & niche that you want to share,
- Determine your value that you can give & be an expert in your field,
- Show your face & your story,
- Join forces with leaders in your interest,
- You can be networking, mentoring & coaching others in the industry.

12 ACTIVITIES TO GROW YOUR BRAND
- Google your name to see how you look on the internet &/or what needs to change.
- Use social media accounts to brand yourself on facebook, twitter, linkedin, pinterest etc...
- Make an ebook(s) related to your brand information that you want to share.
- Create a website/blogger & brand yourself based on the value you have to offer.
- You can use multi-media with video or audio to get your value seen & heard.
- Create a weekly or monthly newsletter.
- Sign all outgoing communications with your brand name & statement.
- Get business cards that brand only you.
- Join online communities & offer advice.
- Always follow the 3C's of branding. "Clarity, consistency, constancy"

If you need to see some examples of how others are branding themselves, visit some leaders in the industry, see how they are branding themselves, observe what leaders have in place and observe how they are communicating their product to their target groups.

DURING THE PROCESS OF BRANDING YOURSELF, ALWAYS BE YOURSELF, BE HONEST & BELIEF IN YOURSELF.

When you can get your mindset into Attraction Marketing for your business, you will see that this strategy is so much better for you, your business and the best way to market your business to your customers.
 
So, let's get these basics packed down. There are 3 simple principles of Attraction Marketing that can work for anyone in network marketing:

Principle 1: People Join People
What people really want is a leader, someone to guide them, someone who will help them & someone they can turn to for assistance. People are looking for a person and not a company or opportunity. Your opportunity & product is simply a vehicle for you, give people someone they can drive with, get them from A to B smoothly & they will listen during the journey. This is what attraction marketing is all about.

Principle 2: Lead With Value
Instead of leading with a link to your opportunity or a pitch about your company or product. Try leading with value. Attraction Marketing is all about building relationships through value that you can give to your potential customer. Value that your customer does not have to pay for, no strings attached, value that can benefit your potential customer's life & value that they can remember that you gave them. The world of business is changing and business is now all about building relationships. Lead with value.

Principle 3: Knowledge = Value
The only way to increase your value is to increase your own knowledge & the value you can share. There is no attraction marketing magic button to this & a huge percentage of new marketers will fail in this industry if they don't increase their knowledge to give value . The truth is that success is built and it does come through hard work. Always keep in mind, leaders are not born. Leaders are developed. Increase your knowledge + increase your value = increase your business success.

"If you are willing to build your online business one person at a time, attraction
marketing does provides a strong foundation for a business that will last."

Just something to think about. Let's say I come to your website and it tells me all about YOU or when I talk to you, the conversation is all about your SALES PITCH. I'm pretty sure I'll probably leave quickly or run the other way when I see you coming. You might have the best product that I might want and you could be the best person that I would ever get to know but if I am not getting value from you from the start, why should I buy. Visualize what you want your potential customer to see when they consider doing business with you.

MARKETING IDEAS TO DO IN MAKING YOUR WAY INTO ATTRACTION MARKETING!
  (Remember, be a solution provider, give value & have a means to do exactly that.)

Today's market as a customer, If it is not about the customer, it's not going to be about a sale.  Start focusing your business more on your customer, their wants, their needs & value that you can give them.

Create that one on one form of contact, be a trusted advisor
to believe in & start given customers value that they can use.

When we start to question these statements & look at how we can change them positively, we can start changing a part of our mindset to find a result with a positive outcome & start take control over our own life. Go back to some of these statements in your life & start questioning them.

ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE YOURSELF AND YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE YOUR MINDSET BY MAKING YOUR STATEMENT, ASKING YOURSELF THE WHY & HOW TO MAKE IT POSITIVE.

THE BEST TIMES OF OUR LIVES HAVE HAPPEN WHEN WERE INVOLVED LEARNING & GROWING.

Be honest with yourself here. You are the only one who will see this! Have fun! 

On a scale of one to ten (one being the lowest & ten being the highest), evaluate your strengths and weaknesses regarding these entrepreneurial characteristics:

People from all walks of life that have taken the time to create their vision board have actually build a path to their visions... and you can do this also!

The whole idea behind this is, when you surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.

1. Gather some materials that you will need:
     - cork board (12x 16)          - glue &/or tacks     - Markers               - magazines
     - poster board (colored)     - scissors                 - "post it" notes     - pictures

2. Take some time to create an atmosphere
Most importantly, a creative mind, passion & a pleasant atmosphere to dream! You can start with playing music that relaxes you, get in touch with your inner-self & concentrate deeply on what it is that you want to see in your life & what you believe.

