My husband and I have decided to turn the news stations off for awhile. It's enough that recession is staring us in the face, but to roll ourselves around in it continuously is just being a glutton for punishment in my opinion. We don't have to be oblivious, but it's there and we know it. Watching people lose their homes, their jobs, their finances and live in tents only to end each news story telling us it's not going to get any better just doesn't help.
The point of keeping in the right mindset is more crucial than ever. It's a key factor in building a business, keeping your finances together and helping your personal relationships as well. A mastermind group can be a critical part in keeping this right frame of mind.You are who and what you surround yourself by. If you are surrounded by positive, successful people, chances are you are or you will reach your goals successfully as well. If you listen, read and watch motivational and inspirational material everyday instead of listening to the gloom and doom predictions, you too can make significant changes in your life.
In our Mastermind group one of our core beliefs is the law of attraction and the power of a strong mindset. In fact, the Master Key System - a study guide of the Universal Laws released in the 1800s is just one of the books we recommend to people when joining our Mastermind group. In fact, that was the first thing a mentor of ours in our first mastermind group gave us and it changed my husband and I forever in a positive way. It helped us to understand no matter what challenge you are faced with, you can be what You will to be. If you have seen or read The Secret, the Master Key System is actually quoted continuously throughout to give you an example.
What does all this have to do with building a business? It teaches you to be in the right mindset of giving, not just receiving and gives you the ultimate tool called perseverance. Goal setting is a focus in mastermind groups and goes hand in hand with determination.
Now, because our mastermind group is focused on working from home and helping others to make money from home, we see this recession as an opportunity instead of a setback to help others to make money from home as well. The power of the mastermind group is to create a positive learning environment that can enable you to overcome any obstacle. But the first step is developing the right mindset and with a mastermind group you are developing that mindset together and surrounding yourself with the success that you set out to be instead of becoming another one of the statistics on a news clip.
Have you discovered the other self within you? No I am not talking about multiple personalities. Many people call it, your true self. It's a self-actualization process many people go through when taking what others may consider the difficult road in life to access and realize of one's potentialities. I call it the high road to finding out who you truly are through introspection and putting yourself to the test.
Now, don't let me scare you, you may already be thinking, "That sounds a little scary." Yes, it does mean in mind and body you need to put yourself outside of your comfort zone, but there are some things that can help the journey be a little smoother.
The mastermind group can be a part of this intense progress and may actually help you speed up the process or at least make it a little bit easier. People usually join mastermind groups to work on themselves and discover their true potential and find a few surprises, some good and some not so good along the way.
Before we joined our first mastermind group, we truly didn't tap into any of our "hidden" resources yet. I wanted to learn how to speak in front of others and with the help of other members I found a voice and eventually ran company conference calls and found my passion. But, although I always loved speaking and wanted to learn how to tap into it, I never would have without fellow members basically getting me in front of the plate without even volunteering. I was nervous and sick to my stomach and after I was done with my first conference call with hundreds in attendance, I couldn't remember a word I said. But it was sooo worth it! If you are part of a good mastermind group, the others will push you where you need to be pushed and support you when the time comes.
I bet you know a few people in your life who you hadn't seen in years and totally surprised you when you discovered the person they had become. There are people I am sure from your high school class, no one knew or expected anything from who went on to do great things because they had discovered their true self and tapped into their potential or power.
"Men take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony." wrote Napoleon Hill in "Think and Grow Rich."
Napolean Hill was the first to discuss the mastermind concept in this book. In this particular excerpt he was talking about Henry Ford's mastermind group and how Ford's most significant strides in success and achievements came to fruition when he befriended successful people such as Thomas A. Edison, Harvey Firestone, John Burroughs and Luther Burbank.
As a mother of two even though my own children are only 4 and 5 years old, I am already conscious of the influence other children's behaviors on them as children often mimic the children around them. When they become adolescents it will be in the form of peer pressure and as adults it often isn't much different.
Your own parents may have said things to you about certain friends you may have "hung out" with as an adolescent and you thought at the time your parents were being judgemental but in fact your parents were consciously or subconsciously preparing you for the future as we have an innate nature of fitting in with those groups we feel we may "belong with."
In fact, it's possible to elevate your own surroundings which will in turn elevate yourself. Masterminding gives you the control of your own destiny.
