Fear is Temporary. Regret is Forever.

I understand caution and holding on to the reins as tightly as you can.  I understand a conservative approach to life and having all of your bills met.  I understand not "acting" on something because it is beyond your current world-view and does not match with the current status quo.

There is fear of loss (financially, time, credibility).  There is a fear of self (can I do it?).  There is fear of not knowing what to do.  There is fear of others (said differently, can I trust the person or thing has my best interest in mind?)  And actually, there is fear of success (for example, if money is not a concern, as a couple, then do we really don't need each other?).  There are many more examples.

Fear is the driver that prevents people from moving forward.  (I am budgeted so tightly, I can not rob Peter to pay Paul to come up with the money to get started).  This is many peoples' situation, and it keeps them stuck.

Our role is to provide a safe comfortable place to sit.  To consider.  To ponder if what we have to offer is reasonable - to any thinking adult.  Ultimately, it is about odds and probability of success.  If the assistance is there...  if the compensation and growth projections make sense...  if the person you are talking to (who is wanting to get you involved) is consistent with everything we stand for... then we will be a comfortable chair that feels welcoming and safe.

This mitigates fear.  It bolsters confidence.  It emboldens striking out in spite of the fear(s) and enables people who are considering what we do to feel a difference - in the context of ways to earn additional income.

The other end of this is regret.  It is staying stuck and living a life of quiet desperation.  We understand the dilemma. Fear is at the core of most decisions.

Regret is the consequence of not confronting and defeating it.  Now is the time.  Trust what you are learning here.  I hate the over-used term, "it can change your life", but hopefully we put some weight behind the claim and you understand that we are more interested in your success than your money.

Unless you are successful, the money does not matter, because none of us will make any.  It all starts with confronting fear and taking the first step.

To Do Lists

Ponder this for a minute:  You don't know what you are doing if you don't know what you are doing.

This gets to the core of the daily discipline of being organized and getting stuff done.  Chances are if you are not keeping yourself accountable to things written on a list, you are being far less productive than you could be.

It can be an app or a software program... if you use the list function in Gmail or Outlook (which is what I do)... or if you have a notebook and pen... or the back of a napkin... you are robbing yourself of productivity if you are not crossing things off of a list as you get them completed.

Having a list is the same thing as knowing what you are doing.  It inherently forces intentionality... i.e., "what do you intend to get done today?"  I am not going to extend this discussion to objectives and goals, but they are all related.

Write things down.  Execute on the things.  Then, cross the things off when completed.  This is self-accountability and it is the time-tested way to make things happen.

You are "Paid" for Attention and Mentorship

The title here is about your income in a home business being directly correlated to the value you offer.  I encourage you to think about the people you enroll in your business as clients and investors.  They have paid you (invested in) your services.  Clients (can and should) have expectations that you will "deliver" by attending to their needs - by being a good mentor and role model.  No different than an Attorney, Accountant, or any other professional who are retained for their expertise and the results they deliver.

Service and value are at the foundation of the Law of Compensation.  You will reap what you sow.  Our community is built on a foundation of norms and values and primary among them is that you build an organization based on quality and competence.

If so, you will build an organization that will last and your future security will be on much more solid ground.

Re-Wiring Time for Productivity

When will it happen?  When will you make it happen?  If you are a generally busy person, you need to nail down segments of time.  Let me provide an example.

Writing this piece takes time.  I have an appointment at 11:00 am.  It is now 9:15.  I need a half hour to shower and get dressed.  That gives me 45 minutes or so to write this and then I am out the door.

So what? (you may ask).  Here's the deal.  I am consciously jamming productivity into my day.  I am being mindful and intentional.  I am taking action.  This has been the case for the 100+ posts I have written for my readers, in addition to all the other things I do to grow my business.

Now, apply this snippet to your own life.  How can you best-utilize bits and pieces of time?  It starts with understanding the big picture of what your firm commitments are (work or going to class, sleep, personal hygiene, eating, walking your dog...) then all the rest of your time is "at play" in terms of how you divvy it up.

There is no more important resource than time.  This is all about how you intentionally use it - or, you capitalize on the use of it.

Jam productivity into your day.  In this context, it is about building your business, however, whatever your passions... make things happen.  Be awake, be alive, and get busy.

Money Instructions

Bake a cake, put together a bookshelf that comes in a box, learn how to operate your new remote for your TV... you simply read the instructions and do as they say.  What we do isn't quite that simple, but almost.  Whether we call it instructions or principles, let's get to the point.

There are core things you need to understand in managing a home business.

1. Everything hinges on you having a way to get "what you have" in front of people for them to evaluate.  We specifically target types (or groups) of people and use methods that are low cost or no cost.  If you are not telling people about what you do, you are not in business - and your business will not survive, let alone grow.  This has to be done with regularity and consistency.  Initially, it is all you do.  Then, you need to apportion chunks of time to teach others what you do.
2. Inherent in doing #1, requires a commitment of time.  This time will replace old patterns and habits.  We will do a time analysis with you and get you to commit to how many of the 168 hours a week you will invest in your business.  This is a baseline inventory of your life.
3. Inherent in #2 is "change".  Not successfully adapting to change is the primary reason people do not thrive in a home business.  If you are not willing or ready for things to be different in your life and how you spend chunks of your time, you will remain where you are.
4. Your authentic self is critical.  Our community is built on a foundation of transparency, integrity, and authenticity.  Being open and honest about who you are, what we do and what our motivations are is critical to the establishment of trust.  Without the ability to earn trust, you will not succeed.  
5. You need to understand the principle of reciprocity.  This means you exchange things with others that match or are equal.  It is somewhat akin to playing tit for tat.  For example, if someone tells you (or you ask them) that their favorite color is blue, you respond with your favorite color.  Now take this and apply it to any piece of information you might learn about, or want to disclose to someone.  This builds trust.

I could go on.  This is a good start to understanding the core of what is important.  Having a budget, understanding the numbers, baselining and benchmarking your progress... there is a ton more to integrate into your "becoming" a professional home business owner.