This is a great poem to look to when you need inspiration, and a reminder of the type of leader that you deserve to be.

“I’d rather see a sermon
than hear one any day;
I’d rather one should walk with me
than merely tell the way.

The eye’s a better pupil
and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
but example’s always clear;

And the best of all preachers
are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it
if you’ll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver
may be very wise and true,
But I’d rather get my lessons
by observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there’s no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.”

“Sermons We See”
from Collected Verse of Edgar Guest
NY:Buccaneer Books, 1976, pg. 599

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One of the most important parts of having an online business is your domain name.

Yet many people delay on getting a branded domain because they don’t know where to start or are confused about how to get a domain.

In this short video (below), I will walk you through an actual domain purchase on GoDaddy.com and show you what you need to do; but more importantly, what you don’t need to do to get your personally branded domain today.

Have fun!  – Matthew

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Pull up a chair and hear me out: You probably already know that most people think of priorities as something they plan once a year, such as New Year’s resolutions, goals, or when they have started a new business.  Very rarely; however, do most revisit their priorities again, to examine if they are still in alignment with their goals.

Just imagine how your priorities might change as you move forward in your business.  You deserve to reevaluate to ensure you are focusing on the things that bring a positive contribution. Life is like a shopping cart; we all need to pay attention to what we’re filling it up with.  Whether conscious or not, priorities are reflective of what we spend our time on each day.  It’s easy to stay focused on priorities that are not serving you, if you are not constantly evaluating where you are going and if you are still on the path.

What is your shopping cart full of daily?  Is it full of priorities that are moving you closer to or further away from your goals?  Understand that priorities are simply those things you give your focus, time and attention to.  So whether or not you would classify something as a priority, all you really need to do to define your priorities is to pay attention to how and where you spend your time each day. As you’re reflecting on these things right now, this may or may not be a good feeling for you.

Are you beginning to see that you will never grow to a point where you never need priorities?  Successful leaders keep doing this, they keep reevaluating.  It doesn’t matter if they are coaching a team, ministering to a church, or leading a multimillion dollar company.  No matter what it is that you are taking the lead on in your life, you must prioritize; and to really succeed, you must learn to prioritize effectively and regularly.

You can examine the life of any great leader and you will see that they put priorities into ACTION.  Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean that you’re accomplishing something.  Busy, simple, mundane activities will not necessarily create the results you desire.  In fact, most likely they won’t.

Look at your results.  Stop and re-examine, “Am I really where I should be?”  If you want to do a quick check on your priorities, then just look at your results.  Are your results what you desire?  If not, it’s probably time to start emptying out your cart.

Of course, you’ve heard that the best leaders turn the use of effective prioritization to work for them by accomplishing multiple priorities with each activity.  This enables them to increase their focus while reducing the number of actions they take.  Understand that when you are re-examining your priorities you are not necessarily adding more to your plate.  In fact, often times it’s more critical that you see the need to let go of something.  When you do this, you will free up more time and energy to be able to focus on the priorities you’ve decided are worth keeping in your cart.

As leaders, striving for continuous improvement, I’m encouraging you to look within…re-examine your priorities. Here’s a simple way to put this into action today.

Write down a list of what you think are your top 5 priorities; what you think they should be.  Then, for the next week, keep a small notebook or piece of paper on hand to track what you do with each of hour of your day.  At the end of the week, make a list of what your top priorities really were (based on your actions and how your time was spent during the week).  Obviously this will make things clear for you and will help you get a feel for what your real priorities (purposeful or not) are.

Successful leaders have many things in common, one of those being that they focus daily on their goals, and what they do each day (their priorities) reflect that.  What are your priorities reflecting? STOP and think of all the ways you can use planning and executing priorities to get what you want.

You can delve even more into priorities by reviewing my previous article, “Does the Way You Spend Your Time Reflect Your Priorities?”

P.S. If you really want to know our secrets to home business success, click right here.

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You don’t realize it yet, but in the next few minutes, you’re going to learn exactly what you are.