3. Decide a theme of your board
You can start with making your dream board by decorating your cork board with a theme color and style that reflects who you are. Once you have the start of your master piece completed you can go to the next step and start putting your master piece all together.

4. Find pictures that correspond with your theme
You can find pictured from magazines, photographs or from the Internet. Cut out pictures that have meaning to you. Pictures can be of things you want to see in your future.

5 Add some affirmations or quotes
Attach affirmations & quotes that really mean something to you and play a huge part in your goals. You can also use "post it" notes to highlight your ideas.

6. Glue your pictures and affirmations to your poster board and pin them to your cork board.

7. Hang your vision board in a place you will see every day.
Next to your desk, on your fridge (if your board has magnets), in a binder &/or take a picture with your phone & save it as your background.

9. View your board at least once a day and focus on the objects.
If you have affirmations or quotes, remember to repeat saying them everyday.

Tips

• Don't be afraid to change your dream board to reflect more specific thoughts or theme.
• You may wish to place a picture of yourself in the center and show you being surrounded by the things you desire.
  
• You can also use "post it" notes that your decorated with your goals written on each one.
  
  When your done, feel free to share your dream board. Take a picture of your dream board, post to one of your social networks &  the share your link below. I would really love to see your master piece falling into place for you!
  

ORANGE: Having a personality color orange means you are warm, optimistic, extroverted and often flamboyant.You are friendly, good-natured and a generally agreeable person. You are assertive and determined rather than aggressive – having a personality color orange means you are more light-hearted and less intense than those who love red. You thrive on human social contact and social gatherings, bringing all types together. As a personality color orange you enjoy partying and socializing and planning all types of social events – orange people are the life of the party, the uninhibited performer! You are often the loud talker in a group.

RED: Having a personality color red identifies you as extroverted and optimistic, courageous and confident. You are action oriented and physically active – sex is a necessity to you – you have strong survival instincts. With a favorite color red, you like to be the center of attention – in fact all reds crave attention – other people are drawn to the vitality and sense of excitement you emit. As a personality color red, you are stimulating to be with and you radiate a great deal of energy.

GREEN: With a personality color green you are a practical, down-to-earth person with a love of nature. You are stable and well balanced or are striving for balance – in seeking this balance, you can at times become unsettled and anxious. Having a personality color green means you are kind, generous and compassionate – good to have around during a crisis as you remain calm and take control of the situation until it is resolved. You are caring and nurturing to others – however you must be careful not to neglect your own needs while giving to others.

BLACK: Having a personality color black means that prestige and power are important to you. You are independent, strong-willed and determined and like to be in control of yourself and situations. As a lover of black you may be conservative and conventional – black is restricting and contained. You may be too serious for your own good – bring some color into your life to lighten you up – life should be fun. You may appear intimidating to even your closest colleagues and friends, with an authoritarian, demanding and dictatorial attitude.

BROWN: Having a personality color brown means you are honest, down-to-earth and wholesome, salt of the earth people with both feet planted firmly on the ground. You are steady and reliable and quietly confident. You are friendly and approachable, genuine and sincere. With a personality color brown you have a keen sense of duty and responsibility – you take your obligations very seriously.

WHITE: A favorite color white tends to become a favorite at a time when you are going through a transitional period in your life, preparing for new beginnings or seeking a new direction in one or more areas of your life. The following descriptions will apply to both those who love white and those going through a transitional time, although the latter may be a temporary display of the following qualities until the transitional period has passed. This transitional time may last for weeks or years. Having a personality color white means you are neat and immaculate in your appearance, in the presentation of your home and in your car, almost to the point of being fanatical. You have impeccable standards of cleanliness and hygiene and you expect others to adhere to your high standards. You are far-sighted, with a positive and optimistic nature. You are well-balanced, sensible, discreet and wise.

YELLOW: With a personality color yellow you have a happy disposition and are cheerful and fun to be with. You are creative, often being the one who comes up with new ideas – an ideas person who needs others to bring the ideas into reality – you tend to have your head in the clouds much of the time. You can be very critical of yourself as well as others – a perfectionist. You analyze everything, all the time, and are methodical in your thinking.

BLUE: With a personality color blue as your favorite color you are conservative, reliable and trustworthy – you are quite trusting of others although you are very wary in the beginning until you are sure of the other person. At the same time, you also have a deep need to be trusted. You are not impulsive or spontaneous – you always think before you speak and act and do everything at your own pace in your own time. You take time to process and share your feelings. You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously. Having a personality color blue means you have a deep need for peace and harmony in your everyday life – you don’t like having your feathers ruffled. You would benefit from daily meditation and quiet time for reflection, introspection and self-discovery.

