July 16, 2010

Benchwarmers Need Not Apply..

I’ve never seen anyone make a shot from the bench or catch a touchdown from the sideline. I’ve never seen a top producer, a top performer sit around waiting for someone to call and buy his or her products or services. In order to have any chance at winning, you gotta get off the bench and get in the game!

Star athletes can’t stand to sit. It doesn’t matter if the team is 20 points ahead or 20 points behind; the all-stars want to be part of the action. That’s why they’re all-stars. An all-star athlete can’t wait for the next play, and an all-star marketer can’t wait to give the next presentation or recruit the next distributor. True all-stars take the initiative to get in the game; they make things happen.

You can’t sit on the bench and be an all-star. There are plenty of benchwarmers. You gotta want to be in the game! You gotta want it with an unstoppable, driving desire!

Everything you have (or don’t have) today is the result of the actions you’ve taken (or haven’t taken) in the past. It’s like putting your car in gear. You can start the car and sit in it all day, but you’ll never go anywhere unless you shift into gear and step on the gas pedal.

You see, a decision without action is only a good intention, and good intentions pave the road to nowhere. We all have the option to take action and get into the game, but most of us never do it. Why do we put off doing the things we know we should do? There are many reasons, but usually it’s procrastination – waiting for somebody or something else to make it happen for us, “paralysis of analysis” and fear or lack of confidence.

My experience has been that people procrastinate for a number of reasons. We tell ourselves that it’s going to be too difficult, take too much time, cost too much money or require too many resources. But this rarely is true. Taking action usually starts with one simple step that isn’t difficult, time-consuming or costly. And even if it does require resources we think we don’t have, if it’s a priority we can find the resources to make it happen. We always find the resources for the things we make a priority.

To get in The Game you must first make a clear, conscious decision that “I’m going to make it happen, no matter what. That’s it, period.” Too many people are walking on the edge of the ledge. They are not committed, therefore anything that comes along seems to knock them off track. Sometimes you gotta take a giant leap and leave yourself no outs.

So, getting in The Game starts with making a decision. But It also involves taking massive action.

Most people don’t take action and they justify their lack of action with excuses and rationalizations. They’re always saying things like, “Someday when everything is perfect, then I’m going to really, really, really get in the game.” They are waiting for the next degree, until the kids get out of school, or the new marketing plan is in place. They have no purpose and therefore they have no passion and drive.

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