A mentor of mine said when you start your business the first thing you should do is eliminate all the negative people around you for at least 90 days. This may sound harsh now, but try it yourself. For 90 days.
Surround yourself only by positive, motivated, successful people. Joining a mastermind can be a great way to do this.
If you have been surrounded by negativity and sarcasm up until now, you will find a huge difference in that successful and positive people want you to succeed as well.
The phrase, "Misery loves company" actually holds merit.
Today is day one. Are you ready to take the wheel and be in control of your success?
What are your 2009 resolutions this year for your mastermind experience? Is it to find a mastermind group you want to belong to or get more out of your mastermind group or contribute more?
Whatever your resolutions this year, share them. That is the big benefit of a mastermind group, having the ability to share with others what you expect from yourself and how you can utilize the mastermind to accomplish it. For instance, one of your resolutions this year, may be to contribute more to the group and step up to the plate, such as speaking in front of others. Share this goal with your mastermind group members at your weekly or daily roundtable/brainstorming session in order that you will be held accountable. Without accountability, most people do not bring goals to fruition.
You can also suggest the mastermind group as a whole bring their own resolutions to the table of how they would improve the group to make it more effective. No mastermind group is perfect and as the members grow as productive business people, the whole mastermind group should grow as well, such as having meetings more frequently or setting up accountable buddy systems.
Is your resolution to find a mastermind group?
Here are a few key things I look for in a mastermind group
- Synergy between the members
- A group of like-minded, positive individuals moving towards common goals and aspirations
- A mixed group of people with varying talents and experience (Otherwise how would you grow if you're not learning from others of greater experience?)
- Support and Trust (this is a big one, people need to know they are supported and they will not be belittled when sharing their aspirations and motivations within the group).
These are some of the most important aspects of a mastermind group to me and you may be a little different but the overall view is the same. Your 2009 resolution may actually be to start a mastermind and you will still want these principles in place to make it work, but know it can sometimes be a tough job to ensure it stays a positive group.
Whatever your 2009 resolutions may you enjoy prosperity in all aspects of you life.
Being part of a Mastermind Group has been such a blessing to me. And it especially comes clear in a time when I need it the most. You see, right now I have two preschoolers of my own along with a few others I care for during the day, preschool classes, soccer, dance, oh and did I mention I am pregnant and also have an online business and belong to several active mom groups?
How would I ever get anything done without the mastermind group? We are all banded together to help each other, work hard to accomplish things like creating training sessions, a monthly calendar and a report to represent our marketing training group, Crazy Foxes Marketing Group. I would otherwise feel overwhelmed and my own business would not be growing without a close group of like-minded people who are there for each other.
You see, the mastermind group Brad and I belong to have banded together all of our resources and not only help each other to prosper in our other businesses but have put our knowledge into a marketing group that is of like-minded interest to teach, train and help others. Your mastermind group, when you discover the right one, can become not only a teaching and motivation center, but a community who come together and bring out the best in you. It can balance out your weaknesses, even the temporary ones. I am so thankful for our mastermind group because business just continues to flourish even when I can't be there.
My mastermind group situation has evolved. Can that happen? Sure.
When I first started out years ago, Brad and I were in our first mastermind group, which was an incredible experience for us and shaped who we are today. We met our first mentor who had led the group and took us under his wing. We met many others just like us who were truly at the beginning of their journey. The goal of the mastermind was to teach people how to "fly" so to speak on our own. Well, once we did, we searched for another mastermind that would once again match where we were in our lives both professionally and personally.
It wasn't an easy journey to discover that magic we had in the first mastermind that had such an impact on our lives. Mastermind groups came and went, but just didn't fit the bill for us, as the people didn't follow the same beliefs which we felt were critical.
Then we recently came together with a group of people we had wanted to work with in the past in a joint venture and we were invited to be part of their mastermind group. I have to say I was a little gun shy at first after being so disappointed by others in the past, but I am happy to say we have once again found that certain something that can really make a mastermind work.
A mastermind group reflects your life just as those who surround you do. They say to be successful and happy in your life is to surround yourself by positive people who have the same outlook as you. That doesn't necessarily mean they are in the same business or even same industry as you. What's important at least to us for a mastermind group is a respectful atmosphere that influences growth.