Was your color personality correct? Comment below with your color & how correct your color description was.

DOOR 1 - You are a fun individual that likes to keep things light and airy. You are all about nurturing others and appreciating the simple luxuries in life; such as your fine dishware, favorite candle or eating artisan bread from the local bakery. You most likely have a love for traveling and other cultures. You truly want the best for everyone and love creating a welcoming atmosphere. It is important to remember that if you ever feel that you need help or support, it is OK to just ask someone.

DOOR 2 - You are clean and simple and don’t like any frills. You might strive to have a clean and perfect existence; but is it totally worth it? Don’t you feel that there is something missing? You are all about your personal achievements and you take pride in your work or career. Although you might be on track with your career path or have a few diplomas/ certificates on your wall, you need to spend more time on developing yourself as a person. Remember... the real you. Life is all about creating balance, surrounding yourself with color and creating memorable adventures. If you are finding that you have been taking the safe road lately, try veering off the beaten path. You might surprise yourself!

DOOR 3 – It is obvious you are a quirky individual and very interesting to the people that you let into your life. You are good at many things... a “Jack or Jill of all trades”. You are an artistic individual that expresses yourself in many ways. You can make something out of anything and are not a stranger to your local thrift shop. You can basically make vintage “new” again. It is easy to get stuck inside the house or inside your urban bubble; but remember that you have to get out and connect with nature. It is time to come down out of the clouds and get grounded!

DOOR 4 – You are an old soul that can be slightly dramatic. You are a very artistic person that loves to express yourself through writing, music, art or some kind of expression. You are a dichotomy; for you can be very open and friendly, yet closed and deeply private. You often have your guard up, keeping your thoughts and troubles to yourself. Although you might think that nobody will truly understand you, if you allow yourself to open up and share your feelings, you will feel so much better. Deep down you are not aright with any imperfections and you feel the need to come across as “the rock” in any group situation. Know that people are willing to share their feelings with you and want you to share your feelings with them.

DOOR 5 – It is very important for you to fit in and feel as though you are a major contributor in every situation. You always have things going on, for being productive is what makes you feel at ease. Your busy-ness can sometimes cause the need for you to become more aware of what is really going on around you. What does your body want you to be doing? It is alright to relax on a Monday and simply just BE. Feel free to take some time to figure out what you really love to do. Possibly try some new hobbies or activities that are out of your normal routine. Explore being you, even if that means relaxing. Life is not just about how many muffins you can make in a single batch or how many fit-it jobs you can do in one day.

DOOR 6 – You are a confident person with an eye for detail. You can come across as someone who is all together and exciting; yet you are just YOU on the inside. You care about your appearance and how the world sees you, yet the inside your home or car is probably a total mess! Your personality can be self destructive, for you could turn against yourself when the going gets tough. The life of a person who is a living a total contradiction... has got to be a difficult one. Remember to breathe and just relax. Life is not just about pleasing others. Truth is, the world isn’t always watching... Take time to reflect on who you truly want to be? What is it that you truly want to do?

DOOR 7 – You are a simple minimalist that always has important things to do. You care for others and find your time anything but your own. You surround yourself with meaningful things, for you are very sentimental. Family and friends are very important to you and you would do anything for them. Not putting yourself first has made your life a safe and complacent one. What is it that can enrich your life today? What will make your life more colorful and enjoyable? Even though life gives you labels such as a mother, father, wife, husband, teacher, manager, etc; remember that your life is still YOUR life. Take a moment to decide what you want your future to look like. It is perfectly acceptable to want wonderful things to happen to you. Carpe Diem.

DOOR 8 – Your fun and playful personality keeps you young and youthful. Although you are easy going, you tend to have lower self-confidence and anxiety about specific things in your life. You are usually unorganized; yet don’t even know where to start to help yourself to fix the messy problem. You are a proud individual but you need to learn to love yourself more. You need to take the time to find yourself through self expression. How are you currently expressing yourself to the world? Remember that there are people around you that can help you, but you need to let them know you are willing to receive help. Life is easier when you let people in.

DOOR 9 – You are a quirky person that is always making things work. You are an amazing problem solver that prides yourself on your thrifty living. You like to live an uncomplicated life and usually get by with the basics. Why would you need anything else? You are very easy to please and love doing things for others. Whether it be fixing your neighbors toilet, building a bird house for your mother out of reclaimed wood or helping your friend find a great living room set at the thrift shop; you are always there to lend a hand. Remember that life is special. It is OK to treat yourself to amazing things. You are special too!

