Before I start today’s article I though I would share something pretty interesting. After writing yesterday’s article I got a new CD (and popcorn so that was cool) from Tony Robbins. And guess what it was on? Yep, taking action. Actually it was on taking action with a Cani (Constant and never-ending improvement) mindset. It is nice to be on the same page as billionaires. Now on to today’s article.
As I mentioned yesterday I am an absolute moron when it comes to originality and I like it that way. I have no desire to be original when it comes to marketing. Instead, I believe in letting others spend time and money testing and creating and then I simply learn what works and adapt it to my own business.
In order to learn what works though you must be willing to study what other people are doing and what is working. That means that you must willing to invest in your business when it comes to learning form others. There are two main ways we invest: time and money.
Investing Your Time
As an entertainer I have a pretty flexible schedule and for me that is a huge problem. Like most entertainers I can get distracted quite easily (which is funny because I got distracted after writing that phrase). I can go off for hours on useless tangents and get nothing accomplished. It really is a challenge.
What I had to do is start creating a daily schedule. Each night before I go to bed I make a list of what I need to accomplish the next day. I set small daily goals. Then I creating a time frame for everything. I plan when to wake up, when to read, when to have lunch, when to prospect, when to check e-mail, and pretty much everything else. I realize that this may sound ridiculous to some, but it is what really keeps me moving. As Zig Ziglar says I plan everyday I like I’m about to go on vacation and have to get work done.
One of the most important aspects of my schedule is my “Read and Apply” time. This is time I set aside to read and study and most importantly apply different lessons.
This daily scheduled time is really important to, as Tony Robbins’ said, constantly and never-ending improving my life and business.
Investing Your Money
The other way to invest is with your money. First, let me say there is a ton of free information out there to learn and grow. With a quick online search can learn pretty much anything. So why bother spending money?
There are three main reasons to invest in a product.
1) Ease of use
You can spend days browsing through information online trying to find new ideas. There is such a jumble of information that you could literally lose yourself in your search.
When you purchase good information though it is going to have what you need to know right there in front of you. You can start at the beginning or use an index to find what you need.
Most importantly, GREAT information will give you a set plan to work though to learn and apply.
2) Law of Reciprocity
When someone gives you something they deserve and in some form or another will receive something else in return. When they offer great information and have put their time and effort into creating a product they should be rewarded for that work. That reward can come in appreciation or praise, but it should also come in the form of monetary reward.
I’m a die-hard capitalist. If you offer people value you should be rewarded for that value.
3) The Psychological Bond
When you spend money on something you truly associate value with that product or service. That mean you want to get the most out of it. When information is free you may appreciate it, but you do not necessarily value it and therefore you are less likely to apply it.
I think it comes down to being cheap for some of us. When I spend money on something I want to make sure I squeeze every inch of value from it.
So with that I urge you to make a plan to being investing your time and money into your business and yourself. Learn, study, and apply.
SO I need to take the money out form my mattress and buy some DVD 😉