Tag: franchisesales

If not now, when?

by chuckfasnacht, posted in Uncategorized

It’s easy to put off a major decision isn’t it? I know I’ve done that from time to time. Haven’t most of us?

This time of year I like to review the goals with which I started the year and reframe or rethink how I want my life to change in the coming year. Recently, I saw a post that reminded me of what I got WRONG in the past when setting a new business plan or personal goal. So this year, please join me in doing it better.

Step1: Pray about it first! I’m going to seek Gods help in setting goals first. In the past I would set a goal and then ask my higher power to bless my ideas. This year, get God in on the action early. Let’s have our higher power help us with wisdom and direction.

Step 2: Grab a copy of my book! Can adding process improvements and systems improve your control over outcomes? Whether your starting a new business or scaling an existing project or business you can always learn new ways to apply your talents. Available on Amazon or at my blog.

Step 3: Make a plan! Simple. Clear. Steps.

Have a blessed day and be a blessing!

Overcoming a plateau

by chuckfasnacht, posted in lifelong learner

When you think about what you want to do, remember that good enough isn’t good enough. What do I mean by that or what is another way to say it? Good is the enemy of the best. As you determine the direction and the goals you want to set, don’t be afraid to think of what you would want to do if you KNEW YOU COULDN’T FAIL. What would your goal be then? Because the truth is that whatever goal you set and fix your mind on, you will eventually achieve. Earl Nightingale said, “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, with certainty it will be achieved.”

How will this apply to your situation? If you have an expectation, or self image, your performance will equal that image. People perform to the level they feel comfortable. If they expect to earn $100,000 per year, they will find ways to not exceed their comfort level. Self-sabotage can take the form of oversleeping, missing appointments, or generally not being focused on the customer. Likewise, performing below your comfort level will cause you to become laser sharp to find ways to achieve your level of comfort. So how do you break through into a new “best” for yourself?

Imagine setting your goals like setting a thermostat. When you are performing below your acceptable range the heat will kick on, and when you get too high, the cooling will calm you down. So changing the way you see yourself, and see your outcomes is the first step to sustainable growth.

There are two major ways to overcome these personal limitations through (1) developing habits that will no longer require active conscious planning and thought, and (2) using helpers to sprint alongside you to pace yourself for a larger goal.

Developing habits so your mind is free to expand into new areas of thought and personal development should be a first step. Anything that you do on a routine basis can be put into a habit, or scheduled in your personal planner. If you want it to be a habit, make it a routine you can schedule and stop thinking about. This could be a much longer discussion but for now lets set it aside and move to the next level of breaking through your plateau.

The example of Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile is a good example of the sprinting concept. The four minute mile was mythically elusive and many people of the day thought it to be “scientifically impossible” because of the mechanical structure of humankind. It surely was a psychological barrier but it WAS possible to run a quarter mile in under a minute, and a half-mile in less than a two minutes. With his attention to training and thinking about how to break the record, Roger Bannister found 2 people who could run alongside him and pace him. He was able to break the “impossible” 4 minute barrier on May 6th, 1954. A short six weeks later the record was broken again by another, and today there are hundreds of people who have run the mile in under 4 minutes with the record time currently under 3 minutes and 44 seconds.

If you have a big goal that requires you to do something that you have never done before, consider finding short sprints that ARE possible and believeable, and begin to string them together. You too, along with people who can partner with you and run alongside, can do something that you once thought impossible.

Buy your copy of The Franchising Fast Lane today.

Where you look you will go

by chuckfasnacht, posted in lifelong learner, startup

Recently, I received accident avoidance training, which I recommend by the way. In this training event, the teacher was a race car driver, and he said when you are in a spin or if you feel like you are about to lose control always “look where you want the car to go.” He used examples of NOT looking at the ground, or NOT looking straight ahead in a turn. In the case of driving a race car or avoiding an accident, it is important to NOT be looking at the other cars.

The example the trainer used that was the most profound for me was that of a field with a tree in the middle of it. If you were driving through a field and you looked at a tree, saying, “I have to miss the tree…I have to miss the tree…” the premise is that you would indeed draw closer and closer to the tree until you hit it! By looking where you DON’T want to go, your eyes will draw your hands to a position that will create movement in the direction of your gaze.

Conversely, when you want to avoid an obstacle, it is important to look where you want to go. It works when you are going through a turn, and it works for when you want to avoid an accident. It works because our body follows the direction of our focused attention. Whether you are riding a bicycle, a motorcycle, or driving a race car, Look where you want to go!

What a fantastic analogy to goal setting!

If you have read other personal achievement books, you will recognize that we humans have a reticular activating system that will cause us to gravitate toward the focus of our attention. If we are focused on successfully completing the writing of a book, we will find ways and ideas to help us along that path. Likewise, if your goal is to generate more impact with your chosen work or talents, such as a self-directed business, your mind will work to find a way to help you achieve the goals you focus on. Regarding the way our brain works while goal setting, your body will try to create that which the mind is focused upon.

Choose your focus!

Buy your copy of The Franchising Fast Lane today.