Dean L. Forbes

10 Common New Year’s Resolutions That Usually Fail

Recently I published a newsletter comparing New Year’s resolutions to Real Goals; in that issue, I explained the differences between the 2 and why goals are always better to set than making empty promises to yourself via New Year’s resolutions. You can read this issue on my Facebook profile. 

This post is dedicated to giving you some insight into 10 common New Year’s resolutions that usually fail and the reasons that they most likely do. These are in no particular order – just some insights and observations I’ve picked up over the years.

 

1.   Lose Weight

Weight loss is definitely a top priority when it comes to making resolutions; the news constantly buzzes about it. There are always new ways and new tools to help you drop those unwanted pounds. 

Year after year though, although some people are able to lose some weight after making the resolution to do so, the majority gain the weight back and sometimes even more. Some people don’t even get off the couch to make the effort and weight loss once again becomes a pipedream. 

There are a few reasons that come screaming to mind why this resolution almost always fails:

·         No real commitment

·         No goal weight in mind

·         No deadline for when to get there 

These among other reasons will quickly derail any chance of keeping this resolution. Another major factor is the emotions that run so deeply for many people who struggle with weight. These feelings can be painful and therefore discouragement can set in quickly when the odds appear to be insurmountable.

 

2.   Make More Money

I have done this one to myself quite a few times in the past; each time I did it was a miserable failure. I couldn’t understand why I failed at this so often until I discovered a few insightful things about money and making money. 

You see, money should never really be a reason to do anything. I’ve learned that once you factor money into a decision, your actions can quickly become impulsive and eroded in pursuit of it; especially when you don’t have much in the first place. 

The resolution to make more money usually fails because people either look for the fastest way they can make money or they have no clue where to begin. In either case, this resolution is doomed before it even gets off the ground. 

Here’s why… 

Doing anything just for money almost always means that you do not have a passion for what you’re doing to make this money and therefore you do not care. That means that whether you create and deliver value to others or not doesn’t much matter as long as you make money. If you’ve gone this route before then you know it is short-lived. If you haven’t found out yet – trust me – you will. 

The other reason this resolution falls by the wayside is that you may have no clue what to do to make more money and since you stand for nothing, you end up falling for anything. There are plenty of “Get Rich Quick” schemes out there for all the suckers that are born at the turn of every year. 

The bottom line is that if you need to make more money and you do so by chasing the fastest buck or by trying the latest scams, you won’t succeed. In some cases you may even see some increase in your bank account for a while; however, I guarantee it won’t last if you continue to operate in the same vein.

 

3.   Get a New Job

This one is a very common resolution for the disgruntled employee. I’ll keep it very simple. The individuals that waste their time complaining about their jobs are the ones that never do anything about it. They threaten to leave every now and again but they continue to show up for the pain every day. 

These are the people making this resolution most of the time. Why does it usually fail? Because many people don’t even mean it when they say they are going to find a new job. Additionally, if you were to ask an individual who made this resolution, “when was the last time you updated your resume?” I can almost guarantee you might hear crickets. 

Other factors include:

• Not knowing what type of job you really want
• Do you really hate the one you have or is it the people?
• Can you solve your problem by talking to your boss?
• Is there something that can be done to make you satisfied with the job you have? 

The problem is that 99% of employees don’t ask these questions; neither of themselves nor their peers and superiors. I’ve worked on Wall Street and Main Street and this is one of those things that just don’t change no matter how much everything else does. 

The complainers and whiners threaten to quit while the leaders and heretics make plans to move forward – within or without the organization.

 

4.   Start a Business

For starters, more than 80% of all new startups fail within the first year of business. This fact already eliminates about 99% of the resolution makers since the majority people who start businesses have clear reasons for doing so. They may not have a clue how to run a business but they at least know why they started it. 

That being said, the New Year’s resolution usually fails because of a few reasons:

• No game plan
• No strategy
• No investment
• No research
• No follow up
• No sacrifice 

This list could probably go one for quite a bit but I’ll stop here. Starting a business is not a cake walk; it requires a serious commitment and an action plan to match. Simply making a resolution to do this lacks the depth of substance needed to sustain such a feat. And, if you include partners in this, things can get interesting very quickly. 

Misalignment, miscommunication, confusion and power-tripping are some of the issues that can arise quickly when starting a business becomes a haphazard task. 

If you really want to start a business, don’t make resolutions, set goals and make plans.

