Exercises for Abundance!
with Teresa Romain
Welcome to Network Marketing! Whether this is your first day or your tenth year, let's say that this issue is your first day of building your Network Marketing business abundantly!
What do I mean by "building your business abundantly"? You may be wondering - isn't that what I'm already doing? My answer is, maybe - but maybe not.
There is no denying the fact that the industry of Network Marketing provides you and everyone else involved an opportunity for abundance not readily available elsewhere. However, the opportunity alone does not create or guarantee abundance - it is only a vehicle that will take you where you direct it.
The question for us to explore together: "Are you directing your vehicle on a path of abundance or one of scarcity?"
If you're not aware of the scarcity patterns that are ever-present in Network Marketing, there's a good chance that this "vehicle" - while designed to support your abundance - will actually lead you on a path of scarcity.
Until today - your first day of abundant Network Marketing. This issue is loaded with exercises and tools to support you, and the ones I've contributed are specifically designed to help you discover some of the patterns that "set up" scarcity in Network Marketing, no matter the size of your downline or commission check.
Are you ready? Then let's get started!
Abundance & Scarcity
What do I mean by "abundance"? Abundance is a quality of life that is full and that "abounds" with love, fun, fulfillment, time, energy, money, health, freedom, and much more. Sounds like what you're looking for from Network Marketing, right?
"Scarcity" is the name I use to describe what prevents you from accessing abundance. In fact, scarcity is the opposite of abundance! Scarcity is a quality or condition of life that results from a belief or thought (conscious or unconscious) that abundance (and all of its components, including money) is not plentiful, is hard to get, and is inadequate in supply. Unfortunately, most of us have grown up thinking that scarcity is "reality" and all we can expect from life! We've grown accustomed to the "rat race" of scarcity and, as a result, have not accessed the abundance that is available to us!
That being said, I'm going to bet that the reason you came into Network Marketing was to get out of this scarcity rat race, right?
The only problem is that unless you've learned to recognise and reclaim your power from the patterns and paradigms of scarcity, there's a good chance you've just replaced your old rat race with a new one! A rarely spoken fact in this industry is that Network Marketing can become just as much of a rat race and can create just as much scarcity as anything else you've done.
You see, abundance is a quality of life to be experienced today - not at some point in the future when you've made enough, saved enough, done enough, worked hard enough, achieved a certain level in your compensation plan, finished such-and-such, or when you think you deserve it.
To build your Network Marketing business abundantly, you need to give up thinking of abundance as something coming down the road when you've achieved such-and-such in your business. You need to learn how to be abundant today - no matter your financial situation and your present level of success or (perceived) lack of success.
Let's begin by learning to recognize the thoughts and patterns with which you are building your business that prevent you from being abundant today and in the future. To support your ability to recognize the prevalence of scarcity in your business and your life, let's address some of the most common patterns or "symptoms" of scarcity in Network Marketing.
The words "not enough" comprise the most basic and foundational scarcity thought you could have. These words lie at the core of every scarcity pattern or symptom you will have regarding your business and your life. Scarcity, by definition, is a state of perceived "not enough-ness." Whenever you and your actions are driven by "not enough" thinking, you are acting from scarcity instead of abundance - which will only lead to more scarcity. How common is "not enough" thinking for you in Network Marketing? Which "not enough" thoughts or patterns do you have, either occasionally or frequently? Can you add some to the list?
- I don't have enough time
- I'm not making enough money
- I'm not good enough
- I haven't talked to enough people
- I need to work harder (implying that you haven't worked hard enough)
- I don't have a big enough downline
- I don't have enough names
- I need to learn more about Network Marketing and/or my product/company (implying that what you now know is not enough)
- I'm not cut out for Network Marketing (implying, perhaps, that you're not good enough)
- I'm not successful enough
- I'm not organised enough
- It's not happening fast enough
- I'm not very disciplined (in other words, you're not disciplined enough)
- I need a bigger vision (in other words, your current vision or goal isn't big enough)
Anytime you are operating from or being motivated by these "not enough" thoughts, I can guarantee you will experience scarcity in your life. Now let's look at two of the most common scarcity patterns that keep you in this "not enough" paradigm and learn some tools and actions to take to break through them to abundance.
One of the oldest success principles tells us that whatever we focus our minds upon is what will show up in our lives. Thus, if your mind is consistently focused on "not enough" thinking when it comes to your business (and your life), scarcity is what will continue to show up!
Quite simply, this implies that if you no longer want scarcity to show up in your business and your life, you better start with a change of focus. Consider the following:
IAMNOWHERE
Now, what did you first see? Was it the phrase "I am nowhere" or "I am now here"? Notice the difference in energy and self-empowerment you feel when you focus on "I am nowhere" vs. "I am now here." The first disempowers (even paralyses) you because it is focused on scarcity. The second empowers and supports you to take actions that support your business and abundance. The only thing that changes is your focus.