DOOR 10 – You are one who truly appreciates stability and wholeness. You are a reliable person that takes pride in their love of quality and detail. Some might say “cookie cutter”, but you say dependable! You always know what you are getting because you have checked the consumer reports. You love safety and security in all parts of your life. You prefer not to have anything frivolous or extra, if you can’t see the use for it. Chances are you have some sort of creative side that you have curbed in some way. You might love scrap-booking, music or art; yet would never try to make it your career. You feel your problems are your own and nobody needs to be burdened with them. Just keep in mind that exposing your true self to the world (or your neighbors) is not a crime. We are all human.

What was the door you picked? Comment below with your door that you picked & share with us, what made this door so appealing to you!

Getting out of your comfort zone is not only a matter of going to work everyday! It's stepping out of your normal activities and feeling the benefits of doing something different & enjoying the benefits of your results.

To simply start how easy it can be, do you remember... that first time you done something new? Yes you might have felt a bit scared at first but after everything was done, you really felt good that you did try that something. You stepped out of your comfort zone and to tell you the truth, I bet it was a highlight of your life.

Stepping out of our comfort zone is where we can grow, learn and develop in a way that expands our horizons beyond what we thought was possible. To start getting out of your comfort zone, following some of these steps to help get you there:

You must first know:
- what your comfort zone is and your natural tendency to stay inside it.
- Change your frame of mind. View your comfort zone not as a shelter but a prison.
- Start push the walls out but don’t try to knock them down.
- Periodically check your progress to confirm that you’re going further out over time.
- Celebrate every move you make!

Start taken some little steps: Mix the small things up!  This is an easy habit you can start every day. Small change can help you try new things out and to step outside the comfort zone often.

• Try new music. Listen to music that you wouldn’t usually listen before
  
• Eat something new. Cook from at least one new recipe each week.
  
• Read something  different. It can give you many new ideas and open your mind.
  
• Take another path home. Start getting use to seeing something new.

 
Start taken bigger steps with a plan: Leaving your comfort zone can feel so scary that you can start to procrastinate and results in no action taken. Start putting a plan in place to start taken some bigger steps. Putting a "Get Out Of My Comfort Zone" Plan in place maybe just your answer.

Bring a friend along: A friend can help you moving in a direction that you want to be going. How many times have we told our friends "I am so happy you came with me or I wouldn't have done this if you were not there'. Friends are a get support for being there.

Be a little crazy now & then: Don't worry to much about what others may think about you be crazy for doing this or doing that. Little crazy things  can turn into enjoyable adventures or funny stories if you allow yourself to deal with a little discomfort.

Face your fears: A lot of your fears are exactly what holds you back. Face what needs to be done.

Enjoy the unknown: Don't you miss the mixture of anticipation and anxiety that makes your heart flutter and stomach turn at the same time when your unsure of what will happen. Bring that feeling back into your life & start enjoying it.

Warning: Don't confuse stepping out of your comfort zone with being reckless and stupid. There's a difference between being reckless and accepting risks. You should know the risks and decide to go through with the decision ready and willing to accept the consequences. Reckless people don't accept risks - they don't even think about them...BE SMART AT YOUR RISKS!!!

How are you going to start stepping out of your comfort zone?

Read through the tips below and if you to work on your self-motivation, focus on one a day & put each tip into action for you.

1. Always be improving your knowledge and self-development: Read good books or inspiring audios. Not only will this will help you gain self-confidence and help you perform better but it will also give you something positive to always be focusing on. In this day of age, one must always be improving themselves.

2. Be aware of your thoughts: Like they say, one of our biggest enemy is ourselves. Start being aware of what you are thinking about yourself and start correcting yourself right away when you start thinking negatively. Get into the practice, every time you find you are thinking bad or negative, turn that thought into positive things about you.

3. The sky is the limit: Don’t indulge in self-limiting thinking. Think empowering, think sitting on top of the world, be able to fly to the top... start thinking with every task "I can do this!".

4. Make that choice to be happy: Choose to be happy. Happy people are easily motivated. Happiness is your birthright so don’t settle for anything else. Start as small as making a habit of drawing happy face circles in your daily planner or on notes in and around your desk.

5. Finish what you started: Train yourself to finish what you start. So many of us start bringing our own selves down with "oh I can't blab blab blab or I don't have blab blab blab" as we try to accomplish one task when the last task isn't done. Always finish one task before you begin another.

6. Positive Affirmation: Start writing positive affirmations for yourself. Post on your desk or write notes in your daily planner daily. You can also start with positive affirmations in keys areas of your life like your health, relationships, finances and career. Writing positive notes really do help you to be motivated.

7. Dare yourself to start dreaming big: If it's a vacation you dream of taken. Start thinking more of the details of that vacation. Where would you be going? What would you be doing? Who will you be with and what would you be wanting to see. Eventually you'll be able to start seeing the realities and how to make it happen. 