 

5.   Get Out of Debt

You’re not going to get out of debt until you stop the hemorrhaging. Many people claim they want to get out of debt – make the resolution to do so – only to continue spending in the exact same manner they did the year before. To top it off, they aren’t usually making any more money than they were making the year before.

Folks, getting out of debt is a serious undertaking – taking it lightly is undoubtedly a huge mistake. The main reason this resolution fails is because most people do not have a budget. They have absolutely no clue how and where their paycheck goes. They only know that they have way too much month left when the paycheck is gone. 

Another major hiccup is that many people are not willing to live without some of the things they want now so that they can get all the things they want later. Instant gratification rules the day for these folks and thus they remain in debt. The insane part is that many people who make this resolution year after year don’t understand why they are still in debt and getting in deeper. 

Simply put, this resolution will fail miserably if you do not want to give up anything or do anything differently.

 

6.   Find a Mate

In my experience, career-driven individuals usually suffer the worst of this resolution. These are the “busy people” of the world. Surely there is nothing wrong with pursuing your career – in fact I most certainly encourage it. The thing is that finding a mate requires that you put certain aspects of your life in the proper context. 

The truth is that most people who make this resolution do so because they think that it’s about time that they have a mate. After all, that’s what life is all about – finding someone with whom to share your dreams and goals. The issue is that this is definitely not a good reason to search for a mate because it can provide bad direction. 

Also, unless you are willing to actually make space in your life for a mate, one will not appear. You may think that things are supposed to fall into place after you’ve found your mate; however, this is not so. The frequency you generate must match with your heart and mind otherwise your mate will continue to elude you. 

If you are currently married to your career, your business, your church or any other activity or endeavor in your life – get unmarried first before pursuing a mate. It doesn’t mean that you let those things go – they are still important to you. It just means that you shift paradigms and put them into the proper perspective. 

In other words, how important is it for you to find a mate? To the degree that this matters to you, your efforts and actions will mirror the same.

 

7.   Exercise Forgiveness

Forgiveness tends to come the hard way most of the time; it is such a simple thing to do and yet it does not come easy. 

This is a resolution usually made when a transgression has been committed against you – some time has passed and yet it continues to eat at you. At some point the stigma of the situation becomes seemingly unbearable and forgiveness seems the best way to let it go.

The roadblock that most often pops up in these scenarios is that the person who needs to do the forgiving misconstrue why they are forgiving in the first place. Typically people believe that forgiveness is for the forgiven; however, the truth is that it is for the forgiver. Unless you recognize this simple truth, it becomes much more difficult to forgive, especially if the transgression was egregious and/or painful. 

If you do not understand forgiveness and its purpose, you will be less likely to truly exercise forgiveness. And, if you really believe that forgiveness is for the forgiven and you don’t believe that he/she deserves it – you will not follow through. You might say you will but your true colors will again come to rouse soon enough.

 

8.   Change Your Circle

A change of circle usually becomes warranted when you find that it is improbable that you will be able to make necessary personal changes while you continue to move in these circles. This can be very tough to follow through on – I have lived this one twice in my life and each time it was extremely difficult. 

Changing your circle can involve pulling away from family, friends and colleagues. You may have been hanging out with some of these folks most of your life and now in order for you to move forward, you have to remove yourself from these people. Yes – this is hard – I know. 

This resolution usually fails because the emotions that come along with doing this are often too much for the individual to bear. They are riddled with guilt, remorse and resentment all rolled into one. Accepting that nothing last forever and that with change sometimes hard decisions like these have to be made can be tough to swallow. 

In order to pull this off, you must be crystal clear about your objective and you must remove the emotions from the equation. If you are not able to do that, you will be hard-pressed to make the decision let alone take action to see this through. 

I don’t envy you if you have to face this challenge; however, I can tell you that of the two times I have had to do it, I am very happy that I did. Good luck! 
  

9.   Speak Your Mind

I have mentored and counseled many smart individuals whose main shortcoming was a lack of their own voice. They have all this tenacity and creativity bottled up inside but no courage to unleash them. 

The main reason this resolution fails is because people allow the fear of consequences to keep them in a box and dumb. The repercussion of such an act as speaking your mind is so great – in your mind – that you simply choose to clam up. 

Often, you hear individuals who make this kind of resolution say (after someone else snatches the thunder), that’s exactly what I was going to say. At this point of course, it doesn’t much matter whether you were going to say it or not. In fact, you’re better off not even letting others hear you say – “I was just going to say that.” 