Now that you understand why focusing on abundance is so important, it's time for you to begin to train yourself to do so every day. One of the simplest and most powerful ways to do this is through an Abundance Journal.
The Abundance Journal has the greatest effect if used on a regular basis - daily is best. It will take you five minutes a day once you've become familiar with it, and it will begin to retrain the focus of your thoughts from scarcity to abundance. This includes the abundance around you and, even more importantly, the abundance that is already within you. You'll want to record your entries in a small notebook, a journal, or your day-planner.
"I'm Not Successful; I Earn Only $300 a Month"
How's this for a "change of focus" from scarcity to abundance? If you're making only $200 - $300 a month from your Network Marketing business, I'm going to bet that you've regularly or occasionally had the thought of "I'm not making enough money." This thought has probably caused you to get desperate and go into overdrive, or it has left you feeling hopeless, unconfident, or even paralysed when it comes to prospecting, etc. Either way, your "not enough" thought has created even more scarcity.
To help you change your focus, consider the following:
*If you had an $80,000 30-year mortgage, a $10,000 car loan, and $3,800 in credit card debt, you could be completely debt-free (including the mortgage) in eight years, five months by using the $300 you make each month from your Network Marketing business in a powerful way!
*In doing so, you would save more than $100,000 in interest!
*You could then create more than $1.2 million in investments, earning you approximately $10,000 each month in interest, in the time it would have taken you to pay off your mortgage the traditional way!
Are you focused on the abundance of $300 now?
Here's what you do:
1. Some time each day, write the following sentence: "Today I am grateful for . . ." and then record ten responses that complete the sentence. Record only ten - no more and no fewer!
2. Next, write the following sentence: "Today I acknowledge/praise myself for . . ." and again record exactly ten responses to complete the sentence. You can record entries that are specifically related to Network Marketing and your business or just life in general (or both).
In the Abundance Journal, the gratitude entries train you to see the abundance you already have in your life instead of what you don't have. More importantly, the acknowledgement entries train you to see the abundance within yourself. One of the most insidious and debilitating scarcity patterns is the one that has us "not enough" ourselves - especially when it comes to Network Marketing.
Do not let the simplicity of this tool cause you to underestimate its power. Its strength comes from the fact that it forces you to focus on abundance instead of scarcity. One of the scarcity patterns that may prevent you from completing the Abundance Journal is the thought that what is included has to be big or important or noteworthy - meaning that anything else is "not enough" or "not good enough." (Then you're right back where you started - focused on scarcity!)
Since abundance only comes as a result of action (and not just awareness), take action now to use this "abundance tool." Record in the space below ten things for which you acknowledge/praise yourself - five regarding you and your business and five regarding any area of your life. Don't read any further until you've done so! (By the way - this is a great exercise to share interactively with your downline!)
Today, I acknowledge/praise myself for . .
In my Network Marketing business:
1) ___________________________________________________
2) ___________________________________________________
3) ___________________________________________________
4) ___________________________________________________
5) ___________________________________________________
In other areas of my life:
6) ___________________________________________________
7) ___________________________________________________
8) ___________________________________________________
9) ___________________________________________________
10) __________________________________________________
Now that you're beginning to focus on abundance instead of scarcity, you're ready to break through the most common (and dangerous) scarcity patterns experienced by every network marketer at some point in time!
When it comes to abundance - in Network Marketing and elsewhere - consistency is always more important than quantity. While quantity is important, it is our persistent focus on quantity (thinking that it will lead to abundance) that often sets up scarcity instead.The "All or Nothing" pattern is one of the most prevalent and dangerous scarcity patterns for you in building your business. In Network Marketing, it often sounds like this:
"I want to call this potential prospect, but it's been so long since I last spoke to her that I know it will be a long conversation. I better wait until I have more time."
"I need to make at least ten prospecting calls today. I just don't have time so I'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"I can't start talking to people about my company or product until I've finished reading and learning all there is to learn about it."
"I have to get my volume up for the month - I need to spend every moment making phone calls between now and the end of the month."
Of course, the "All or Nothing" pattern shows up in other areas of your life as well. For example:
"I don't have enough time to do my full workout, so I might as well wait until tomorrow."
"My office/house is a mess! It's going to take all day to clean this place, so it's just going to have to wait."
"I know that I should make an extra payment on my mortgage each year - but I never seem to have enough extra money, so I never do it."
In each of these familiar examples, the emphasis on quantity results in scarcity, i.e., there is the thought that it all has to be done, and since that doesn't seem possible, it is delayed and nothing gets done.
"All or Nothing" thinking is another version of the "Not Enough" scarcity pattern - anything less than all is "not enough," so what happens is that you do nothing. And then, if you ever get around to doing it all, you do nothing else and fall behind in all other areas of life. (This happens frequently near month-end when Network Marketers are "pressing" to make monthly volume requirements). Often you exhaust yourself in the process and have nothing left after doing it all. You live in a never-ending pattern of excess and collapse, start then stop, all or nothing - all of which leads to scarcity.