8. Leave your comfort zone: Do you remember the first time you did something you never done before & left your comfort zone? Yes! at some point at first you might have felt scared but now when you think back, that day was more than likely a highlight of your life now. You left your comfort zone and I'm sure afterwards it made you feel really great. You had left your comfort zone.

9. Focus on the direction you want to go: If you don;t know what direction you want to go, you can bet you will find yourself lost. Start focusing on what direction you want to be going in life and then concentrate on taken that path to that direction.

10: Laugh at the setbacks and celebrate success: Take the time to stop and recognize  your setbacks then laugh at yourself for being all worked up over it... and when you success with a task, celebrate your success with a massage or bubble bath, buy self a new outfit or go for dinner at that nice restaurant that you wanted to go to. 

11. Meditation:  The goal of meditation is to focus and quiet your mind. Eventually you can reach a higher level of awareness and inner calm. You can do this in the comfort of your own home, a local park or at a beach. Your main goal here is to be comfortable with your surrounds, close your eyes & concentrate on breathe in & out slowly. You can ppractice visualization where you are picturing calming images in your head (beaches, trees, waterfalls etc) are practice body scans where you concentrate on each area of your body being not but relaxed.

12. Help others: Sometimes you may think you can't help anyone but turn that around and see what you can do for someone. It might be just getting a coffee for a special friend, helping with an assignment or given advice. 

                             “We must be prepared at any moment, to sacrifice who we are
                                      for who we are capable of becoming.” - Charles Duboi

                                                                   I BELIEVE IN YOU!

What is network marketing
Network Marketing is a business model used to distribute product by a network of people (distributors, representatives, consultants, members & customers) through engaging with others with a common interest in a product line. Sales are paid thought commissions, bonuses, incentives and can be found within the company's compensation plan. A distributors of a company sells a product(s) to a customers through word of mouth, otherwise know through networking.

Network marketing is also often referred to as MLM (multi-level marketing). The entire industry is regulated through the Direct Sellers Association (DSA), follows strict codes on conduct and follows some of the top best practices in the industry. In layman's terms the answer to "What is network marketing?" Quite simple. Through a strong leadership, it is one of the greatest business model for the average person to get into business!

One of the most important aspects of Network Marketing can easily be found in the two works alone.

NETWORK
Define: a supportive system linked together to exchanging/sharing information and services
among individuals and groups who have a common interest.

The Importance Of Networking
- You need to engage with others in your area of interest
- You need to make your circle of interest with people to become bigger
- You need people in that circle that are leaders & followers
- Leaders guide you, coach you & support you
- Followers learn what kind of valuable information you give & grow from that knowledge.
- and you have the opportunity to create that circle of interest

MARKETING
Define: Following a process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer in a strategy of advertising, selling and delivering.

The Importance of Marketing
- It is your central function of your business
- You are the public relations/customer support
- You are the the advertiser/media/event planner
- You are the Representative/market researcher
- Your actions depend on your involvement & sales/marketing strategy.

- You first need a product that meets your needs & your lifestyle.
- You need a simple marketing strategy plan in place.
- You need a circle of interested people that share a similar common interest.

Things to consider before joining any Network Marketing Company
  "How can you get involved & belong to a networking team"

The first important key would be to search within yourself to find an interest that you feel passionate about. Do some research in finding a company, get the facts & then find a leader that can direct you, coach you & support you.

Importantly, you must have a desire to change your lifestyle for the better.  There are lots of networks out there & picking one is not just a matter of joining a company. Choose one that meets your lifestyle, needs & most importantly, provides on-going training they offer (ask what kind of marketing strategy training do they offer ).

If you need assistance with finding a company that will suit your needs, I would love to help you get off the ground to finding a meaningfully opportunity to suit your needs.

Plan to start making "SMART" Goals
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the 5 steps of setting goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based). It is a very simple process & used by many businesses to go beyond & kick-start you into an action plan for results.

SMART Goals

S - Specific: Have a clear defined approach. Great goals are well-defined and focused. The moment you focus on a goal, your goal becomes a magnet, pulling you and your resources toward it. The more focused your energies, the more power you generate."

M - Measurable: A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or scorekeeper. Numbers are an essential part of business. Put concrete numbers in your goals to know if you’re on track. A goal white board posted in your office can help as a daily reminder to keep yourself and your employee focused on the targeted results you want to attain.

A - Attainable: Your goal must be realistic & manageable. Far too often, small businesses can set goals beyond reach. No one has ever built a billion dollar business overnight. Venture capitalists and angel investors discard countless business plans of companies with outlandish goals. Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. Check with your industry association to get a handle on realistic growth in your industry to set smart goals.