Another reason this resolution fails is because many people don’t know how to express their thoughts well or they wait until it’s too bottled up and they explode. This usually leads to a “fight or flight” situation. 

If you want to keep this New Year’s resolution, remember this; speaking your mind requires 2 elements:

• Courage – grow a pair   
• Do what’s true for you and learn to live with the consequences – again – grow a pair 
   

“And that’s all I have to say about that.” – Forrest Forrest Gump.

 

10.   End a Relationship

This New Year’s resolution usually fails because of emotional confusion, withdrawal syndrome and fear. Often individuals continue a relationship in the hopes that things will change even though they don’t. This is the fundamental problem of bad relationships and why they tend to prolong. 

Many people continue to believe that one day things will miraculously change even though they do nothing differently. They don’t even so much as issue a real ultimatum – instead they tout empty threats that lose gas very quickly when the emotions come to a cool or in some cases – a boil.

The other factor is the fear of losing; even though the relationship may not be healthy, many people associate the end of a relationship as a loss. Some individuals even chalk it up as a failure rather than a change to move forward. If you cannot view the ending of a relationship as moving forward and all for the best without regrets, it will be difficult to end it. 

The bottom line is that unless you can truly understand why you need to let go; unless you can truly accept the fact that ending the relationship is the best for all parties involved; unless you can see it as a step forward, ending a relationship will be extremely difficult.

 

Phew… that was deep – now what?

Well, I have already written a couple of articles that can help you overcome the New Year’s resolution disease. If you want to discover how to set real goals and create the ultimate plan to achieve them, start by reading the following articles.

• How to Set Goals
• How to Achieve Your Goals

The Law of Attraction Exposed

The Law of Attraction is probably one of the most written about principles and there is no doubt that it is warranted. Not just because it is an absolute truth but also because many people still have no clue how it applies to their lives. Many people still don’t understand how this natural law works or even that it works at all. 

Firstly, whether you believe that the law of attraction works or not is absolutely irrelevant. Why? Because it simply does not matter that you believe it or not – it merely exists. It is a principle – a natural law and therefore it exists and functions infinitely and indefinitely with or without your belief in it. It affects you every single second of every day whether you want it to or not. 

Secondly, how the law of attraction affects you is absolutely up to you. While you are not able to control the function of any principle, you can certainly influence how they affect you. This is your choice whether you know it or not – it is entirely up to you how the law of attraction plays into your life. 

That being said, here are 4 elements to help you understand how the law of attraction works and how you can influence its role in your life.

 

1. We are not necessarily what we think about

Contrary to what many believe, we are not necessarily what we think about. The reason for this is that we often think things that we don’t truly believe. Simply thinking about something does not cause it to manifest in your life; you have to truly believe it. 

When teachers and scholars say, “we are what we think about”, it is actually an incomplete statement. The missing piece of that is the part about belief. Do you really believe the things that you think about? What ever thoughts are hard-wired into your core will manifest in your life. Often you will find people confused about the things that occur in their lives simply because they do not understand that their true beliefs are the cause. 

It doesn’t matter what you think if you don’t believe it.

 

2. We are whatever frequency we generate

Just as it is certain that we are not necessarily what we think about, it is certain that we are and become whatever frequency we generate. To the degree that you emit certain energy, the manifestation will match. 

Simply put, if you think about something that you absolutely believe your energy will also send out the same signal thereby attracting other like signals to you. This is the power of the law of attraction. Like energy attracts like energy – not just like thinking – but like frequency. 

It is no different than the way police radios work; they all have to be on the same channel generating the same frequency otherwise they won’t be able to communicate. What often clutters up and/or distorts this frequency is our disbelief. 

Think about Murphy’s Law for a second…

This is a myth that says that whatever can go wrong will; it is usually applied when your day starts on what is in your eyes a bad note. From that moment on you begin to believe that every thing else in your day will go wrong and so it does. The truth is that there is no Murphy’s Law – this is simply the Law of Attraction in action. 

You see, no matter how many good thoughts you think during this day that started on a bad note for you, it won’t matter if your belief and your frequency don’t match. In fact, your level of frustration may go through the roof as you begin to wonder what the hell you’re doing wrong. After all, you’ve had nothing but positive thoughts all day and yet – CRAP keeps on happening. 

The real question you should be asking in a situation like this is – did I really believe the positive thoughts I was thinking? Was my energy truly positive or was I just masking my true beliefs?

