50 Ways To Get Your Mojo Back! part 5

Happy Friday!

 

Thank you for the responses and testimonials about regained mojo!

 

Now that the "seed" of mojo has been planted it has to be nurtured to regain its former glory...

 

If you don't feed mojo...it dies.   It lives on a steady diet of commitment.  So in this last session of 50 Ways To Get Your Mojo Back, we are going to make a series of commitments - reinforced by quotes from people who have lived it. 

#41 - Commit to being optimistic about today...and tomorrow. 

 

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done

without hope and confidence."

Helen Keller

 

#42 - Commit to being bold in your pursuit of your best life. 

 

"He is the best man who, when making his plans, fears and reflects on everything that can happen to him, but in the moment of action is bold."

Herodotus 

 

 

#43 - Commit to maximizing your time and eliminating procrastination.

  

"Time = Life, Therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or

master your time and master your life."

Alan Lakein 

 

 

#44 - Commit to making and working your plan.  

 

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Napoleon Hill 

 

#45 - Commit to putting in the work. 

 

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to

work hard at work worth doing." 

Theodore Roosevelt 

 

#46 - Commit to shutting out critics and naysayers. 

 

"The question isn't who is going to let me;

it's who is going to stop me."

Ayn Rand 

 

#47 - Commit to helping others with their dreams. 

 

"It's also selfish because it makes you feel good when you help others. I've been helped by acts of kindness from strangers. That's why we're here, after all, to help others."

Carol Burnett 

 

 

#48 - Commit to staying grateful. 

 

 

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and

creates a vision for tomorrow."

Melody Beattie

 

 

#49 - Commit to being happy. 

 

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Abraham Lincoln 

 

 

#50 - Commit to life...your life.

 

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'.

Erma Bombeck 

I don't know about you, but my mojo is back and here to stay!

 

Sometimes we have to be reminded about who we are, what we have done and what we are yet to do.  It is easy to get lost in the exercise...distracted from what really matters.

 

The last 5 days I simply wanted to remind you of two things...how great life is...and how great you are....

 

Now you should believe that...

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo Back! Part 4

A couple of quotes to get us started...

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams."

 

John Barrymore

 

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to

success when they gave up."

Thomas Edison

 

I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy."

Tony Robbins

 

Lost mojo can be about dreams unrealized and goals unfulfilled.  It can be about the time component of your SMART goals...and time feels like its against you.  You can think you have chosen the wrong profession and that sales is not for you...

Before you give up on any part of your life, or any aspiration, give these "50 Ways To Get Your Mojo Back" a review...and give yourself another chance!

#31 - Go back and review all of your goals.  What did you write down about your life 1 year ago...10 years ago?  I have all of my goals in binders since I was 20 (surprised?).  The 20 year old Brandon is telling the 49 year old Brandon what it is like to dream...and dream BIG.  What did you believe was once possible? Let that inspire you again! 

 

#32 - Define and refine what you really want at this stage of life.   Ok, looking back at your goals may be eye-opening - what were you thinking...right?  The fact that you had the audacity to write it down at some point of your life says something about you...and the goal.  Sure, some of them may have been outlandish, but at the core is something to build on.  Any example for me -  private jet is now replaced with 1st class travel...and I still get there in style!

 

#33 - Define who you really are at this stage of life.  Older, wiser and few bumps and bruises to prove it.  Your goals are important, but who you are right now is even more important.  If you are 20 or 80, you have to understand your gifts/talents and how you can leverage them to create a joyful life.  Many of us are using gifts to do things that aren't authentic to our true selves.  To thine own self be true!

 

#34 - Get a coach or mentor.  Need some outside help defining who you are, what you are here to do and brining out your best?  Hire a coach.  Introspection about your life is only valuable if it is an honest assessment.  A coach or mentor will hold you accountable to the "true you" in a spirit of encouragement...and tough love. 

 

#35 - Read motivational and inspiring books.  When I feel my enthusiasm or optimism tank getting low (yes, it does happen!), I immediately pull one of my classic success books off the shelves.  If you are not a reader, get an audio book.  Words are a powerful way to connect to the deepest part of you...where the answers are.   

 

#36 - Find a role model.  There is a testimonial for every test you have ever encountered in life.  We have more direct access to people and their stories via the internet and social media.  "How I went from the bottom to the top of the sales leaderboard" is a searchable topic!  You don't need hype or a sales pitch, but if you can see that someone else did it...you can too!  Find someone whose life mirrors your own and take elements of their journey and apply it to yours.