It doesn't necessarily mean that one mastermind group is worse than another. As you evolve as a person in your business, you tend to be drawn to different people as they are drawn to you. It's definitely a Law of Attraction thing. As life changes, mastermind groups come and go within your life and one day you notice, you are surrounded by a group of people who grow with you and that is why I love mastermind groups.
One of the biggest problems I see with people working from home is lack of motivation. I have always had the extra edge of living and being married to my main business partner who keeps me on task like no one's business.
But I find when I am talking to other people in the same industry they get really excited in the beginning of a project. But once the actual rolling up the sleeves and getting down to the nitty gritty of the real work happens, their tune changes, their priorities change and they lose all focus.
I talk a great deal about drive and focus, and there is a reason for it. It keeps me always moving towards my goals and I believe if you don't have the drive, you will eventually run out of gas and give up on your dreams.
This is a where a mastermind group can really be in integral part of keeping the motivation and drive going in an individual and boost it to a higher level. People become part of something bigger when they join the mastermind, it becomes a commitment to others besides themselves.
Napolean Hill describes it in his well known book, "Think and Grow Rich" as, "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony."
Once part of a group like this, we become dedicated to each other. When you wake up in the morning, you are not only pushing yourself out of bed for yourself, but for the group as a whole. You set goals, keep each other on tasks, have breakfast meetings and set out a plan of action on how to organize your day to optimize your business. You will find and realize that mastermind groups usually breeds success and on a much quicker level as you suddenly have the feeling of people behind you, cheering you on to cross that finish line so to speak.
Next time you meet someone who is successful financially, spiritually or personally, ask them, "Do you take part in a mastermind group?" Chances are most of them will say yes.
In an earlier post I discussed how being part of mastermind group can lead you in a different direction until you're on a whole different road that you expected to be on.
Let me give you an example. when my husband and I joined our first mastermind group several years ago, my whole goal was to learn how I could make more money in mlm. You see, at the time, all I knew was that I wanted to make money from home so I could stay home with home with my children. And the only option I knew was mlm even though I hated it.I followed what my mlm uplines and sidelines told us what to do, but I remember looking in the bathroom mirror one night while I was getting ready for yet another 'hotel" meeting and thinking, "What the hell am I doing? Am I helping anyone like I set out to do? Is this just about the money? Am I even using any of my skills by standing in the back of the room waiting for guests to sell them a service I had absolutely no passion for? Ugh, I thought, there has got to be a way I can make money doing something I love."
Low and behold by the powers of the Law of Attraction I won't get into detail about we were introduced to a mastermind group and it blew my world away. It put me into shock because I met a group of people though my mastermind group who unlocked the door to a whole new world - internet marketing. I discovered that I could use my skills and passion as a writer, not have to run all over town with my babies, I also discovered how to speak in front of others, learned more about marketing and uncovered a spiritual journey to a better mindset that I didn't know existed. It soon poured over into my personal life and helped to unlock my potential. I was soon on a path to learning how to blog, market, copywrite, speak and do videos. And I have since started a blog geared towards other mothers who want to work from home like myself - something I had been wanting to do for a long time and also starting a second business from home as a dayhome operator.
Being part of a mastermind group removed one of the biggest obstacles that stop most people from launching a new business - FEAR. So remember, just because you have a plan of where you want to go and the path is set out, the universe is always at work and you may end up in a whole different place without even knowing how and when you're going to get there. Just remember, detours aren't necessarily a bad thing.
Okay, so I am going to put my true thoughts out there and hope I don't offend anyone one. As a woman and a mom it can often be challenging to be taken seriously in the business world, especially since many areas of the business world are dominated by men.That's it, I said it. I can't count how many times I have made cold sales calls when a business man answered and just dominated the conversation and didn't take anything I said seriously because I am a work-at-home mom(wahm). I find people often have this archaic notion that moms we are sitting home having a grand old time watching Oprah and having leisurely lunches with their girl friends.
Quite the contrary. We juggle not only a home based business, but schedules for our children including doctor appointments, school trips, play dates, soccer and hockey games, dance, horseback riding, homework, uh, need I go on?