The law of attraction doesn’t care what you think – only what you believe which dictates the frequency you generate.

 

3. We receive what we believe

Haven’t you ever heard someone say “I’ll believe it when I see it?” perhaps you’ve even said it yourself. This is not true of course. Contrary to popular belief, “seeing is not believing – believing is seeing.” 

We receive what we believe. This is often the missing piece of the puzzle for those who would believe that the law of attraction is bogus. They often put sight before faith. Nothing manifests without first having belief present – this is a natural law – a universal principle. If you don’t believe something is going to change in your life, nothing will. If something does change in your life that you truly did not believe would, it was influenced by others and it certainly won’t last beyond their beliefs. 

Your belief is absolutely crucial to the results and things that manifest in your life. There is no point is simply thinking about things and changes if you do not believe they will happen. If you believe they won’t – it pretty much a certainty that you are right.

 

4. Thought follows belief

How the law of attraction affects you is strictly up to you. This is because you can control what you believe and the thoughts that enter your brain. Sure, it takes some practice to shut off the unwanted thoughts; however, with practice, you will get better. 

Besides, the more important factor is to focus on what you truly believe. A good way to start this process is to go with bite-sized chunks at first. In other words, don’t think about becoming president of the company while you are an assistant manager – it may be hard for you to believe. Instead, think about what the next promotion would be like to manager and then focus on what it will take to make it happen. Being a much more attainable goal – it will be instantly more believable. 

After you’ve had a few successes under your belt – start stretching your dreams a bit further each time. The goal is to ensure that your thoughts follow your beliefs. Make sure that you really believe the thoughts you entertain otherwise it will be difficult to manifest them physically.

You have the power to choose your beliefs and your thoughts so focus on making them the right ones.

Killer Series: Top 7 Sales Killers

Whether you know it or not, we are all in the business of sales. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, we all sell a products and/or services. One thing is for certain – we all sell ourselves. It could be to family, friends, colleagues and/or customers – it doesn’t matter – we all sell ourselves daily. 

I’ve already written an pretty insightful article on the 7 ways to add killer value to anything so I thought it appropriate to also make sure that you understand the flip side – what absolutely can kill your efforts to add killer value. The fact is that we are all killers – the only thing you need to figure out is which type of killer you are. Ultimately, you get to choose the type of killer you want to be. 

Whether you believe you are a killer or not – read on – by the end of the article I think you will have gotten a clear picture in your head.

Following are my best insights on the elements that undoubtedly will kill a sale. The information is derived from my years of experience in marketing, sales and training and developing people from all walks of life. 

These are the Top 7 Sales Killers.

 

#1 – Assumption

The moment you assume anything at all about a situation or a person, you’ve basically killed the sale before it has even started. Once you assume you make an ass-et out of you. 

If the desired result is to make the sale – add value to the situation or person – you won’t be able to achieve that outcome effectively if you’ve already decided you know-it-all. All preconceived notions must go out the window and you must come to the table with a clean slate. Your only goal should be to add value and create a new customer. 

Whether you’re selling a product or service or simply starting a new relationship wherein you’re selling yourself – any assumptions will defeat your purpose. It will rob you and everyone involved or the relationship’s full potential.

 

#2 – Cluelessness

 This goes without saying; people don’t buy from individuals who have no clue what they are talking about. If you don’t know your product or service and you don’t know what the customer wants or needs, you’re clueless and in there eyes – USELESS! 

Before you attempt to make any sale, make sure you have all your information – your facts – straight. It is also crucial that you know the most relevant information about your customer. This way you can relate to him/her better – this is a key element in adding value. Simply put – you’d better know your stuff or end up getting stuffed. 

In short – GET A CLUE!

 

#3 – Judgment

Judgment is the brother of Assumption because it limits your range. It creates barriers to the sale when you come with preconceptions of any kind. Judgment though also takes another form that can be detrimental to a sale. 

If your customers happen to use your competitor’s product or service and you bash your competitor, they will see that as a judgment – like you’re bashing them. Instead of judging, try overcoming the competitor’s product or service by offering more, better or faster service. Show your customers why doing business with you will benefit them more. 

Any judgment of your customers or the products they use will diminish your standing in their eyes no matter how good your intentions are. You will not only lose the sale but most probably a customer for life.

 

#4 – Insincerity

If your heart is not in the right place, how can you act in the best interest of your customers? Authenticity goes a long way in forging strong bonds of loyalty and respect. Insincerity will eventually rare its ugly head and that will seal your fate and kill the sale with that customer. 

