Wednesday, September 9, 2009

ETR: Are You a Beaver or an Otter?

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September 9, 2009 - Issue #2764  

Gratitude Works Wonders

Want to get the most from your mentor?

Thank him each time you make a business breakthrough. Here's a letter I got today:

Hi Michael,

Just wanted to drop a quick thank you ...

I've written my first real breakthrough package for a new front-end service. It's flying, and in just a couple of days racking up some of the best conversion we've seen -- 10% - 20%, when normally we aim for 3% - 5%.

I know the reason it's worked comes down to a lot of the techniques I've picked up from you. I appreciate the help you've given both directly with advice and indirectly through your own writing.

Still plenty for me to improve on. The next challenge is to do the same with a high-priced back end. Hopefully, it's not too far away.

Best,

G

The thing is, I did only a modest amount of mentoring for this young man. I spent a few hours coaching him on direct-marketing principles and another half-dozen hours helping him with his copywriting. He was attentive. He was enthusiastic. And he was grateful.

These are the ideal characteristics of a good protégé.

It makes the mentoring so much more rewarding. And that means the next time this protégé asks for help, I'll be happy to oblige.

In today's issue:

  • Wealthy: The Newly Wed and Nearly Dead
  • Healthy: Over-the-Counter Internal Bleeding
  • Wise: Bob Cox on Mixing Business with Pleasure

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"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves -- in finding themselves."

-- Andre Gide

Embracing Your Inner Otter

By Bob Cox

Life affords each of us an opportunity for adventure every day. Often, it is simply a matter of embracing the opportunity to advance a goal.

Here's an example of what I mean ...

For years, I traveled through the entire state of Florida by car for business. As you can imagine, driving to appointments became less than fun. So when one of my clients asked me to attend a meeting that would require a three-hour drive (one way), I almost said no. After all, I am very selective in the way I choose to spend my time and energies.

However, I have an alternate mode of transportation -- my single-engine airplane. "Wow!" I thought, "By flying there, maybe I can make attending this meeting both productive and fun!"

Think about it. There is nothing worse than going into a meeting tired and crotchety. I would rather not go at all. But instead of stressing myself out over having to drive for six hours or say no to the opportunity, I took a "mental step" back and reassessed my options.

Since that first time, I've flown my airplane to many business appointments. And I've been able to take on clients in Lake City, Gainesville, New Port Richey -- each one a long drive from my home in Orlando.

I save hours of boring driving. I arrive at my destination rested and eager to become involved in the work. I know I will have plenty of time to visit with the client and go to lunch in a nice restaurant to further our relationship.

Flying to appointments also advances my personal goal of increasing the number of hours in my log book. Best of all, I enjoy it!

The first time I realized I could fly to a faraway meeting, I found a way to save time, reduce stress, achieve a business goal -- and have a great time doing it.

Contrast that with the way beavers work. They're always busy, gnawing down small trees and digging canals to transport the material they've gathered. Building their homes of sticks and mud (with ramps, no less). Building dams to maintain the water level of a stream or deepen a pond.

Like the beaver, I'm productive by nature. And, like the beaver, I used to be relentless in the pursuit of my goals. I would go in earlier and stay later -- whatever it took to get the mission accomplished. If it meant driving 10 hours to meet a new client, I would do it.

Not anymore!

It's great to be an achiever. And I still believe in a "whatever it takes" approach. However, ONLY on rare occasions and ONLY in a limited timeframe.

If, for example, your annual business conference starts next week, then, sure, you've got to embrace your "inner beaver" and focus solely on gathering the troops and making it happen. An all-hands-on-deck mentality is necessary. But if opening day is three months away, there is no need to be in hyper-mode. With proper planning (and a dash of faith), all should come together on time and on target.

Under ordinary circumstances, I find that it's much better to embrace my "inner otter" as I go along my goal journey. Otters know how to have fun and seek out adventure! They "play" more than almost any other wild animal.

When I complete one of my weekly Power Surge messages for the Total Success Achievement program, I often reward myself with a glass of wine on the porch. My wife Karin, who assists me with the messages, joins me.

