The best news in a very long time!

You've heard, "Practice makes perfect," haven't you? You may have heard the correction to that from none other than Vince Lombardi, "Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect." Well exactly what is perfect practice? I believe the answer showed up in my email yesterday from the folks at Delancey Place. Perfect practice "...requires a mindset of never, ever being satisfied with your current level of ability." It also requires "...a daily self-critique, a pathological restlessness, a passion to aim consistently just beyond one's capability so that daily disappointment and failure is actually desired, ..." These excerpts are from The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent and IQ by David Shenk, Anchor Books, New York. The discussion of Ted Williams in the preface alone is life changing. The bottom line it that if one commits to perfect practice as described in more detail in the book for ten thousand hours [roughly ten years] one will achieve a level of mastery one can't imagine at the onset. So, I'm 68 and I want to write a series of best-selling novels, but haven't managed to complete even one. Now, there is very real, reason to hope that by 78, I shall have done so. What would you like to accomplish through the magic of perfect practice?

There are gifts and then, there are GIFTS!

I happen to be married to one of the finest gift givers on the planet. It's an art form. She gives very, very thoughtfully - gifts that touch the individual by virtue of how well she has listened to her/him. She finds The Gift to fit the individual.

While marketing our programs, services or products from our home-based businesses, we have a better chance to give GIFTS, instead of gifts. Let's commit to enhancing our listening and observing skills. Your business is NOT for everyone, so let's give those folks the Gift of Understanding. We can speak 'from the heart' with an "I understand. Thanks for considering it." Let's not 'make them wrong' for choosing not to join us - not even in your head, okay? Be generous of spirit. Can do?

Now, how about those who are interested in our business, but not yet committed? The Gift of Listening Well, seems especially appropriate. What is her Strength? What is his Need? What is her/his "Why?" The Gift of Listening Well means you speak to the emotion 'under' or 'behind' what their words to you. It's like the old AT&T slogan, "Reach Out and Touch Someone." It's a great Gift. You've received it, haven't you?

Leading vs. Managing

Here's hoping your Thanksgiving was memorable in a positive way. If not, there really is truth in the adage, "This too shall pass."

Intuitively, we all recognize that leadership and management are not the same, but in a network marketing business where you work from home and your organization is doing the same, leading is really all there is. Managing is what you do by yourself as in how well you manage your time, your finances and your own health to name a few. Leading is to me all about vision and will you entertain this: cheerleading?

I love how wonderfully Ken Blanchard refers to himself as the Chief Spiritual Officer of his companies. Having met Ken twice, I feel he personifies being a cheerleader, but if you haven't met Ken, then here's what a cheerleader does to inspire others. S/he recognizes individuals. The bottom line of leadership is having a vision of where your organization is going and then, recognizing each individual's contribution to getting there. Human beings repeat what is recognized, celebrated, praised, admired and yes, loved. Let's find someone to cheer on as soon as possible after you've left off reading, okay? To cheer is to love and we all want and need that more than we admit. Give freely of your recognition, your love, your cheering. Yay for you!!

What is it about employers?

The so-called human condition is certifiably complex when individuals become...well, employers. I think it has to do primarily with the 'side-effects' of power. When one works for oneself, the transactions between customer and business owner aren't as complex. The owner has a product or service for sale and the customer has a decision to make to part with money in exchange for that product or service. It's not exactly black or white, but it's relatively simple. Not as clear are the choices confronting employer and employee and even more complex when the employer isn't a person, but an organization.

As an employer, the healthiness of one's ego is crucial to the process of leading others. We talk about supervising, managing and directing in sort of a hierarchical way. A supervisor has direct responsibility for another person's work. A manager describes one with responsibility for more than one supervisor. Finally, directors are responsible for multiple managers, and so on to vice-presidents and presidents and/or CEO's. Complex stuff that seldom works smoothly because the probability of the misuse of power increases with 'rank' in the organization.

Suffice it to say in this post which is one of several to come, that power corrupts. Skip the rest that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I think it's truly a blessing for most of us that so much of our goods and services are made available to us by small businesses where one on one relationships are most common. To lead a team of individuals each of whom is in business for themselves is almost ideal. Power is just not as big a deal and people interact more humanely. Be well!

Fame, Success or Excellence: which is best?

Christopher Parkening, the world famous classical guitarist who was personally mentored by Segovia, teaches young people that if you want to be successful, seek Excellence, not Fame or even Success, per se. When you are dedicated like a knight to a mission focused on being as excellent as you can be, success is well within your reach. You may also achieve fame, but no matter what you succeeded at being excellent through dedication, perseverance and commitment.

After working for various employers in various jobs to earn a living for many years, do you feel you have 'failed' to succeed? How does where you are now measure up with where you dreamed of being years and years ago? In my case, it has taken me
the majority of my life to see that I've been aiming at the 'wrong' goal. I wasn't seeking excellence. I was seeking success.

You've probably heard this, but just in case not, consider this 'til next time. Yes, you can bloom where you're planted, but if you've ever wanted to be your own boss in your own business, it's more likely that focusing on being excellent there will produce more peace and joy and...financial freedom in the long run!

What's your image of a knight in shining armor?

First and foremost a knight in shining armor is dedicated, i.e. focused on his mission of service to people in distress. I submit that if you're over 50 as I am, then you may be sick and tired of being sick and tired. There are of course degrees of sick and degrees of tired, but basically, most of us over 50 have not achieved financial freedom, aren't in the best of health and are really tired of working for a living instead of having a life. This isn't the life we had hoped to achieve by now. It may be close, but could it be described as doing just what we want to do, when we want to do it and with whom? If not, why not?

Well, I feel we didn't get here by accident. I wasn't dedicated enough to do the things necessary to be financially free. I can fix that now by working from home. In my case, it's with the Freedom at Home Team of Ameriplan, but that may not be your cup of tea/coffee :-) The key concept here is you can fix your current circumstances by working for about 2 - 4 hours a day from home for 2 - 4 years. That is IF you're working from home for a business that pays residual income. You've probably heard of that and not been able to earn it because it's usually associated with composers and authors, right? No longer. It's yours, too. Tune in tomorrow for more! Until then, start dreaming a little more. Vision is crucial!!

Getting Serious Now!

This blog now takes the form of daily resources for building a business you can work from home. Tips, techniques and how to's for you from training I've absorbed from the Freedom at Home Team [FAHT] of Ameriplan and a business life that was never separate from information technology. The FAHT is an amazing organization started by Janie Jones in 2003. As of November 2009, it is one of nine marketing teams in Ameriplan, but FAHT accounts for 60% of Ameriplan's current business!

Janie's husband Michael started their blog here at eblogger as "Janie's Work From Home Blog." Like Loyal's Son, it's a work in progress, but without Michael's "Blogs, Articles and E-Books," we'd probably still be researching with far less progress.

So, it seems apropos that tomorrow's post will describe branding your business as derived from your mission. I'm blogging here to serve men and women over 50 who want to use the internet to build a business from home. A wonderful, compelling dream of financial freedom, but chock full of challenges to get 'off the ground.'