The fact is that, people don’t care what you think until they know that you care. Unless you have your customers’ best interest at heart don’t bother attempting the sale. Even if you make one or two sales to one customer as a sheep in wolves’ clothing – your deeds will soon come to roost and your reputation will suffer dire consequences.

 

#5 – Indifference

Indifference is about the lack of conviction in the products or services you offer. If you don’t believe in yourself or what you do, why should your customers? If you waiver or blow from one stance to the next without rhyme or reason, your customers will be wary and leery of your motives.

When it comes to being a killer salesperson, you cannot afford to be neutral; one of the reasons top sales people do so well is that they are able to rally others to a cause. Your ability to do that will be significantly hampered if you are indifferent and your customers won’t be able to trust your word.

 

Why should people do business with you? If your answer on one hand is six and half dozen on the next – you aren’t saying much. That position is weak and only shows that you don’t really care either way so long as you make a buck. The sale will die a fast and painful death because of your lack of conviction. 

You may have heard the saying before “If you stand for nothing, you will most certainly fall for anything.” That’s no joke – you will undoubtedly kill the sale if you are indifferent.

 

#6 – Dishonesty

If judgment is the brother of assumption, then Dishonesty is the sister of Insincerity. These two go hand-in-hand; from the moment you are insincere, more than likely, you are also dishonest. Once this demon is discovered, there will be no sale – EVER! 

It goes without saying that in order to build a circle of loyal customers; they must be able to trust you. You must always act in their best interest, say what you mean and do what you say you will do. If you falter on this priority, your sales are doomed. 

Surely, you may be able to make a few sales through your dishonesty but again – this will eventually catch up to you. The longer it takes to come back to you, the more severe the consequences will be to your business and to your reputation. Your reputation is all you have; it takes time to build a really good one; however, you can easily destroy it in the blink of an eye.

Once you have been dishonest and your deception has been discovered, you will be hard pressed to find your road back to your former self. Not only will you have killed this sale but also jeopardized future sales as well. What can I say – word gets around fast.

 

#7 – Doubt

If you don’t believe it, why should anyone else? It is a very simple concept; without your belief in your product or service, you cannot be an effective salesperson. You will never be a top performer when you come from a place of doubt and disbelief. 

Customers see through this thin wall very quickly and just as quickly they will take their business elsewhere. Doubt shakes the ground you walk on and causes those around you to feel insecure. If I do not feel that my assets will be protected by you or that you even know how, I won’t do business with you.

Don’t sell or offer any product or service you would not use or give to your family to use. This is a great way to benchmark the products and services with which you align yourself. 

Confidence and belief is of utmost importance when it comes to making the sale; you must be able to stand by what you say and do and be prepared to back it up. There is no substitute for confidence and belief and once you exude that your customers will feel it too. Either way - it’s contagious.

 

There you have it…

These are the top 7 sales killers. What kind of killer are you? One who kills the sale or one who adds killer value? I suggest you figure it out before your next sales pitch. 

 

Killer Series: 7 Ways to Add Killer Value to any Product or Service

If you ever wonder why some people are so good at what they do or how some of the top sales people are making the numbers everyday, this is an article you need to read. Top performers have all mastered one thing – How to add Killer Value to their product or service. 

There is a zoo in Denver that had a dilemma when it was just about ready to open its gates to the public. The management realized that the cost of removing the exotic animal waste from the property was not only going to be astronomical but also leave a big footprint on the environment. Determined to find a better way, the leader of this team charged the entire management team to figure out the best way to reduce the cost of this liability as well as make a smaller footprint on the environment. 

No small feat if you asked me. 

Nonetheless, the team went to work brainstorming ideas on how to make this happen. By the time the zoo opened, they had devised a plan and implemented what I believe was the most awesome solution. 

At this Denver zoo today, you can buy garden manure called Zoop; I’ll let you guess which 2 words make up “Zoop.” Essentially, rather than paying exorbitant amounts of money to hall away the waste and create all sorts of toxins in the environment, the management decided to simply package the waste in the form of manure to be sold as fertilizer to anyone with a garden. Needless to say, the lines are frequently out the door with patrons purchasing Zoop in droves. 

Another zoo in Kansas City, MO repeated this same idea opting to call their product Zoo Manoo. Either way, this is definitely high on the scale of adding killer value. 

The point is that if you can add value to animal poop, you can definitely add value to anything. 

