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Greetings!
As the trees blossom and the grass begins growing
again I couldn't help thinking about what a big impact
thesse small changes make. It's truly amazing and
applicable to your daily actions. Enjoy the changes!
Incremental Changes, Extraordinary Results
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My ten-year-old daughter has been taking piano
lessons for about five years now. As most kids do,
when she gets bored with practicing she will play one
of the pieces she has already learned as fast as she
can, making the same mistakes over and over. I tell
her to slow down and play it carefully and she
responds with the dreaded question: "Why?" Being a
parent, I have the two standard answers: "Because,"
and "Just do it." But, I'm also a coach and I need to
take the time to actually tell her why it's a better
approach. Here's the adult version:
We've all heard the phrase "Practice makes perfect."
But, what is it about the act of practicing that yields the
desired result? Part of the answer lies in the process
of learning the right combination of movements.
Children learning to ride their bicycles are a great
example. They seem to struggle for the longest time,
trying to balance and to overcome their fear until one
day they suddenly get it. Now they can repeat the
activity over and over, building muscle
memory.
Recent research supports that process. Our nerve
fibers, neurons, are covered with an insulating
material called myelin. As an insulator it prevents
electrical impulses from leaking out of the nerve and
keeps the signals sent between the brain and
muscles strong. But, over time, the myelin interacts
with the neuron and gets thicker as the neuron is
repeatedly stimulated, enabling the neuron to become
more and more efficient. So, as we develop muscle
memory, as we link vision and intention to what we do,
our ability to repeat those specific muscle movements
is enhanced.
And so it is in business. Most of us are not born with
the ability to crunch the numbers or build customer
relationships. We've learned to do that over time. So,
when you discover that there is something that
doesn't come easily to you, why would you expect to
change your behavior overnight? My clients have often
heard me refer to taking baby steps. Far from being a
derogatory term, it's probably the best way to develop
a better practice, a good habit. Think of it in terms of
degrees of change in the right direction. As you move
forward, simply move toward your goal one degree per
day, a small incremental change. You will discover
that in three months you will have turned 90 degrees,
a complete turn to the right.
Make the question not "Why?" but "Why not?"
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Focus on Sales
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People are continually surprised by results that
don't meet their expectations. The opportunity was
there, I know how to sell and I did everything right, so
why didn't I get the sale? If we think about this in terms
of the sales memories we've created over time, we've
probably got a lot more failures than successes to
remember. We are practiced at failing. The key to
success lies in being able to block out those negative
memories and focus on the positive experiences
we've had, to practice those activities and enjoy
success.
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Networking Tips
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Spring is a time of new growth, so grow your
network. If you've been attending the same networking
events for the past year, make a commitment to attend
one new networking opportunity each month.
Remember, if the people there are like you, you'll
never meet unless one of you tries something new!
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We've been published internationally!
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I'm very proud to have been published in a great new
eco-friendly book. The Money Monkey is a collection of
tips, techniques and advice on how to become an
entrepreneur and 25% of all profits go to The Red
Cross. I've contributed an article called "The Seven
Deadly Business Sins".
For a limited period
you can get the book at a discounted price by following
the link below:
The Money Monkey book
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