Now, I can almost hear your mind saying “I’m not sure…” and I must confess there is no right or wrong answer here. Little by little you will understand that this conversation is not about work ethic or time management; but rather connecting and building relationships with prospects. Not selling them, but leading them with your value and vision.

Let me ask you a personal question…. Are you a leader in business and in life? Are you someone who is first to raise their hand to answer the question, or volunteers before you’re asked? You know what I mean, don’t you?

Then pay close attention!

Of course you have heard the saying “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Top producers know their business inside and out; they don’t have to spend their time reacting to the changes within their business because they are proactive in the management of it. Prospects see the value in working with this type of leadership and are most likely to form a partnership with a person they perceive as strong and that will provide them with value. Just imagine how your prospects view you.

As you continue to read this article, you will learn a few things you can do to ensure your prospects see you as this type of leader.

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Take some time today and review your marketing and your follow up. Prospects can sense things about you whether you’re connecting with them on video or over the phone….

In your marketing, you have about 30 seconds to win a prospect’s trust, and that just gets you to the next step. So really exam how you are coming across to others. Enlist the help of your personal master mind group or one of your mentors to review and give you honest feedback. This will give you a crystal clear picture of how you are really perceived by others.

Do not miss a word of this… people don’t buy what you’re selling, they buy why you’re selling it. You must connect with your prospects. In 3 short minutes on the phone, you will either continue to build on the trust, or your prospect will go elsewhere looking for value. A business owner’s mindset will be, “This is a numbers game” and move on, while a top producer will explain how the value of their vision or mission will benefit the prospect by working together.

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If you’re like me you have loyalty to brands, but you have to wonder just how this brand has connected to you. Simply put, the brand loyalty comes from the value you receive from the product or service.

A great example of this is the car company Mercedes Benz. When you enter the dealership, they don’t drop cheesy lines on you, but simply ask….

“Do you know why we build our cars the way we do?”

This question is very powerful and will always receive a positive response. It further builds trust by providing the value the customer is looking for, and even takes the price out of the equation.

Earlier on, I asked you the question, “Are you a business owner or top producer?” Take time and really think about this…. Now remember, I told you there was no right or wrong answer. If after reading this article you have determined that you are a business owner, don’t be discouraged. The only thing that may keep you from becoming the top producer you know you can be is to truly understand “WHY” you are in business in the first place.

Discovering your “WHY”, is crucial and you should be able to sum it up in one quick sentence. You’re “WHY” will be the difference between being a business owner and a top producer!

In future articles…we are going to dig deep to help you discover your true “WHY” and help implement your “WHY” into your business so you can become a top producer. Now, I can almost hear your brain shouting, “Let’s do this now!”…but remember success is not an event, but a process.

Talk soon….

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You probably already know this, but 97% of people who start a home business fail. Why is this?

When I started my first home business over 11 years ago, I was told by my mentors, “Do the behavior and habits, and the results will follow.” But for those who are starting out in a brand new home business, it may be unclear to them what habits they should be focusing on. The further and further you read to the end of this article; you will come to realize there are 3 habits you must have in order to achieve the success you desire, and to become the entrepreneur you deserve to be.

What if you had a goal to make a million dollars? I know this may seem out of reach, but this is actually one of the most common monetary goals given by people when they are asked, “How much money do you want to make?” Most people look at this goal as unattainable, foolish and a waste of time. But a successful entrepreneur doesn’t look at the goal like a normal person. While most people look at this as an impossible endeavor, successful entrepreneurs find the simplest, easiest ways to break down and make their goals more attainable.

A great example of this is that Christine and I spent the last two years going to the gym, trying to lose weight and get healthier. But it wasn’t until we sat down with an expert, and broke down our goals, that we realized we were doing it all wrong. Our habits were not serving us. Though we had what we believed to be a very attainable goal – because we didn’t break that goal down, to help us manage the way we achieved it – we ended up not only losing weight, but gaining weight and losing muscle. Now I’m not saying that our health goals and someone’s goal to make a million dollars should be looked at the exact same way, but to some people losing weight and getting healthy is just as important to others who want to make a million dollars.