R - Relevant: Achievable business goals are based on the current conditions and realities of the business climate. You may desire to have your best year in business or increase revenue by 50%, but if a recession is looming and 3 new competitors opened in your market, then your goals aren’t relevant to the realities of the market.

T - Time-Based: Identified a specific period of time for the goal. Business goals just don’t get done when there's no time frame tied to the goal-setting process.

A lot of new business starters may start by set up goals based on making their "Business Plan". It's a sure way to finally start working on that business plan that you always wanted to get started... or if your a starter with a direct marketing company, it's a great time to start building your own home business.

5 SMART Steps to follow

Step 1. Start by writing each Goal
You don't need a dozen goals, too many goals will eventually leave you exhausted from jumping from one action plan to another. Start with 3-5 goals & you can always start adding new goals as you get the hang of mastering your new skill. You will soon see that that you may end up adding, changing or removing some goals and this can be a good thing when it comes to measuring how much you have grown.

Step 2. Write down your Tasks
With each goal you have written, you must now write down task(s) that need to be done to achieve each one of your goals. Start with your first goal and ask yourself, "What has to be done to reach this goal" ... and always remember to think "SMART"

Step 3. Write your Activity Plan
Your activity plan is based on the tasks written above. You know what task(s) that have to be done, now you want to write what kind of activity you need to do to get those tasks done.

4. Set End Dates
All your activities must have end dates.

5. Track Your Progress:
Stay on top of your goals! It is very important since you got this far to always be reviewing your goals, tasks & action plans frequently. Keep it handy in your daily planner or a binder on your desk. Always check your progress weekly & check activities when done. Start doing Monthly Reports & do an assessment what needs to be done for the next month and if you found something that is really works for you, you can mark it as daily, weekly or monthly activity.

NOTE: By the time you get this far with all your goals documented & all your steps are in place, it should be very easy for you to move to another important step, putting a Time Management Plan in place.

If you need assistance with getting this in place, contact me! Let's start setting some goals for you to be working toward for you!

 To make matters even worse, stress can hugely affect your health and body in many ways.

No matter what your daily trigger is, when stress hits & your inner pressure gauge begins to move into the red zone, a natural chemical called "Cortisol" is released into your system. Increased cortisol levels are one of the main reasons that many women experience weight gain or can’t seem to lose those extra pounds. This often creates an endless cycle as our weight causes stress and in turn our stress levels cause us to gain weight .Before you get frustrated and ready to give up, try these stress-reducing tips:

1. Hit the Road and Get Moving
While we all mean to start an exercise program tomorrow, it seems to be an easy thing to put off when your schedule is full. However, taking time to exercise makes everything else easier. In addition to increasing your energy levels, exercise stimulates your body to produce endorphins, which are natural, feel-good hormones that automatically reduces stress and improves your mood. Spend about 20-30 minutes exercising at least a few times a week and you will feel like you can tackle the world. Don’t worry if you don’t have access to a gym; a brisk walk is just as good. I like to do spot jogging &get all my good blood flowing and wipe out the bad.

2. Improve Your Diet
Many women automatically turn to comfort food when they’re stressed and short on time. Too many carbs and sugary foods can really slow you down & can make stress worse to handle. While you might get a boost of energy right away, you know that you’ll pay for it with the inevitable carb crash. This kind of diet can fuel an endless cycle of cravings in many women. For improved stress levels, skip the processed food and eat more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein. Be creative and find a healthy food like strawberries or cherries to wash away your stress.

3. Have a Little Peace and Quiet
There’s a reason that all those cute little Buddha statues look so serene and peaceful. Meditation has been used for centuries to reduce stress and develop inner peace. If you aren’t sure how to meditate, that’s okay. Just find a quiet place where you can take about 10 minutes each day to relax, think about nothing and get recharge. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Many of us can’t even find time to go to the bathroom by ourselves but dedicate 10 minutes a day to yourself. Yoga has great poses to practice energy breathing.

4, Learn How to Say No
Sometimes we feel so guilty about saying no that we agree to do almost anything that anyone asks. This can leave you feeling overwhelmed and under-appreciated. While it’s fine to do a favor for someone when you really want to, don’t feel bad when you simply can’t fit it in. Knowing your physical and emotional limitations is crucial to keeping stress levels low.

5. Share Your Issues
The old saying that “a problem shared is a problem halved”. This couldn’t be any truer. Statistics even show that people with a good support system feel less stress and depression than those who hold everything inside. If you’re having a really bad day, call up your sister, your mom, or your best friend for a good cry or a well-deserved rant. Either one will help. If you don’t have a shoulder to lean on, don’t hesitate to seek out a counselor.