Needless to say, it would often take the wind out of my sails and often leave me lacking in confidence as a successful business woman. I found it difficult to establish myself and attempting to make it to a Chamber of Commerce function wearing other than T-shirt and jeans was too much of a challenge with two babies in tow. I literally felt lost as to where my place was in the business world.
When I joined my first mastermind group it changed the way others perceived me and how I actually perceived myself. I found that because we met on conference calls and over the Internet people were listening to me as a person and not seeing my baby formula-stained shirts and rugged old sneakers. (It's much more practical to chase after a 3 year old in sneakers than in heels.) ;)
I was suddenly on an equal level with everyone else, men and women alike in a mastermind group, which in turn helped boost my confidence and discover potential within myself that I didn't even know I had! How is that for a benefit?
There are some mastermind groups that are even geared specifically towards women and for wahm's specific needs because let's face it, a lot of women tend to be juggling and wearing many hats during the day. Being a mom first on a daily basis, I also have to be a teacher, nurse, organizer, coach and mediator to my children. And that is all before I am a business owner running a dayhome and an Internet business. Phew! It can be both rewarding and exhausting. And the only other people who would truly be able to understand the pressures and expectations on a daily basis would be another wahm right?
Once again the benefits of a mastermind group reach above and beyond my expectations.
Since I have been in the process of updating one of my blogs to transform into a community of it's own, it has come to light of how fortunate I have been to be part of Mastermind groups.
Why? Well, I have access to people like myself who are of like business minds and will be immediate contributors to my new venture. Without these contacts I have made from Mastermind groups I would not have a community of people I can talk to whom I can bounce ideas off of or even contribute with each other in business.
You see, the strong bonds many form in a mastermind can extend beyond the group itself as to sharing ideas and maybe even a joint venture. Even if you're no longer with the mastermind. Maybe the bonds are so strong because you are sharing a great deal not only in your business but often in a safe environment. Or maybe it's because you are likely to become part of a mastermind where the people are so similar goal-wise that you immediately click with some of these people to form an incredible friendship.
Mastermind groups have given me a support system of peers, friends and business contacts whom I hope to last a lifetime. Because the groups have been independent of a particular company it is an unbiased group of people which can be crucial. (This can be big deal for people have been involved with network marketing companies because the groups they become involved with often dissipate as soon as the company involved does.)
If you are not yet a member of some type of mastermind group, I suggest you get on it because if you are an entrepreneur just starting out or changing your focus the best feeling is to have support and know you are not going down your path alone. As a work-at-home mom, and if you are one too you know how time is often limited and having other people to alleviate the feeling of being alone or suggestions on how to use the best of your time on your part can be huge. Cheers to your success!
"There is no I in Team." Ever heard this expression? I think some have either forgotten it or someone neglected to teach it to them. I have found one thing that can not only ruin a business or a relationship is an ego. If there is one person in the group that has seen or think he has experienced a bit more success than a few others, that person may come to expect others to bow to their needs even in a Mastermind Group.
Ego actually led to the downfall of a mastermind group I belonged to, people didn't want to participate in events because they were often belittled or pushed by one particular member that even the mediator was intimidated by. The particular member seemed to lose sight of the mastermind focus.
Of course, confidence in oneself is important but an inflated ego can push others away and eventually work it's way through a group like a virus through a computer eventually rotting it out from the inside leaving everyone feeling resentful for even taking part. The whole purpose of a mastermind group is people meeting on equal ground to share like minded ideas and work together. It's NOT meant to be a hierarchy. I repeat a mastermind group is not a dictatorship even if you're the one who started it! If you initiate a mastermind group find one to three people who can act as unbiased mediators if possible and tell them to even call you on it and hopefully your ego won't be so inflated by that time that you will listen.
One of the benefits I can say about being a mom is it really teaches you humility. You share everything, don't have many private moments, constantly working as a team with your children and hopefully your spouse and even reveal some not so proud moments when you're children are testing you. ;)
You want a mastermind group to be an enjoyable experience with other peers where you can learn and grow together.
In my last post I discussed the importance of rules in a mastermind group. I read somewhere that without rules there is chaos, and I have to say I agree. I mean, we don't always like the rules but let's face it, they are there for a reason. I am a mother of two and also run a private dayhome and I definitely need rules!
So, if you were to set up your own mastermind group or going to join one what are some rules that your group would benefit from to keep it in tact?