But the key point here is breaking down your goals. Take your yearly goals and break them down by quarters, then take those quarterly goals and break them down by months, then by weeks, then to days. In which every single day you have five small goals for you to complete on a daily basis. As you complete these small goals, little by little you will begin to see your big goals start to take shape. And you will start to feel better and better about the path you are on.

Do you remember hearing, “Rome wasn’t built in a day?” So why do so many people try to become millionaires overnight? Have you ever noticed people are always trying to solve the world’s problems in one day?

Not too long after we bought our dream house in Corrales, Christine & I decided to extend one end of the patio to the other, as part of our backyard redesign. I consider myself to be a pretty handy person; having grown up on a farm, I know my way around tools. And so I decided that I could handle the concrete work myself. I did all my due diligence, got all my questions answered about how to build my forms, what type of wire to use, how to pitch the pads away from the house so water wouldn’t drain against it. Everything was set to go. The one big mistake I made (and for those of you who have any experience working with concrete understand this), is that I tried to pour every pad at once, and then go back and finish them. In my defense, I was on a time schedule; but in the defense of the concrete, I tried to do it way too fast. In my haste trying to pour the concrete in one day, I ended up with less than perfect looking walk way (but I do have to say for my first time, I guess it’s really not that bad).

The point I’m making is that I tried to do more than I realistically could with the time that I had. This happens to many people, especially those who are new to home business. They have a plan, they execute the plan, and when they can’t get it all done in the time they wanted, frustration sets in and then ultimately burn out. Remember, we all have 24 hours in the day. Whether you’re making $1 an hour, or $100 an hour, the clock will move at the same pace. Building a successful home business is not a sprint…it’s a marathon. As I like to tell my students, “Success is not an event, it’s a process.”

Remember when you were back in high school, if you didn’t do your homework and turn it in, you didn’t make the grade? It’s no different when we “grow up”. When we join the real world as adults, the only difference is instead of having someone looking over our shoulder who wants us to succeed – we have someone looking over our shoulder expecting us to succeed.

I remember when I started my first home business; my partner was one of the best salesmen I had ever met in my life. In fact, I remember expressing concern to my wife about being able to handle all of the business that my partner was going to bring on board. This was a very exciting time in my life. I left my cushy six figure job in the transportation industry, and began to spread my entrepreneur wings. I thought that I had found the perfect partner to build a long lasting, profitable business with. There was only one problem. He didn’t know how to work for himself. When I questioned him about the lack of performance and results, he would often become defensive and offer only excuses. He never once took responsibility for his actions or held himself accountable for the lack of results. My ex-partner was one of those people that thrived for someone else, but faltered without a boss looking over his shoulder. You see, entrepreneurs do the things they must do in order to get the job done. It comes down to personal accountability…the difference between an employee and an entrepreneur is doing the things that must be done without having a boss looking over your shoulder.

As you’ve read each word of this article, you now have an understanding of the 3 habits of successful entrepreneurs, and how they approach their business. It’s not just about setting goals. It’s about breaking those goals down into simple daily habits and executing them. And as you’re thinking about breaking down your own personal goals, understand that achieving them requires time, it requires patience, and above all, it requires persistence.

If you haven’t done so already, stop thinking like an employee and become the entrepreneur you know should be. Find the ways to get closer to achieving your business goals. Make sure you are doing income producing activities on a daily basis, such as talking with prospective customers. Learn from those who have the success you’re looking to achieve. Regardless of your successes or failures, always be the first to stand up and take responsibility for your actions. Always hold yourself accountable for your results.

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Some time ago I was working with a client who had an epiphany by learning something so simple.  Sometimes the simplest ideas make a world of difference in our lives.  So in this post, I would like to share with you the knowledge that I transferred to her that day.  Perhaps this could be one of those things that will make a world of difference in your life!

My former client is a small business owner, who, when she first started working with me, was overwhelmed by paper and “to-do’s”.  At times she would feel so inundated that she didn’t know where to begin.  Even after implementing systems to manage filing and follow-up items, she occasionally would suffer from meltdowns.  What was causing such strain for her?

My client was trying to think too much about what eventually had to be done with each of these items (tasks, projects).  She couldn’t see past the big picture to focus on the small steps needed to get there.  It all seemed like so much that just looking at it froze her.