The goal of this article is to provide you with a step-by-step guide to adding killer value to your product or service, assuming of course that people want or need it. 

You may categorize them differently; however, there are basically 7 ways you can add Killer Value to any product or service. The ability to implement any one or a combination of these ideas will instantly improve the value of anything. 
  

#1 – Bigger

Bigger refers to quantity; you can always do more of or make it bigger than the competition. If you want to outdo the other guy, creating a bigger fanfare or doing more of the same will instantly add value. In this case size does matter and people appreciate it. There is a reason why those “All You Can Eat” restaurants do so well. It’s not about the portion you get; it’s about the value it adds knowing that you can eat to your heart’s content for a very reasonable price. 

In the case of adding killer value, BIGGER can definitely be a good thing

#2 – Better

Obviously it would add value to your product or service if you can do it better than everyone else. Whatever it is that you sell or whatever service you provide, consistently seeking ways to do it better will instantly set you apart from the rest of the pack. Better is about quality and research shows that most people will gravitate to other people and companies if they know for certain that the quality is better. 

Certainly many decisions are based on price; however, for the most part people will value quality over price especially if the product or service is within their budget. 

Don’t misconstrue the point here; I’m not saying that people will go out and drop their Honda to buy a Mercedes – not at all. I am saying however, that people will most likely purchase a Honda Accord versus a Chevy Malibu just based on quality. These cars are both in the same class; however, Honda is definitely known for producing a better quality car. 

#3 – Faster

Speed is definitely a plus in adding killer value; the faster you can provide something, the better. People love instant gratification so if you can find a way to deliver your product or service faster than the other guy, you’re golden – your customers will love you for it. 

Of course, your quality cannot suffer for the sake of faster delivery; otherwise, your purpose will be defeated. 

Adding killer value with speed simply means that you are able to deliver the same or better quality product or service at a faster rate than your competition. Now that’s killer value! 

#4 – Innovate

Why you? How are you uniquely different from the other guy and why should I give you my business? This is what it means to innovate; you must find a way to deliver your product or service differently.

This is where creativity comes in; innovation is how you stay ahead of the pack. When you consistently seek new ways to improve your product or service, the value is immediately recognized. You are definitely in a top class when you are able to do this consistently and successfully. 

#5 – Niche

Killer value is instant if you can find a niche and then figure out how to tailor your product or service to fit that niche. Keep in mind that the niche needs to be big enough to sustain your growth; however, once you have identified such a space in the market, you can easily begin to add value. 

People love to feel special therefore exclusivity of any kind can carry extremely high value. Just like the Denver Zoo found a niche in exotic animal waste, you can also find a lucrative niche in your market. The fact is that any animal waste can be processed to be used as fertilizer; however, exotic animal waste is more appealing to a certain group and you have to visit the Denver Zoo to get your own ration of Zoop! 

That is definitely a niche and adds killer value using several of the killer ways mentioned in this article.

 

#6 – Personality

You can always add killer value by making your product or service more fun or more serious or more creative depending on your target audience. If it’s more fun to do or to use, many people will recognize that as instant value. 

Chucky Cheese has made a significant impact in making children’s party’s more fun! You simply show up with all the children, eat the foods they provide and enjoy the fun activities available all for a reasonable price. The best part is they do all the work including the clean up which we all hate. If that’s not adding killer value, I don’t know what is. 

It may seem simple but, it really does work. Why do you think Chucky Cheese has been so successful? 

Whenever we entertain at home, the clean up is always the most dreaded part. Each time we do, we always wish we had someone else to take care of that part especially…
       

#7 – Relatable

If you can make your product or service more relevant to your target, you can add instant value. The more you can resonate with your customers, the better. Identity is important and one of the most valuable things that any service provider or manufacturer can do is to find ways to relate to their customers. 

When you deliver your product or service in a way that speaks to the identity of your customers, killer value is instantaneous. 

Here’s the skinny…

If you manufacture a product or provide a service where you are unable to implement one or a combination of these strategies, perhaps it’s time to consider selling or doing something else. If killer value ca be added to exotic animal waste (POOP), you can add killer value to just about anything.

Don’t be lazy – your customers deserve better and until you recognize that – you don’t deserve more no matter what you think. 

You have either heard me say it or read it in my articles – to achieve killer success, all you have to do is to find a way to create and distribute value to others through your gifts and talents. 