Whenever you are in the grip of the "All or Nothing" pattern, you must change your focus from one that emphasises quantity and, instead, focus on consistency. The way to break free (in the moment) of the "All or Nothing" pattern and to develop consistency is with a little word - "something." The way to break out of the scarcity spiral of "All or Nothing" is to do something. In the examples above, it may be true that you don't have time to do your full workout - so do one exercise or run ten minutes instead of 30. Yes, your house may be a mess, so make your bed or clean off the table or clean up the bathroom.
The same is true for those calls you need to make - make one call today, have a short conversation, etc. As far as all that you need to learn before you start talking to people, learn one thing and then get going!
As you use this principle of something each time "All or Nothing" and "Not Enough" thinking starts to paralyse you, you will notice that the sense of accomplishment you get from completing something will release energy that can then be directed productively to do other things.
Be careful, however! Choose the something you will do that day (e.g. clean one closet shelf or make one call) and, if you feel energised to do more when it's done, choose another something. Having accomplished something, however, you may feel so energised that you think, "Now I might as well do all the rest." This is a common mistake because with that thought, you have once again trapped yourself in the web of the "All or Nothing" paradox - anything less than "all the rest" will become "not enough." Inevitably, this will lead you back into the all-too-familiar place of scarcity and, quite often, doing nothing.
Use the something tool today and every day, in your business and in all areas of your life! Teach it to your downline! Use it to create the consistency of action in your business that supports abundance. Acknowledge yourself in your Abundance Journal for the "somethings" you do!
Accomplish something each day. Then accomplish another something. In this way, you can stop at any time and feel the pride, energy, and satisfaction of accomplishment which, in turn, leads to abundance. And you will be getting something done - which always beats nothing!
Here's how you can get started. . . .
1) Create an Abundance Action List
In the first column, list any and all actions or projects on which you are currently procrastinating or feeling overwhelmed.
In the second column, list a "something" action you could take to break through the overwhelm and procrastination and get back into action.
Finally, in the third column, record how you will "celebrate" the completion of your "something" action. Then start doing your somethings! Here are some examples:
| "All" Actions | "Something" Action | Celebration! |
| Make 10 piquing calls today | Make 1 Call today | Go for a walk |
| Make your follow up calls | Make 1 follow up call | Read a chapter in a book |
| Read/study training materials | Spend 15 minutes reading | Take a nap |
| Clean/Organise office | Tidy up desk | Cup of Chai |
| Pay bills | Pay Mastercard Bill | Go for swim! |
| One hour at Gym | 30 Stomach Crunches | Read Mag 10mins |
Now, begin your list. And, lest you get overwhelmed by "all" the things you need to put on the list, use the "something" principle and limit yourself to no more than five for now. Then, act on each of them "something" at a time!
You're probably wondering why celebrating after you've done "something" is so important. Celebrating your completions supports consistency and is a vital component of abundance.
Whether it is by acknowledgement, dancing a jig, having a special treat like a glass of wine or fresh flowers, having dinner out or taking a getaway weekend or vacation, celebration is essential to abundance. It is by celebrating your completions that you replenish the energy you expended while doing the "something" action.
Whenever you skip over celebration and just keep working and doing, your energy for the other actions becomes diluted and drained. You become less effective. You have to push and drive yourself to make up for your drained energy. It is this failure to celebrate your accomplishments (large and small!) along the path of abundance that dilutes your effectiveness, your energy, your consistency, and, ultimately, your abundance.
2) Celebrate the fact that you are in Network Marketing!
In addition to its powerful ability to keep you focused on abundance, expressing gratitude is also a type of celebration. There is much to celebrate about Network Marketing - much of which is likely forgotten whenever you are experiencing scarcity. So, using the tool of gratitude as a celebration, write down the most exciting aspects of Network Marketing - the ones for which you are most grateful:
Celebrate your decision to move out of your Comfort Zone! You are a part of a growing and unique group of entreprenurial thinking people who have the courage to 'bust out' and go fo it! Hold fast to your dream ... for without it ... life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly! Do this with zest, vision, and celebration in your heart, and ... your life will change forever.
Remember, you made a choice to be in Network Marketing. Celebrate that choice every day! Celebrate the fact that abundance, in increasing levels, is available to you - today and in the future.
Copy these notes and carry them with you as a valuable reminder to recognise your scarcity patterns and take actions to break through them.
You can Access the abundance this company and industry have to offer you!
About Teresa Romain
Besides being President & Founder, Teresa Romain is also the primary designer of and trainer for the classes, workshops & support materials we offer at Access Abundance!™. Teresa is a "one-of-a-kind", dynamic, energetic and empowering trainer and coach with a deep commitment to educate, inspire and support people through the transformational process of learning, growing and accessing abundance.
More at http://www.accessabundance.com/