When we discovered that this was the main issue, I suggested to her that when addressing her tasks, projects, and “to-do’s”, to always ask herself, “What is the next step?”  Less than a week after that day I received this message from her:

“I feel so empowered now.  The realization of “What is the next step?” has been key for me.  Everything fell into place once that sunk in.  I have been working on projects and getting things done that have been plaguing me in the back of my mind for weeks and months.  It feels so good to have a bit of control over my attention and space now.  I can’t express to you how amazing it feels to be in that position.”

So how can you apply this simple idea? Here are a couple simple solutions that you can choose to implement part or all of:

1. When addressing a new task, project, or “to-do”, ask yourself:

• “What is the very next step?” And…

• “When will I work on the next step?”

2. Add a reminder to your tickler file or planner about that next step on the specific day you chose to work on the step.  Then when you come to the day you chose (in your tickler file or planner), you will quickly be able to see what the next step is, and you’ll be less likely to be overwhelmed by the size of the project.

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Have you ever noticed the day before vacation how you are suddenly clear about what must be done – what the highest priorities are – and you somehow manage to get it all done before you walk out the door?  Your mind is free from concerns about what you might have left behind because you know that you addressed all of the top priorities; whether it was by doing it yourself, handing it off to someone else, by deciding that it was something that really could wait until later, or that it didn’t need to be done at all.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have that kind of clarity all of the time?

How much more would we get done?  How much less stressed would we be?  What if we were so clear about our priorities, both personal and professional, that those were the things we put our energies towards first and foremost?  If we have a limited amount of time in our lives, how are we going to choose to spend it? 

Some time ago I read a book titled, “Chasing Daylight; How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life.”  Eugene O’Kelly, the author, learned in late May 2005 that he had terminal brain cancer.  September 10, 2005 he passed away.  During those few months of knowing he was dying, and that there was no escaping it, he not only wrote Chasing Daylight, but he also became very clear about what was most important in his life, and how to achieve great clarity and balance with his priorities in his little time remaining.

In summary, O’Kelly was a high achieving, goal oriented CEO of a 20,000 employee accounting firm.  He felt strongly about commitment to one’s career and found that his display of commitment was reflected by how much time he invested into his work.  However, as he became more clear about the greater balance of life, he realized that commitment is not measured by the time someone is willing to give up, but by the energy one wants to put in, by how present one is.  Some thought provoking realizations he shared were:

• You can’t control time; however, you can control your energy and how it is allocated. 

• You can control how your energy is used to respond to outside influences. 

•  You can do anything if you give your best energy to it…Time becomes less important.

•  Commitment is about Depth. Passion. Effort. Wanting to be in a certain place and not somewhere else.

 O’Kelly realized that what he was really trying to do, rather than be committed, was to be conscious, to pay attention to and focus on his surroundings, to be “here and now”.

With the ‘vacation season’ here, I challenge you to notice, and enjoy those last few moments before walking out the door to leave on vacation… savor them.  Pay attention to what it is you did differently.  How can you incorporate these differences into your daily, or even weekly routine?

My desire for you is that this summer will provide you with some time to relax, a feeling of rejuvenation, and heightened clarity so that you are able to be clearer about allocating your energies to those things most important to you.

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Baseball season is upon us, and lately I’ve been thinking about my days of playing ball as a kid. I’ve always said that I learned many valuable lessons from the game, and I still am. Years ago I learned a concept from my dad, my coaches, and all the parents on the sidelines, that can most certainly apply to how we can become more organized, productive and in particular – FOCUSED! Here is what I, and many people who have been at the ballpark, have heard at a typical game:

“OK Chris, just one out at a time!” “Just focus on this one pitch!” “It’s just like we’re playing catch…one throw at a time!”

You might already get the point, but just in case, I’ll go ahead and explain. The whole idea behind these statements (or you might call them “words of encouragement”) was to help keep the players focused. The pitcher who needed to forget about just how critical the next three outs were…she just needed to focus on what her next pitch needed to be. The fielder who needed to focus on what he would do if the ball came to him…where would he need to throw the ball to? The batter who needed to pull off the squeeze play…who just needed to focus on bunting the ball on the ground. Anyone – a ball player or a home business owner – can at some point can get overwhelmed by the big picture. So why not apply some of these simple techniques used every day on the ball field to our work lives?