 

#37 - Review your achievements.  Have you ever sat back and reviewed all the positive things you have done in life so far?  We tend to focus on the things as yet unaccomplished and beat ourselves up.  You have done more than you think...if you look back with the right perspective.  The 20 year old Brandon would tell the 49 year old Brandon, "Great job on our goals, we actually did some of this stuff!" He would also tell him to "keep fighting".

 

#38 - Forgive yourself and others.  You need a clean slate from which to start anew.  Stop beating yourself up for lost opportunity and temporary failures (they are temporary until you quit!)...forgive yourself.  Forgive those that you think hurt you or stole your chances for success.   Victims get slaughtered and martyrs "burned at the stake".  Warriors fight the battle...let it go...and fight! 

 

#39 - Take a concrete action toward your smallest goal.  If you have not exercised in some time, the first workout will produce soreness.  If you have not exercised your "action muscle" in a while, don't try to get it all back in one day.  Choose a small goal and a small action and take it.  Build on it slowly and allow inertia to take you farther...faster.  Get started today! 

 

#40 - Give yourself permission to try again.  What does the number 11 represent?  It represents 1...on another level.  Life may seem circular and cyclical too.   Sometimes, it seems we end up at the same crossroads...but actually, we are on another level.  You do not have the same problems as you had 5, 10 or 20 years ago...they are challenges on another level.  The bar is higher...give yourself permission to try the new height.  You may knock it down once or twice, but continue in the effort.  What you learn may help you do the "Fosbury Flop" (look it up!) and make it over!   

 

We are almost there...do you feel that?  It is mojo coming back...thanks to the...

 

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo!

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo! part 3

Sometimes lost mojo isn't about a lack of success.  People can burnout who are #1 in their organization...

 

"A good problem to have" says someone struggling to make their quota.

 

Lost mojo usually means something is missing.  We may have professional success but voids in our personal lives. 

Today, we focus on simple things that can help you reconnect to yourself with our "50 Ways to Get Your Mojo Back"; 

 

#21 - Spend time with yourself.  For high energy sales people, the day is usually filled with ongoing activities that involve other people.  Daily silence could be part of the cure for "talk overload". It could be as simple as coffee on the front porch, or as Zen as 15 minutes of quiet reflection or devotion.  Not only will it recharge your batteries, but some of your best ideas will come from sitting still!

 

#22 - Do things you love..  Work hard...play hard.  My golf clubs sat idle for over 6 months and then I went to play.  After that long absence, I realized it gave me joy to play.  What do you love to do?  Cook, write poetry, garden, or a particular sporting or cultural activity?  Do more of the things that make you happy.  Re-connect with outside pursuits that will give you mo-joy!

 

#23 - Make exercise a part of daily routine.  Crossfit, bike classes, or simple walks in the neighborhood.  Matters not what exercise you choose, the benefits are many.  It is another form of taking time for yourself so that you know you are important.  It releases endorphins that can help reduce stress and provide a spike of "happy" energy.

 

#24 - Eat Better.  Sales people notoriously live on caffeine, sugar and carbs. Long days and packed agendas open to door to bad nutritional habits.  Forget the impact to your physiology...it also negatively impacts your psychology. You don't have to become a nutritionist, but you should be aware of better alternatives and make better choices every day.

 

#25 - Go on a vacation (not a staycation).  When was the last time you took a real vacation?  It's probably time you took a full week to enjoy a favorite spot or a dream location.  If budget is a concern, get creative - you don't have to spend big to plan a terrific getaway.  That is the key...to get away! 

 

#26 - Get nostalgic.  I looked at my old yearbook picture recently.  I laughed at the young man with all the hair...and all the big dreams.  It made me realize how much life I had lived and how much more I wanted to do.  It didn't frustrate or depress me...it awakened old thoughts, ideas, and ideals that are still in me now.  Yes, you run the risk of being reminded of some tough times, but you made it through them...that is also a way to get mojo back - seeing how resilient you are.

 

#27 - Spend time with a friend.  If you have been too busy to reach out to people who are important to you, it is time to re-connect.  Sales can sometimes feel "isolated" and the only people we talk to are people we are trying to sell.  If you are lucky enough to have close friends, stay connected.  Share a laugh, good conversation...and life.  

 

#28 - Sing a song.  Science has proven that music has healing qualities and provides mental stimulation that is highly beneficial.  We don't all like the same type of music and there are moods for the soundtracks of our lives.  Nothing like having your song play before a big meeting.  Update your I-Pod and include songs that motivate and energize you.  Really want to turn up the benefits?  Sing along!

