I don’t
know if you may have actually
read the instructions
that line 99.9 percent
of all the shampoo bottles
out there…but if
we actually followed them
to the letter, we would
never get out of the shower.
Yet there is some infinite
wisdom in those three
little words.
Perhaps the secret is
in the one piece of advice
very few of us likely
follow: repeat. Most of
the time (unless for some
reason I am feeling really
icky…) when I wash
my hair I do just one
cycle. I don’t see
the point in repeating
it. Yet consider how often
we receive directions
on how to effectively
live our lives and/or
grow our businesses, and
don’t follow through
or keep up the good behavior?
How often do we hear
the expression, “Well,
it’s back to basics…?”
We are told that it takes
anywhere between 21 and
30 days for a habit to
form—or to be broken.
It seems that when it
comes to our behaviors,
we humans have short memories.
There are basics that
bear repeating. In the
previous article I discussed
how it is important to
not allow yourselves to
become overwhelmed with
all the different
ways there are to prospect.
To keep it simple, you
should take two or three
“nuggets”—a
strategy or tactic that
feels right—and
focus on those.
So now, it merits repeating.
Did you follow through?
Sure, we had a holiday
break in between…but
what is keeping you from
taking out an index card
and writing down just
three prospecting strategies
that you would like to
adopt as habits? Keep
the card with you at all
times. Review it several
times throughout the day.
Focus on the three.
There is a dual purpose
to this process. Yes,
while you will read much
of the same advice over
and over again here (and
elsewhere), it is more
than just keeping it top
of mind. It is also about
reprogramming your mind.
In his classic book Think
and Grow Rich (the
original edition is in
the public domain and
can be accessed at no
charge from countless
resources), author Napoleon
Hill describes the process
of “auto suggestion.”
He describes the vital
importance of daily repetition—replacing
negative or counter-productive
thought patterns with
those that are much more
positive and more productive.
But it must be done several
times per day. There is
no way around it.
2010 will soon be upon
us. Don’t wait for
January 1 to make sure
it’s a great year.
I’m not. My memory
is as short as everyone
else’s (and my ADD
and other challenges doesn’t
make focus any easier).
As I write these words,
I have my “nugget
card” filled out
and right in front of
me—taking it with
me everywhere I go. What
about you?
What three behaviors
do you want to improve
TODAY? Print out the PDF
above, and fill it in.
Keep it with you, and
if necessary, reprint
and update it accordingly.
Think of it as part of
your daily renewal. As
the Psalmist so eloquently
put it (Psalm 118:24 NIV):
“This is the
day that the Lord has
made; let us rejoice and
be glad in it.”
