Personal Note:

Hello To All Of You,

Have you ever felt so out of sync – bombarded from so many sides you thought you’d never get back to “normal?” Me too. And that’s why writing this ezine feels great. It comes out of getting control over what I can control and letting the rest be. The changes are still coming pretty fast and furious. But I’m no longer behind the eight ball or anything else.

Since our last ezine issue my husband changed jobs, we moved from the west coast to the east and bought another home. And, that is only the tip of the iceberg.

In looking back, I realize I could have done some things much better. I know I'm not the only one who goes through this kind of turmoil. I hope the featured article about my recent experience in and through overwhelm is of benefit to you.

In spite of our chaos (yes, it really has been chaotic) lots of great things are going on at Savvy Sponsoring. We have a new program for Savvy Sponsoring graduates. It’s our “Savvy You program.” It is a really exciting new addition to our coaching curriculum. Our first program just got underway with a few consultants from Arbonne* and Primerica. And our next one is coming up in March with a sizeable group from Usborne Books. Very exciting. If you’re a Savvy Sponsoring graduate, and have some interest, watch for the next program. Or shoot me an email.

Oh, before we get into the featured article, would you like to spend a coaching hour talking about how you can get your new recruits into money making activity within the first 48 hours of them joining your business? I’m talking about out the gate with confidence? Then this complimentary coaching call is for you. When: Tuesday, March 4 at 9:00 am pacific/noon eastern. Click here to register. Remember there’s no charge.

Here’s to being back in sync.

Warmly

Jillian

Jillian Middleton, Head Coach
Contact Me

Featured Article:

Stress

Ever Feel You're So Far Behind
You'll Never Catch Up?

I was so far behind I didn't know where to start.

Recently I came to grips with the feeling that I was so far behind I didn’t know where to start. Rather a scary thing to admit being a coach and all.

Obviously I am not immune to life and things happen that disrupt. And, if I’m not on top of things right away, they seem to snowball. As soon as things start to get out of control, the less well I seem to be able to accurately determine what I can get done. When things are in a chaotic state, I make things much worse (oh so very much worse) by thinking I can do much more than is possible. It seems that my mind and good sense scramble right along with my routine!

Do you relate? If so, then you know what kind of a slippery slope this can be if it’s not checked really early. Depending on how long you stay in this “running behind chaotic state", at the end of the day, week, month or (yikes) months, you have:

unfinished projects
little or no follow-up
great leads getting colder by the minute
unmet deadlines (broken promises)
goals feeling further and further out of reach

Yes, there is a way to prevent getting into this mess. It takes some practice – and as you can tell by my confession I’m still practicing! Watch for our next ezine issue. I’ll cover in that issue what to do to avoid setting yourself up to be hopelessly behind.

What's Your Red Flag?

When I find I’ve allowed myself to get out of control and am behind, I have to be really careful or it can get worse, way worse, before it gets better. Why? Because once I start thinking, “I’m so far behind I don’t know where to start – I don’t start. My routine is so out of whack I feel powerless to get back in sync.

To make matters worse, I’m so into ‘the overwhelm’ and so caught up in the guilt of “what’s not done,’ that I end up being reactive rather than proactive. I find myself spending time in my office doing the least important things. Eventually things get so bad that when I do (finally) sit down at my desk, the first thing I do is push the send and receive button. But that actually is a good thing.

How can aimlessly reading emails be a good thing?

Through the work I’ve done with my own coaches, I’ve identified this behavior as a major red flag. It acts as an alarm. I know when I’m sitting down and pushing ‘send and receive’ to see what I have to do, I’m not in control. I’ve learned over the years it is my habit when I’m in overwhelm. I look to my email for (of all things) direction! Today I’m aware that’s what I do when I’m out of control and it sends all kinds of warnings off in my head. I know I’ve blown through an opportunity to avoid chaos, I’m in it. It’s time to stand back and get back to basics.

Back to Basics

This is exactly what I do:

I grab a piece of paper and write down all the things I need to get done. It’s a brain dump. No editing. Just write down everything that’s undone.
I grab another piece of paper and determine my store hours for the day, or the week or the month. It doesn’t matter if you decide them each day or if you feel you can get them together for the month. Do what works. If you’ve never set store hours our Savvy CD http://www.savvysponsoring.com/storehours/ will make it quick and easy. Once you know when you’re starting and stopping work each day, you’ll wonder how you ever got anything done before!
After my brain dump and store hours schedule are completed, I take a minute to congratulate myself for “getting started right again” and let myself off the hook. There are going to be some things that are simply not going to get done when you go through this process. What it meant for me was letting go of the fact that I’d not sent out an ezine for months. I also didn’t offer two of my favorite coaching programs that were scheduled on my calendar. My guilt wasn’t going to change what was. Period. And the guilt didn’t help me to get moving. It was time to focus on what I was doing rather than what had slipped through the cracks. Make sense? Letting go of judgment and self recrimination is critical to moving forward. They act as anchors or a ball and chain at best. Let go of “what didn’t” and focus on what is.
I take a look at my list of things to do and circle three top money making activities. For you, these activities could include making follow up calls (use the most recent leads first), or an initial call to someone you think may be interested in your business or your product. Your goal might be setting a one-on-one appointment to make a business presentation. Or you might be asking someone to host a home event for you. All of these activities are money making activities.
Now grab your calendar and make an appointment with yourself to make these calls. Absolutely no ifs, ands or buts. This is an appointment with as much commitment as the one you make with your doctor. Real time carved out in your calendar for you to get these things done. Period. This means an appointment, an allotted exact time in your calendar. If you find yourself saying you’ll make the calls “when the kids are napping” or “after lunch” you’re setting yourself up for failure. Each day you work do these two things, (1) make sure you know your store hours and (2) that your calendar has you doing at least three money making activities before you do anything else.

