Are You Doing This One Thing to Prepare for 2012?

2012 IS upon us!  This is my favorite time of year  (not just because of the gift-giving & wonderful holiday parties!), but because I take the time to reflect on what is working in my business and what is not working (are you doing that?).  Here is some insight into that to help you prepare for 2012…

In 2009 I made the decision to join a $12,000 Mastermind group.  I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing $1,000 debited from my account that very first month.  I remember thinking “I don’t know how I’m going to do this, but I’m going to find a way!!”  It wasn’t like I had a high-paying job or a padded savings account.   I was barely making ends meet selling info products full time online, so an ADDITIONAL $1,000 per month was a HUGE commitment.

So why did I join the group?

My decision to join this mastermind was based upon my belief that in order to succeed, I must first surround myself with like-minded people.  Not just people who are “positive” or “encouraging,” but people who are 100% committed to growing their business – people who care about your success just as much (if not more!) than theirs!

Let me ask you this:

How much commitment does it take to purchase a $47 or $97 product online?  

Not very much!  Especially since there’s always a money back guarantee right?  It’s easy to read a sales letter or watch a video and get pumped up to “take action” and purchase a course to help grow your business…..but what happens once you’ve made that purchase and the hype is gone?

Now, just imagine you were being billed $1,000 per month and had to travel across the country every few months (on your own dime!) to meet with other smart, committed people.  Do you think you’d easily forget about that commitment?  Probably NOT!

So how can you benefit from my participation in $12K mastermind group?

The quickest way to answer this is to look for a similar opportunity for yourself!

Find Support for 2012:

Well maybe you’re not ready for high-ticket coaching & accountability, (but honestly, when will you ever really be ready?!) but what’s stopping you from finding like-minded people in your own area and starting a group that meets once a month? Everyone can contribute to the cost of renting a small room for the day where each person is given a specific amount of time to present their business and goals for the upcoming month.

The point is, you’ve got to connect with others who are on the same journey as you.  It’s not enough to simply write your goals down and proclaim them to your family and friends – you’ve got become entrenched in a community.  The road you’re on is truly the road less traveled, but there are others out there, on the very same road you’re on – going through the very same things that you are right at this moment!

I’m 100% confident that if you attempt to continue on this road alone, you’ll fail.  It doesn’t matter how committed you may feel right now – there’s going to come a time when you’ll be emotionally or financially “spent” (or possibly even both).  It’s in those moments you’ll need the support and insight of others who are on the same journey.

Another positive aspect is that you’ll be able to leverage each others’ time and talents.  Just think of all the new things you learned this past month, there’s a dozen more people in your city or town who are also learning their own lessons too.  Wouldn’t there be a huge benefit in sharing that with each other?  Not to mention the networking potential it provides too!

Set Your Goals for 2012

Last year, I wrote a blog post sharing the annual ritual I perform to end my year properly and set my goals for the following year.  You can access that blog post here.  In that blog post, I outline four questions that I highly recommend you ask yourself BEFORE this year comes to a close:

1.  What were your BIGGEST Accomplishments of 2011?

2.  What lessons have you learned from those accomplishments?

3.  What were your BIGGEST Disappointments of 2011?

4.  What lessons have you learned from those Disappointments?

*This is a GREAT exercise to write down and look at again in 365 days!

The Power of Relationships!

Craig Ballantyne

So going back to my mastermind group, there were a lot of incredible individuals I met that have helped me tremendously, but I’d like to tell you about someone in particular.  I met him during one of our sessions, a guest expert named Craig Ballantyne.  For some of you that name will be quite familiar – especially since Craig is now the editor of Early to Rise, one of the most successful and respected newsletters online (www.earlytorise.com). Keep in mind this is in ADDITION to running his 7-figure fitness business he started from scratch in 1998. (Not bad, eh?)

Craig is one of the most knowledgeable, disciplined and strategic entrepreneurs I’ve ever met.  Those attributes alone are more than enough to create success in any industry, but what really sets Craig apart is that he over-delivers on his content.  His free reports alone rival any $1,000 course being offered online today… I’m constantly amazed at how much he gives for free.

Below is a link to a video he’s recently released.  Not only is it filled with great content, but at the end of the video is a very unique offer.  I’ve already taken advantage of it myself and as always – Craig over delivers!  I highly recommend you watch the video.
Remember, community is key.  You’re not alone. Watch the video here

Note: This is ALSO an incredible example of a highly engaging video!  Look for more types of these “doodle-videos” in 6 months or so!  They are very fun to watch and very effective in keeping the audience’s attention!

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