6. Be Realistic
Having unrealistic goals or expectations is a sure way to add stress to your life. If you are always disappointed because you expect too much from yourself, from others, or from a specific situation, it’s time to cut everyone a break. You’ll be a happier person, and so will everyone else. By not expecting everything to be perfect all the time, your stress levels will quickly drop.

7. Take Time for Yourself
Most of us are so busy taking care of our families that we forget to take time for ourselves. Whether you enjoy bubble baths or kickboxing, it’s important to do something for yourself every now and then. In addition to eliminating stress, it will bring joy back into your life. Instead of taking time away from your family, you’ll actually have more of yourself to give.

8, Let Go and Forgive
Holding grudges and judging others can be major sources of stress. If you can find it in yourself to accept people as they are and forgive those who have wronged you in the past, it can relieve a lot of your stress. Of course, forgiving doesn’t have to mean that you forget or allow someone to constantly take advantage of your good nature. It simply means that you’ve resolved your inner issues. After all, forgiveness can be more for you than for the other person.

9. Gain Some Perspective
Most of us are guilty of letting our problems take on a life of their own. While life and death situations should be given the attention that they deserve, many other problems really aren’t that important when you look at the big picture. When you’re reaching panic mode, take a deep breath and put things into perspective. In most cases, everything will work itself out.

10. Get At Least 8 Hours Sleep
 

THIS STRATEGY IS IDEAL FOR A HOME BUSINESS OWNER THAT ARE INVOLVED IN NETWORK MARKETING. OF COURSE, THIS STRATEGY CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER BUSINESSES, ASSOCIATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS BUT THE INFORMATION HERE IS ALL PERTAINING TO NETWORK MARKETING.

Some conversation can be surrounded around the whole topic of time management. Yes! There is a few strategies one can use and yes! at times what works for one may not work for another. Depending on how you use that strategy, the results you want to see, the commitment you have and the time you want to dedicate makes all the difference in the world.

While some may say time can not be managed, what I am going to express here is:
- when you can see what activities you must be doing daily to get results and
- what activities you must be doing daily (knowing your results activities and non- results activities)
- with a means to measure that performance to reflect on what you have done and
- how to use this strategy to add to your "To Do" list,
having a strategy in place can make a huge difference on your results.

10 Before 10
I have been working with this strategy that is known to be followed by some top leaders in the industry as the 10 key tasks to do before 10am/pm (This strategy can also be flexible to include into your evening tasks by enforcing the 10 keys tasks before 10pm.). Your 10 key tasks that you must be doing are all important to do at least 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day.  Now I know 30 minutes to 60 minutes may not sound like a lot of time to get tasks done but once you get into a habit of doing these tasks daily, your end results can be seen within a week, can me measured & completed in record time, task by task. 

One of the important aspects of this strategy is to see the value of 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day & knowing the key tasks to be doing everyday. For an example, when you can see the value of time over a month, see the activities you can have completed in that time then you can see the results of how this strategy is working for so many.
 
Let's take a look at what you can implement in your first week using the the 10 before 10 strategy with just one activity as an example. When you take 30 - 60 minutes a day at an activity, over the course of a week you can have 2.5 hours to 5 hours on one activity and if you look at that in a bigger picture of your whole month. You will have at least 10 - 20 hours of work that was done toward that one activity with results that can be seen... and you can use this for your top 3 activities that you must do, with your top 5 activities and with this top 10 activities.

Your activities may vary to the list but basically once you can see the strategy, the results you can have with 1 activity, 2 activities then 3 activities etc and incorporate in your daily schedule, you will see the importance to follow the 10 Before 10 Strategy.

* This 10 Before 10 is a base strategy guideline only and must be followed by your activity strategies that you have in place or plan on putting into place for each activity . 

NEW TO NETWORK MARKETING
For new network marketers, this can be a great guideline for you to follow. You may already have limited time to put to your new venture. With this as your guideline, you will see key tasks that you can start working on & when you decide to add more time to your business, you can start adding more of these tasks daily & start working toward activities that develop you into a leader.

WHEN AM I STARTING
Being new to the industry or starting fresh, one of the first things you want to have in place for managing your time, is to ask yourself & decide:
- How many hours a day do I want to put toward my business a day? Example: 1 to 2 hours
- What hour(s) of the day am I going to spend ?  Example: 6pm-8pm
- When the weekend comes, what hours am I going to spend? Example: Sat. (5 hours) 1pm-6pm

The examples above can easily give you 10 - 15 hours at least a week (given that you are taking the sunday off) within your first week & with planned tasks to do toward that 10-15 hours, I can show you some key tasks to start. 