 

#29 - Do something good for yourself.  Some of us do things for everyone else and there may be no time or energy left for us.  The rigorous nature of the sales profession sometimes makes us feel "guilty" for taking time off, or not returning that phone call in the next 5 minutes.  It's ok to be selfish every once in a while.  Focusing on you will help you be better for everyone else. Think of 5 things that you want to do for yourself...and do them!

 

#30 - Give yourself permission to feel good.  All the points in the "50 Ways To Get Your Mojo" will be pointless, if you aren't ready to feel better.  My momma used to say, "Cry tonight...laugh in the morning".  It is ok to be "down" but the key is not to stay down.  

 

We are a little more than halfway through...do you feel better? 

 

It is not the ideas that matter so much, but the focusing on feeling better.  Doesn't matter if one of the 50...or none of the 50 helps you...as long as you get your mojo back!

 

Either way...I will take credit!  Hey, taking credit is one of my

 

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo!

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo Back! part 2

We define ourselves by our work. 

Right after we tell a stranger our name, we tell them what we do for a living.  Spouses, children, hobbies and alma mater come later in the conversation... it all starts with work...our profession.

For most jobs, lost mojo is just challenging. In most jobs, you can fake it until things get better... you can hide in the sea of 1,000's of employees.   

Lost mojo in sales is devastating and debilitating.  There is no where to hide...nowhere to run. 

 

The whole operation depends on you!

 

Today, we focus on your work with our "50 Ways to Get Your Mojo Back"; 

 

#11 - Start work sooner.  Your goal in the morning should not be to beat the firing gun where you hit the desk 5 minutes before the chaos starts.  An early start lets you calm your mind and do the things you need to do...uninterrupted.  Do you need 30 minutes...and hour?  The impact of starting earlier will do wonders for your work psyche and reduce daily frustration!

 

#12 - Learn a new product.  To give your business a jolt, take an objective look at what you offer today and what you know your clients are buying.  Chances are you are missing out on opportunity.  Grow your mind and your business with additional relevant products.

 

#13 - Get another license or designation.  To take your business to the next level do you need more credentials?  I am in insurance and agents can vastly improve their income opportunity with additional licenses/designations.  Classroom environments provide great mental stimulation on how to improve yourself and your business.

 

#14 - Manage your clutter.  What would a look at your office or the backseat of your car reveal?  Thought so!  Part of what robs you of energy is lack of organization.  As you get to work earlier (see #1) begin to slowly but surely get handle on your clutter and organize!

 

#15 - Try a new lead source.  Nothing can help you get out of a rut like activity.  You just added a new product (see #12) and now you need clients to demonstrate your latest offering.  Engage a new lead source to do pre-set appointments or customized direct mail.  Short on funds?  Build your own telemarketing campaign - plan, implement and execute (hey, this is still work!). 

 

#16 - Create a structure to your day.  Most sales people react to the things that happen during the day - phone calls, emails, and other real time events.  That randomness can rob you of the continuity and rhythm that allows you to be the most effective.  Block your day into sections that give you focused time to accomplish necessary tasks.  You will get more done in less time and take back the control you need in order to feel productive and successful!

 

#17 - Use technology to do more  Along with #14 and #16, you can use technology to help you manage many of your daily tasks more efficiently.  Tablets, smartphones and computers are amazing in what they can do these days.  Are you behind?  Most technology stores (like Apple and Microsoft) offer free classes for business professionals on how to leverage current "toys and tools".  Don't get left behind!

 

#18 - Get an accountability partner -  Sales is an individual sport.  That may actually be a contributing factor to some of your loss of mojo.  We all need connection.  Find a like-minded professional and create a partnership.  One where you hold each other accountable for daily activities and weekly results.  Get on each other as needed, but celebrate the successes as well.  Having someone who understands what you are up against can eliminate the excuses and provide you with new energy to meet challenges.

 

#19 - Hire an assistant  The average sales person's day is filled with a lot of non-revenue generating activities. Paperwork (even if by computer) can be arduous as many sales people are "two finger typists".  Can't afford it?  Find a couple of other people and share an assistant. Regardless, an assistant will easily pay for themselves and help you get your mojo back!

