Oh, sure, I know Forrest Gump said it was life that was like a box of chocolates but so, too, are goals. Work with me, here–I’m having a sweet-tooth attack.
When you open that box of chocolates, they all look so yummy. It’s the same with goals–when we make them, they all appear to be so very wonderful. I’ll lose 50 pounds this year. Yum! I’m going to pay off my debts and start a savings account. Yum! I’m going to advance my title and my earnings level. Yum!
Such delicious goals we have. Now, I did mention this was a box of cheap chocolates, not one of those good ones with the chocolate map on the lid. So, let’s pick one of our chocolates and take a bite, shall we? That dark chocolate one in the rectangular shape looks good.
Oh. Oh, my. That was the walnut one. I’m not exactly a fan of walnuts. I know they’re good for me, just as losing the weight would be. But as I chew, the reality sets in–this will take me pushing past things I don’t like if I’m to achieve the goal. Things like eating healthier, eating less, getting exercise. People are looking–I can’t spit it out. So, I’ll have to smile and nod and swallow it down.
All right. Time to wash out that yucky almond taste. There! The circular ones, a little lighter brown. They wouldn’t put walnuts in my milk chocolate, would they? Nope. They sure didn’t. This time they lured me in with thoughts of all the extra money I would have if I pay off my debts, of how much more relaxed I can be if I have a savings account. But then, I discovered they’d tricked me. My milk chocolate has got–**shudder**–coconut inside. What do you mean, I’ll have to cut back–I’ll have to bring lunches to work and cancel the HBO that I don’t watch anyway? I grab a napkin and turn away, as if that will keep the others in the room from knowing what I’m doing.
Well, three times is a charm, no? This one’s fat and oval-shaped, and doesn’t look a bit like either of the other two. It must be safe. I take it out slowly, sniffing cautiously to try to detect a hint of nut, but all I smell is sweet goodness. My bite reveals something yummy indeed–caramel. But I’m going to have to work for this deliciousness, just as I’ll have to work if I want to make bigger sales than I did last year or advance my leadership title. So, I’ll take smaller bites, chewing each one thoroughly, swallowing and savoring the little triumphs along the way.
Make your goals the same way you’d eat that caramel chocolate (or the walnut or coconut, if you prefer those flavors). Take out the full goal, look at it, sniff it, examine it. Once you’ve decided how to approach your goal, take small bites and chew thoroughly.
Let’s say you want to increase your sales this year. How are you going to do that? Are you going to go back over your “who you know” list or use helpers or sell to businesses or hold fundraisers or hostess parties or what? If you’re going to use helpers, who do you want to approach to be a helper? How will you compensate them? Will you offer free products or money or what? What tools will they need to help you and will you charge them for the tools or not? What do you know about selling? Have you taken any of the free training courses from Avon yet? Do you attend sales meetings to learn?
If you want to advance your title, how will you go about doing that? If you have not started anyone with Avon yet, how will you achieve the first title of Unit Leader? Will you talk to friends, relatives, co-workers? Who do you know that could use extra money? Has anyone you know recently been laid off, fired or had their hours cut? Have you talked to those people yet? Have you checked out the “leadership” link on your Avon page?
“What in the heck is Lynne getting at with all these references? She’s killing my diet!” All I’m saying is to not go cheap–make a map on the top of your box full of goals to help guide you through. And if you need a taster to help you, call me!
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