WHAT TO BE DOING
Once you have put this in plan for yourself, you can move on to:
- What ongoing prime activities do I have to do that show results?
- What other activities do I have to do that may not have results but must be done daily?
- What strategy are you going to put in place to measure what you have done?

HOW TO PRIORITIZE ACTIVITIES
You need to ask yourself:
- Why must each of these these activities be done? This is the goal of your activity.
- How am I going to get these task done to see my results? These are the actions you need to do.
- Then you need to put a "To Do" List in place.
you can have your foundation build, a marketing plan in place, 

A SIMPLE STRATEGY
- Get yourself motivated to start
- Do your key activities according to your strategy
- Reflect & record what you have done daily &/or weekly
- Add what needs to be done to your "To Do" List
- Repeat the process tomorrow

OVERVIEW
- One of the first things you want to put in place is a STRICT SCHEDULE & PRIORITIZING ! So many people fail to do this and fall into a default time system that can only make getting task done next to impossible and never enough time in your day to be productive.

- Put a value on this time allocated. Make the hours your put toward your business valuable time spent. Get out your "To Do" list and list all the task you MUST do to build your business. at the end of the day, remember to forward those task that you didn't complete to tomorrow's "To Do" List. In business, your "To Do" list should never be blank. There is always something you can be adding to bring value to your business.

- Make this time "Measurable" to show growth. You want to be able to have something in place to see a growth in your business. If you are not able to see a growth, how will you know your business is growing? By keeping your "To Do" list updated you can measure your business growth in what needs to be done, what has been done & if the task has to be done.

- You want to keep your plan where you can see it. On your desk, in your daily planner or in a binder, just have it where it can be easily viewed.

With a plan in place, knowing what tasks build you & allocating time for each task you will soon start seeing how much easier & rewarding your business really can be!  If you are wanting a copy of this 10 Before 10 Strategy, I do have it available in a mini e-book "Daily/Weekly Reflections", feel free to contact me for details!

Let's start managing what your doing with your time & start getting results that work for you instead of against you.

      "Everyday gives you a perfect opportunity to do things
       differently and produce more positive results for you. "

Your life doesn't "just happen." Whether you know it or not, it is carefully designed by you from the choices that you make everyday.

You choose happiness. You choose sadness. You choose success. You choose failure. You choose courage. You choose fear.

We must all remind our-self that with every moment, in every situation, provides a new choice...

To help you start making new choices, one thing in common with all of your choices you make, they all become habits. Some we need to stop and some we need to enhance or develop. Start applying these habits & follow the path of 7 habits of highly effective people and start seeing some new results.

Habit 1 : Be Proactive
Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. You can't keep blaming everything on your parents, the boss or society. Proactive people recognize that they are "response-able." They don't blame genetics, circumstances or conditions for their behavior. They know they choose their behavior.  A proactive person uses proactive language--I can, I will, I prefer, etc... Proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.

Habit 3: Put First Things First
This habit is about life management as well as your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. It deals with many of the questions addressed in the field of time management. What are "first things?" First things are those things you personally find of most worth. If you put first things first, you are organizing and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you established in your goals.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Many people think in terms of either/or. Either you're nice or you're tough. Win-win requires that you be both. It is a balancing act between courage and consideration. To go for win-win, you not only have to be empathic but you also have to be confident. You not only have to be considerate and sensitive, you also have to be brave. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. You can get both, to eat the pie and it tastes pretty good!

Habit 5: Seek to Understand Then Be Understood
Communication is the most important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human being is saying? Most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. One of the best practices in this habit would be to respond in one of four ways:
  - Evaluating: judge and then either agree or disagree.
  - Probing: ask questions from your own frame of reference.
  - Advising: give counsel, advice and solutions to problems.
  - Interpreting: analyze motives and behaviors based on your own experiences.

Habit 6: Synergize
To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have, you, It keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life:
    - Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
    - Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others
    - Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
    - Spiritual: Spending time in nature or expanding spiritual self through meditation

As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you will create growth and change in your life.

I know I had stated 7 Habits... but there is an 8th Habit that will pull everything all together and allow you to feel completely satisfied.

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
(The 8th Habit is the road map to help you find daily fulfillment and excitement.)
In today's challenging and complex world, being highly effective is the price of entry to the playing field. To thrive, innovate, excel, and lead in this new reality, we must reach beyond effectiveness toward fulfillment, contribution, and greatness. Research is showing, that the majority of people are not thriving. They are neither fulfilled nor excited. Tapping into the higher reaches of human motivation requires a new mindset, a new skill-set --a new habit.

If you are wanting to further your reading on these habits, you can pick up these books in your local bookstores or order online: