[powerpress]
Do you trust you? Wait, what?
A few weeks ago I watched a TED talk called “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” and I finally understood. As a total control freak, procrastination to me means that this podcast isn’t completed, edited and uploaded one week before it’s set to be released. So yeah, I don’t get the procrastinators. Here is the summary of the video. Each of us in our mind have a rational decision maker who steers the ship. The problem is that we, especially procrastinators, also have what’s called an instant gratification monkey. As the deadline approaches, the panic monster sets in and scares the instant gratification monkey away.
One of my listeners this morning challenged me to give a talk explaining the insights of the non-procrastinator. How is their mind different? The only difference between the procrastinators and the non-procrastinators is that we make our deadline early. Our panic monster is just a little skittish and has an over sensitized view of what a deadline is. OMG I’m 25. I’m going to be 30 soon, I must find a serious boyfriend NOW! We are running out of time!!!!!! We have a heightened sense of danger and a low aversion to risk. Because if I’m 25 and I think I find the one, but what if we break up after two years, then I will have three years left to find the new one. We literally take every single risk into play in setting deadlines. Like, I have a speech to give in January. Well, December my asthma usually kicks up so I better write that thing in November. So I guess the difference is that while procrastinators have one panic monster, the non-procrastinator literally has 100s of them. Or maybe it’s just the one, and it’s driving. The panic monster always has the wheel. Must. Cross. Off. To do list. now. It’s a constant thing, and the panic monster is also yelling at the rational decision maker threatening them to make it look like they are in charge. Thus we give the appearance of being cool, calm and collected, but they are pressuring us nonetheless.
So what does this have to do with trusting yourself, and promises?
Yesterday I listened to an interview with Carrie Wilkerson, author of the Barefoot Executive on one of my favorite podcasts other than this one, called EntreLeadership.
The first thing she said that stopped me in my tracks was “stop breaking promises to yourself.” Then the doozy, “if you don’t trust and respect yourself, how can you expect others to trust and respect you?”
Ouch. Nobody respects the instant gratification monkey. And if they don’t respect him, they won’t buy from him and they won’t join his team. And yes, the instant gratification is a man. Obviously.
It bears to be repeated since it’s so profound. “If you don’t trust and respect yourself, how can you expect others to trust and respect you?”
I think that we all would like to think that we have integrity. I looked up some synonyms for integrity and I got honest, honor, and sincerity. So this means to me, actually say what you are going to do.
You might be asking, “Tasha, this is not a self-help podcast, what does this have to do with my network marketing business?” The answer is, everything.
The example I heard in the podcast made so much sense to me. So let’s say we need to take our kids to school. Well on the way to school, there is an accident. Do we say, “oops, there was traffic so instead of being 15 minutes late, we are just going to go home and call it a day?” No, you take the detours, wait in the traffic and eventually get there. So let’s say you are supposed to make some calls at 10:00 and your baby has a meltdown and you need to tend to him for 30 minutes. Just start at 10:30, it’s really not that big of a deal. By the end of the day, fulfill that promise. Sometimes we promise something to our kids, like going to the park. Sometimes life happens. But somehow, we find a way to make it up to them because our word matters. I needs to matter to ourselves too!
Three Promises to Keep for Your Network Marketing Business
1. Show up to work on time. If you are late because of life, make up the hours. Your favorite show is not going to help you pay off debt. Instant gratification monkey wants to scroll through the Facebook feed. “Just one more scroll and then we will find something good…” Punch him in the face.
2. Respect yourself. Stop telling yourself mean things about yourself. If you treat yourself this way, others will as well. Stop saying, “I’m just not a good salesperson” or “I’m just not a good leader.” Change that conversation to, “I’m learning how to be a better salesperson and leader and I’ll get better over time.” Some neuroscience here. Wallowing actually triggers your dopamine flow, which means that your brain gets a sick high from wallowing. Break the loop. Punch instant gratification monkey in the face and go do something that makes you feel proud.
3. Get the other monkey on your back. Not the instant gratification monkey, the proverbial “monkey off your back.” What is that thing that you know you should be doing but you have been putting off? For me it was sitting down and writing my coaching contract. I literally put that off for months but it just kept wearing on me taking up space in my brain, telling me what a loser I was. Just set aside the time and get it out of your way. Instant gratification monkey would like to do anything but that annoying hard project. Punch him in the face and do it while he is out cold.
One of my favorite quotes is, “Successful people do what unsuccessful people don’t want to do. Successful people do what even successful people don’t want to do.” Successful people still want to Netflix binge. But instead, they look at their instant gratification monkey in the face and say, “I made a promise to myself today, not a promise to you.” Then they punch it in the face.
Why Does This Matter? Once you start keeping promises to yourself, your integrity muscle will grow and your business will take off.
1. Customers buy from people they like and trust. Trust is critical.
2. Team members respond to people they like and trust.
3. Your family members respond to people they like and trust.
When you start keeping your promises, your sales will take off, and people will be drawn to your leadership. Start with making yourself one promise a day and keep it. And watch everything change.
Thanks for taking the time to listen today. On Saturday, October 8th, I’m running a 3 hour, live referral training. It’s only $27 and it’s totally interactive. You can sign up at emergesalestraining.com/referrals.