It is a simple concept to grasp so start grasping. I didn’t say it was easy to do – just simple to grasp. If it were easy, everyone would do it – but then that would be boring and make for a dull world. The truth is I wish everyone would do it but the fact is only 1% will. 

Where do you fall?   

 

The Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Their Actions Are Motivated by Money

Maybe this article is more projection than anything else… maybe none of you reading this have ever made the mistakes I have in the hot pursuit of the almighty dollar. Whether you think you’ve been a sucker before or not, this is still an important article for you to read because you may be on the verge of becoming a sucker.

Some lessons are learned the hard way and others, the excruciating way. This, for me, has been a lesson of extreme excruciation that I would not wish on my worst enemy… I don’t think. J

 

Nothing good, impactful, beneficial, innovative, long-lasting and priceless can be created when your motivation is fueled by the desire to make more money. Usually, someone wins and others lose or the scheme immediately crumbles. Either way, it is a failure of enormous proportions when money is the compass that guides your thoughts and actions.

 

Don’t get me wrong, money is good for all the wonderful things it can do for you. It pays the bills, pays for your vacations, pays for your house and your car but still, money is just a byproduct of providing value. Money is a tangible reward but it is of far lesser value than intrinsic rewards.

 

The problem is that when money motivates your actions, you are basically doomed to eventually fail. No matter what you might think, if you do anything simply in the name of making more money, I guarantee you that you will FAIL. There is simply no question about it. Following is a list of the top 5 mistakes people make when their actions are motivated by money.

 

Mistake #1: Lose Focus

One of the first things that happen to you when money motivates your actions is that you lose your focus. Regardless of what you had in mind, it will go right out the window if more money leads someplace else. Since money is the main factor, you will begin to compromise your initial mission and change your direction in the pursuit of money.

 

It doesn’t matter where it leads as long as you believe more money will come at the end. Getting lost won’t be too hard when money is leading because it has no eyes nor value but what you give it.

 

For instance, let’s say that you are passionate about creating and selling original designs of organic cotton t-shirts and you endeavor to start a small business doing just that. In the process of setting up shop, you discover that it’s cheaper to buy your shirts in Cambodia but the trade off is that you won’t be able to guarantee that the cotton is organic or that the workers are treated fairly.

 

If your mission is based on your core principles and intrinsic values, this quandary is an easy one… you decide to buy your shirts elsewhere. If on the other hand money is the main driver, you might easily decide to still buy your shirts in Cambodia and simply hope that the cotton is organic and that the workers are treated fairly. You’re not in Cambodia so no one can blame you when it goes awry… right? WRONGO!

 

The fact is that your customers are likely not from Cambodia either and if they have to hold someone responsible for this deception, it will be your head on the chopping block… I guarantee it.

 

Mistake #2: Make Assumptions

This happens when you have little or no interest in what you’re doing except to make money. If you have no passion for your market, you tend to make a lot of assumptions about how they behave. This is a paramount mistake and the quickest way to lose your core customers.

 

If you don’t understand your customers, how can you serve them? Soon enough, they will tire of your wares and seek out your competition.

 

In order to generate success in any market, you have to know your customers; you have to know what they need and how they like it delivered. This requires in depth research which requires time which you won’t care to commit because it has nothing to do with money.

 

Assumptions are said to be “the mother of all you know what ups” and it’s easy to see why.  When you constantly assume, you leave some important things to chance.  The most important thing left to chance is whether or not your customers will be interested in what you are selling. In most cases, they won’t be because your focus is on making money which means you’ll sell anything if you think you’ll make money.

 

If you assume your customers’ behavior and what they like, they will assume that you don’t care about them. The few that may have some interest in your wares won’t be nearly enough to sustain your business and you will soon suffer a well-deserved demise.

 

Mistake #3: Provide Little Value and Expect Big Returns

This is why the money motivator is a scheme. When you are motivated by making money, you focus less on providing value and more on making money. Your actions eventually become deceptive because you lie to your customers about the value you offer knowing that your product or service will not live up to your claims.

 

You do expect them to buy and keep on buying but you continue to provide less and less value. In an effort to make money, you’ll rush to create something in the short-term just so you can sell now without any regard for future ramifications.

 

In most cases, it will be very difficult to provide any real value to your customers if you are not even interested in your market. You are only there to make money NOT to provide value. You will begin to believe that your main goal is simply to make the sale and that what happens after is not your responsibility. As long as people buy and you make money, you’ve succeeded.