You can do something similar. Next time you sit down to write an article for your online business website, why not take your laptop outside? It will clear your head and allow you to enjoy your surroundings while you work. Or when your team at work is staying late to complete a project, why not take a half-hour break to play a quick game of touch football in the parking lot? Exercise is a great stress reliever.

What I'm getting at is this: Play more and you can bring renewed vitality and enthusiasm to the achievement of your goals.

In other words, take yourself lightly -- even while taking your work seriously. Don't be so completely focused on your work that you eliminate other activities that can add value to your life.

Here's how to do it ...

  • Make a list of your scheduled activities for next week.
  • For each one, ask yourself, "How can I make this fun?"
  • Write down your answer. And write the word FUN next to it to imprint your new perspective on your brain.

Start TODAY to incorporate this success practice into your weekly routine.

Make your new motto "Let the adventure begin!"

[Ed. Note: Improving your life starts from the inside out. Yes, you need to take action in order to move yourself forward to success. But sometimes you need a little push to get yourself going ... and some simple techniques to help you accomplish your dreams. Discover 189 ways to get everything you want out of life.]

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Rich Schefren has pinpointed the "missing link"… And leveraged it into a multi-million dollar business. 

How powerful is this secret? One of his clients recently saw sales leap from $10,000 a month... to $12 MILLION a year!

By turning his father's floundering clothing business into a $6.5 million dollar goldmine... starting a variety of successful businesses… and becoming one of the country's top experts in Internet marketing... Rich has proven he can make money. He owes it mostly to this one secret. 

Can Rich's secret work for you?

That's the question one small-time client (making $10,000 a month in revenues) had when he came to Rich for help. Two weeks after he implemented Rich's advice, he was raking in $330,000 a month!

Rich's clients pay thousands to learn this business-changing secret. But tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, Rich will discuss this powerful "missing link" with ETR Publisher MaryEllen Tribby. You have the chance to listen in on their conversation. And it will cost you nothing!

Reserve your spot - for free - right here.

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More from Masterson...

Where People Go to Spend and Die

Over at The Daily Reckoning, Bill Bonner shares sad news about Florida, my home state for the past three decades.

Florida's population has dropped for the first time in 60 years. Unemployment is soaring. And the state's foreclosure rate is second only to California's.

The fault, Bill says, is Florida's role as a retirement destination. Its major industry was housing, which is depressed right now. People are leaving.

I'm not leaving. I'm buying. Prices are cheap. And the sun and sea are still as plentiful as ever. You can make 10 percent or more, cash on cash, by buying small houses and renting them out. Even if real estate inflates very slowly, that's still a very good return on my money.

 

Throw This Out of Your Medicine Cabinet -- Now

I've never heeded the advice to take a baby aspirin every day to prevent heart attack. It didn't make sense to me. Aspirin thins your blood. Why would my blood need thinning if I'm healthy? It seemed like an ass-backward approach to good heart health.

A new study published in England confirms my suspicions. The only thing aspirin does for a healthy person is increase the chance of internal bleeding. The British researchers recommend taking aspirin only if "you are at a high risk of heart disease due to obesity, stress, lifestyle, or family history."

Total Health Breakthroughs Editor Melanie Segala says one of the best things you can do to lower your risk of a heart attack -- and other coronary diseases -- is to eat more foods containing healthy omega-3 fats.

Aim for 1 gram per day from sources like wild salmon and grass-fed beef. You can also take a high-quality fish oil supplement.

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"I like the new format. I've been away from ETR for a few months. I do remember the ETR that I read previously seemed to take more of my time than I wanted to commit, which is why I left.

"I especially enjoyed David Cross's recent article. I've been thinking about format changes to my website, and this information is particularly helpful now."

Joe Jackson
Indianapolis, IN

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Today's Words That Work: Crotchety

Someone who is crotchety (KROCH-ih-tee) is cranky, bad-tempered, or capriciously stubborn. The word is derived from "crotchet," which once meant a fancy or whim.

Example (as used by Bob Cox today): "There is nothing worse than going into a meeting tired and crotchety. I would rather not go at all."

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