Go Public!

If you have trouble keeping these commitments, go public. Tell someone you respect what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it. It could be your partner, upline or coach, someone who will hold you accountable and help you through whatever comes up.

If keeping a calendar is tough for you chances are you’re trying to pack it way too full. Check out our Sexy Savvy Calendar CD, it will make things way easy. http://www.savvysponsoring.com/calendar/

Once you’ve moved the items on your list into your calendar, you can strike them from your list. Two important things to remember in order to successfully work through that list of things. (1) Do the money making activities first in your business hours and (2) give your self plenty of time to accomplish what you want to get through. If you have time left over you can add something else to your calendar. But if you pack your calendar too full, you’re asking for frustration at the end of the day because you were unable to complete your goals.

For many of us this is the toughest thing of all. We all have so much to do and what feels like so little time to do it. But less really is more when it comes to planning what you can get done.

Can You Be Seduced?

One last thought about planning. Sometimes we think planning our day takes too long. It can be very seductive to “just jump in.” Planning is your business roadmap. Having a roadmap doesn’t mean you’ll never get lost, but it is your best tool to get back on track.

I hope this ezine helps you stay on top of things. As for me, it’s great being back in sync, and wonderful to, again, be in touch with you.

If you didn’t take the moment above to register for our complimentary coaching hour covering, “How to get your new recruits into confident money making activity within their first 48 hours” well go ahead and click here now to register. The teleclass is on Tuesday, March 4th at 9am PST / Noon EST. It's open to everyone. Hope to see you there.

Warmly,

Jillian

Comments? Leave one here!

The Savvy Coach's Corner

Juggle

From Key Distinctions Collection at Coachville

Team News

Change must be in the air for everyone – anyone smelling spring? Long term best friend and well loved Savvy Sponsoring Coach Norine Arundell has officially retired. (Both the good and bad news, we’ll miss her here at Savvy Sponsoring, but wish her fun on her new adventure.) Norine and her husband Marty are also moving closer to their son Tom and his wife Gladys. If you know someone who would love to live in absolutely gorgeous mountain country on beautiful horse property just outside Boise Idaho, check this out. http://www.15skylinelane.com/

And stay tuned for pictures of a new arrival! Our Online Business Manager Tina Forsyth has just had (another) baby girl, Alexandra Lynne. Mom and baby are doing well!

Marketplace

Savvy Services & Programs:

No More 3-Foot Rule: What To Do Instead
Includes Class Notes in PDF format plus a 90 minute instructional audio on CD and MP3.
The 5-Steps on CD w/Jillian
Norine & Rick Includes a 60 minute audio on CD and Mp3
Getting Over Frontloading
How to build your business for stability rather than speed. 90 minute audio MP3

Savvy Sponsoring Quick-Start Modules:

Volume 1: Setting up Store Hours
This practical nuts-and-bolts Module is specially designed to help you 'get back your time' so your life and business work for you (instead of the other way around).

Volume 2: Design Your Calendar
This practical nuts-and-bolts Module will help you design a calendar that allows you live now, yes right now, not sometime in the future. (And yes you can build a strong sustainable successful business at the same time.)

Savvy Sponsoring Coaching Programs:

Are you ready to really take control of your business, leave your job behind – way behind - and create the lifestyle you’re dreaming about? Get all the tools, resources and support you need to make it happen in our 6-month Savvy Sponsoring Coaching Program.

Upcoming Classes:

Bring Out the Savvy You! (For Usborne Books Consultants)

Interested in a class for your company? Feel free to contact Jillian direct at 781-599-0604 or via email.

*DISCLAIMER

Hey folks a quick note about who we are and who we are not. Savvy Sponsoring is an independent company and is not affiliated with any Network Marketing Company. Our programs come out of years of experience in the Network Marketing industry. When a Savvy program becomes really popular with a particular company, we will occasionally offer it solely to independent representatives of that company. But to keep the record straight, we are not affiliated with these companies nor do we infer so!

About the SavvySponsoring Strategies Newsletter:

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RECOMMENDED READING:
Andrea J. Lee, Tina Forsyth, Money, Meaning and Beyond
W. Timothy Gallwey, The Inner Game of Work
Tim Sanders, Love is the Killer App (How To Win Business and Influence Friends)
Malcolm Gladwell, Blink
Covey S (1999), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon and Schuster, London.
Michael Gerber, The E-Myth
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist, Harper Flamingo (Jan 1998)

I encourage you to share, replicate or forward this newsletter or article as long as the subscription, author links, and copyright information are kept intact.

Jillian Middleton is a Mentor Coach and Trainer, and author of the courses
'5 Steps to Work Less and Make Money in Network Marketing' ,
Setting Up Your Store Hours and Design Your Calendar.

As creator of the 'Savvy Sponsoring Strategies' coaching programs, Jillian trains network marketers and direct sales consultants the same strategies she used to build two 6-figure network marketing businesses in 5 years.

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