 

Nothing could be further from the truth because sooner or later your customers will see that you are not providing value and they will not only refuse to patronize your business but will tell as many others as they can to boycott you as well. Your reputation will suffer severely and you will be hard-pressed to rebuild it in that market. You will eventually be seen as nothing more than another two-bit hustler.

 

Mistake #4: Fall for Quick Fixes

I don’t know how many times I’ve done this but I do know that it has been more times that I want to remember. This is what happens when you have no focus, you make assumptions and provide little value – you fall for the quick fix of the day.

 

If you don’t know what you stand for you will fall for almost anything. Quick fixes are just that – quick! They are short-lived band aids that we go around applying when we chase money. Quick fixes are the quintessential pitfalls of money chasing schemes where only the “Quick Fixer” makes out.

 

The Quick Fixer knows that when a person motivated by money sees his product, he’ll jump at it. The quick fix is loaded with lofty promises of riches and overnight millionaire dreams but they NEVER deliver. How could they, they provide no value to anyone? They are just empty promises that pray on the desperation of people. In your feverish desire to simply make money, quick fixes might look like a great way to go but it doesn’t take long for you to realize that you’ve just been duped.

 

The worst part of all is that not only do you get taken for a ride but quick fixes are inherently rigged to take everyone you tell about it for a ride. So while you thought it was a great idea and shared it with the world, others followed suit and now they become trapped in the web of false promises and deceit which you perpetuated. A very tangled web – is it not?

 

Mistake #5: Failure to Put Money in its Place

When money motivates your actions, it means you have not put money in its proper place. Instead of you controlling money, it controls you. This is definitely no way to live because when money is in control, you lose control of your most important asset – YOU.

 

As I said before, money has its uses and when money is used appropriately, it’s great to have it in abundance. The problem is that if you don’t put money in its proper place, you won’t be able to control it. You have to understand the purpose of money.

 

I can guarantee you that while it will be very hard for you to succeed at anything when money motivates your actions, you will undoubtedly have much greater chances at succeeding when your motivation comes from within. If you do what fulfills you; what drives you internally, success will come as long as you are truly committed to your mission.

 

When money is in its place you understand that it is by no means ever a deciding factor your choices and actions. Money falls outside the circle of decision and only comes in as a result of your actions. It is neither the mission nor the end that you should pursue because it will always lead you a stray. When money is in its place you enjoy it for all its great uses like paying your mortgage, providing for your family and taking vacations without financial worry BUT it is not what fulfills you; it is not the reason you get up in the morning. You get up for a higher purpose; one that matters most to you; one that adds value to other people’s lives.

 

You may drive money (into your account), but money must never drive you. J

 

And the Moral of the Story Is…

I like money – I like having it to provide for my family and do the things that I’ve always wanted to do. It pays the bills and keeps a roof over our heads but at the end of the day, it’s just not that important to me. It used to be but not anymore.

 

I’ve failed at every endeavor where money was the driving force. Conversely, I’ve succeeded more often than not when money was not a part of the decision equation.

 

I can say unequivocally that I no longer do anything that is motivated by making money. My mission in life is not to make money – it is to help others achieve their dreams and goals by creating and delivering value in any way I can. Yes, I expect to be paid for my services because I have to eat and my family has to eat but no decision includes money as a factor – EVER.

 

Take this article for instance…

…I don’t know how many people will even bother to read it let alone care about the content. The truth is I don’t really care about that. What I do care about is that the article has valuable information and if it helps just one person overcome the “money weakness” I am happy with that. It means I did what I set out to do. I don’t know if this article in and of itself will ever generate much income for me if any, but in the grand universe, it doesn’t much matter.

 

For me the equation is simple: CREATE VALUE + DELIVER VALUE = SUCCESS.

 

The real secret to making money is that when you focus on creating and delivering value, money always comes to you. That’s right – it just shows up without you ever having to think much about it.

 

Once you create value and deliver it to a group of interested parties, you don’t have to worry about money – it always comes.

 

The greatest disservice you can do to you is to rob yourself of your true destiny. Find your dream, your purpose and follow it all the way. It will always yield abundance beyond your imagination in more ways that you had thought or imagined.

 

By the gold standard…

…I can tell you that I am not rich… YET; however, by the standard of universal law, I can confidently say that I believe I live in abundance because I believe in what I am doing and it fulfills me 100% to know that what I create adds value to the lives of others. I work on living my mission statement everyday and that’s all I need to know – the rest will fall right into place and soon enough, money will be chasing me.