Here are a couple usable insights that you can apply to your workday.

De-Cluttering your workspace:

Barbara Hemphill, author of the “Taming the Paper Tiger” book series says, “Today’s mail is tomorrow’s pile.” If you don’t have a system for handing what’s coming in today, you will most likely have new piles upon you tomorrow (in addition to any other piles you have).

Here is how you can apply the “one at a time” concept to de-cluttering your workspace. Once you begin sorting through your current items (typically the items on your desk or kitchen counter), make one of 3 Decisions: 1. toss it, 2. take action, 3. file it away if you will need to reference it sometime later. Don’t allow yourself to move on from one paper to another, until you’ve made a decision on the paper in your hand. Many people who I worked with in the past previously would get hung up in this process of filtering through their items. They would grab a stack of papers, start off on a good foot by making a decision on the first piece of paper, but then the next piece of paper they would flip right by to go on to another, and then another, without making decisions on either. This is a quick way to bring on overwhelm, and give up on the process altogether. Remember, just focus on one at a time, make a decision – and then move on to the next item.

Working on a project:

Once again we have another “big picture” item that can cause many people to get overwhelmed and feel paralyzed about taking the steps needed to complete a project. To get clear about where to start on a project, consider doing a brainstorming session by yourself or with a group of people. Consider the individual tasks that will need to be completed to accomplish your objectives with the project. Once you have your tasks identified (and keep in mind, you’ll probably come up with more along the way, which is fine!), use a system, such as a sort-able table (like a Microsoft Word table or Excel spreadsheet), tickler file, or planning software, to keep track of what tasks need to be completed and when. Working on one task at a time, which contribute to your project, can make it far easier to focus than trying to take on the project without breaking it down. The idea here is to minimize unnecessary stress and overwhelm!

When John Gagliardi, today’s most winning coach in college football, was asked about his upcoming football season, he commented that the team couldn’t have an undefeated season unless they won the first game. So they decided to just focus on winning the first game. Seems simple enough, but so are most great ideas. Perhaps you’ll consider focusing on your one ________ at a time to help you become more productive, and to contribute to your success in the game of life.

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Build Your Success Through Your Fulfillment!

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You probably know that most people who start a home business, especially a network marketing home business, are very reluctant to talk to their friends about it. Most say, it is the “pitch your friends” issue, but maybe it’s really a fear of being accepted, or even worse feeling judged.

Imagine what it would be like if you could tell your friends and family anything about your business and not be or feel judged. Now we all say we can do this, but is this really the truth? As you read this short article, you may begin to feel a sense of uneasiness. Little by little you will begin to understand that you are afraid of having your business judged by your friends, which can make it feel like you, personally, are being judged.

When we were little kids, judgment was not an issue. In those early years of existence, we would tell anything to anyone, anywhere, without being concerned that we might be judged. So I often ask myself, “What happened?” I don’t recall a magic time in life when one opinion became THE RULE.  And since when if we don’t accept the popular opinion, do we need to feel like we are being negatively judged?

Have you noticed even as adults, the most outspoken person’s opinion is taken most seriously? Let’s remember back before high school, to the moment you first felt judged by your peers. Did your opinion matter any less, and more importantly did you stop expressing it?

The term “popular kids” continues to haunt many adults long after they were perceived to be the “judges” in school.  Like it or not, we were all looking for a “good” judgement from the popular kids. This was especially the truth for the even the popular kids, who often had their own insecurities, which is likely why they passed judgment on others.

Are you beginning to see how this can still be affecting you today? No one likes to be judged for the what they think or do, but it’s time to not care. You will really be interested to know that you can overcome this like anything else, and you will start to feel better about the fact that it does not matter what your friends think about your business.

You will be judged for your business and what you do with it; this will never end. However, rare thinking people like you know that it’s how you feel about yourself and your business that is significant. The only judgment about your business you need to concern yourself with is your customers.

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