 

#20 - Attend industry training seminars and workshops.  Free breakfast/lunch and some good ideas that can help you jumpstart your business...what's not to like.   Even if you have to pay to attend, getting in an environment of people who are successful or desire success can provide you with ideas and energy to break out of a slump. Get out from behind your desk and get to where the action is...

 

I will keep putting the ideas out there and you have to find the things that will work for you.  The key is to understand you will come out of your funk using some (or all) of the...

 

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo!

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo!

Happy Monday!

A Belated Happy Father's Day!

 

Most jobs, you show up, sit down, they tell you what to do and a pile of it is placed before you.  Your first real thought doesn't have to happen until about noon - What am I eating for lunch?

 

Ever had on of those?

Sales is a psyche profession.

We are almost like boxers in a championship bout.  We have to dance around the ring, do deep new bends, and "fake punch" the air.  The people in our corner tell us we are the best and that we can do this.  The bell goes off and we have to fight for our lives.

 

We're ready for it...most of the time.

 

I know there are times we become lethargic and disconnected.  There are times that we wish we could just shut it all off.  That makes you human.

 

What makes you extraordinary is fighting back (cue the Rocky theme music!).  Not making a permanent assessment of your life based on a temporary feeling.  Paul Simon once sang about "50 ways"...slip out the back Jack...make a new plan Stan...you remember?

 

The next 5 days, we are going to attempt to find "50 Ways to Get Your Mojo Back".  Today will deal mainly with diagnosing why you are a quart (or gallon) low on mojo; 

 

#1 - Shut it all down.  Not a cop out...but a cope out.  Sure, the weekend could be a good time to totally disconnect, but it is also filled with activities and obligations.  Wednesday is typically the best day so you can still have two days before...and two days after to work.  Hey, doctors play golf on Wednesdays.  You have to get your mind right and silence is the best way!

 

#2 - What's really wrong. Ask a child why the long face and they will say, "nothing".  We do the same when our "get up and go has got up and went".  Focus on what is really bothering you.  You cant conquer what you won't confront.  Find it first...deal with it later.

 

#3 - Is it me?  The sales manager or the bad client is really just the "fruit" of lost mojo...something going on with you is likely the "root".  Don't be mad with the messenger!  At least since it is you, it is something you can fix!

 

#4 - Write it down.  A sales goal in your mind is one thing...a sales goal written down becomes a quota!  The things you discover in #2 & #3 are worth seeing in print so they become important to address.  The mental word changes every moment.  The written word is indelible and unchangeable - it has to be dealt with...write it down!

 

#5 - Talk it out.  Are you fortuneate enough to have someone to talk to?  Someone that would understand and not judge, but also not join in on the pity party?  If they are in sales, all the better.  Thinking about your lost mojo is level one...writing it down is level two...talking to someone and bearing your soul...off the charts! 

 

#6 - Listen.  Can you take the potential criticism that may come back as a result of bearing your soul?  If you trust the source (choose confidants wisely - no water cooler folks!), then you have to be ready to "hear with a willing ear" and prepared to accept their assessment of you (see #3 again!).

 

#7 - Change one thing.  "Abracadabra, wave your magic wand...what would you change?  What one thing, if it were different, would bring about the greatest change and have the most impact?  A new job, are you sure?  You still take "you" with you - in a few months you will be here again.  Find something that you can work toward changing that will re-charge your batteries.

 

#8 - New goals -  Lost mojo is sometimes a result of living in "status quo"...mediocrity.  You have achieved many of the things you wrote down 10 years ago and now life is passé.  Write down 3 new goals for your life.  The kind that scare you and inspire you at the same time.  Regardless of your age and stage, you still have gas left in the tank...hit the accelerator with audacious goals!

 

#9 - Visualize.  You now have some fresh perspectives on where you are today, what you are going to change and where it is going to take you.   Begin to imagine the possibilities of this phase of your life.  See the current challenges diminishing into distant memories...to be forgotten.  Visualize the "new" energized you meeting the new challenges that will take you to your higher goals and aspirations.  The mind is a powerful time machine...use it to see a successful future! 

 

#10 - Celebrate.  If you get through the first 10 of these and feel better...celebrate!  I have finally learned to enjoy the process and not just the outcome.  Victory is in fighting and winning the "small" battles.  The checkered flag may not be waving, but at least it is not the white flag of defeat.  Celebrate the fact that you have decided to "fight" (cue the Rocky music...again!)

 

Do what you have to do to get back your "fight", to get your groove back.  Keep looking until you find it...cause there must be...

 

50 Ways To Get Your Mojo!

 

Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!