I will give you examples through some of the rules one of the mastermind groups I belong to uses. Now, it's my belief that it's much easier to have accountability when you have a group where people are meeting face to face. But online, I find especially for newer people, that they may have more anonymity and have a tendency to not follow the rules the same way they would in person. Our mastermind group chats online through skype groups, web conferences and the phone. The best way I have seen the rules work is with a monitor. We do have a gentleman appointed by everyone who actually monitors the conversations to be sure they are appropriate and safe for everyone. Especially our chat area that's open 24 hours a day, what we call the "virtual water cooler".
We call our monitor the sheriff because he is unbiased and everyone in the group feels they can turn to him when there is a problem or even a question. This can be a tricky thing when appointing someone in this position because it can be a powerful position or detrimental position if not taken seriously. Our group just happens to be very fortunate to have a sheriff who exudes the leadership and trustworthy qualities that makes him the perfect man for the job. If someone does say something out of line, (including the one who originally started the group), he/she is immediately called on it, any inappropriate words or conversations in the chat are deleted and the person will be given a warning and if not stopped, will be removed from the group.
These enforced rules creates a safe haven where people can discuss what's on their mind or brainstorm ideas without being judged or criticized.
The other point of rules is to keep the atmosphere positive within the mastermind group. The outside world can often be a negative place that doesn't influence creativity, entrepreneurialism and other freedoms of the like. The rules will set the tone of a positive and support place for people to go. So, are you catching my drift of what a fantastic influence rules can be in a mastermind group?
Since our mastermind includes people who run businesses from home, another rule is no cross recruiting, sales pitches, spamming, etc.
Inviting new people into the mastermind group - we can all invite people but we must propose each new member to a leaders board to be approved before entering the group.
Those of us on the leaders board are also expected to lead or be part of the trainings. This is a huge benefit to being part of a mastermind group - the trainings. Our particular group is based around online marketing so the leaders use their strengths to help others who may be new to online marketing, wanting to pick up tips or just share their ideas with so they don't feel all alone in the marketplace. It can take a lot of work to run a mastermind group and having all of these leaders working together to help trainings run, monitoring the chats and answering questions when needed helps everything run smoothly.
This rule is another great one, it's orientation. People are required to attend a type of orientation before being active in the group. This is a huge benefit, so that the new people can feel comfortable when first joining and they aren't fumbling around in the dark, so to speak, when they attend trainings. It takes care of the small stuff first so they can get down to the fun part of joining a mastermind group - participation!
"What do you mean there are rules?!" A new mastermind member said to me in an exasperated tone.
In any good mastermind group you of course want rules and neutral people to enforce them, we actually call ours the sheriff. He is not the one who actually founded the group, so he doesn't have a biased opinion in fact, he keeps everyone in check ,including the founder.
"Without rules there would be total chaos," I answered. "It's a mastermind group, not a competition in here. It's a safe place without judgment where people can learn and support each other," I responded.
That's what rules do. They keep us in check and create the atmosphere where people can be supported and be positive to each other. There is no cross recruiting or selling of any kind in the group or negative talk towards others for that matter. Three strike rule applies and if people test it, they find out.
See, that's what separates a group such as a mastermind from just a social networking or forum where there is a lot of pitching being done and no one is really learning or working as a team to help each other on their chosen path.
So, if you're thinking of joining a mastermind or even starting one, sit down and think of what you want and don't want to see in the group you belong to. You want to create a positive, encouraging atmosphere that makes the mastermind a true inspiration.
A Mastermind group can make your business profitable in more ways than one. Since Brad and I were recently invited to belong to a second Mastermind group, it has really hit home with me how being part of this exclusive group compared to many others in a particular program who don't have a Mastermind group can be a huge advantage.
Why? Well, when you think about it, at least in the home based industry most people have failure to launch. Most times it's because they just don't have anyone around them to say, "Get to work", "Make that happen by this deadline", or "If it's not done by the end of the day your fired."
When people, especially ones who have never been their own bosses, suddenly have that freedom, they tend to take advantage of it to the fullest, until they are completely broke and going to work for someone else again.
The fantastic part about being part of an exclusive group of people who are masterminding, sharing ideas, training and keeping each on task is they remind each other that they are in business for themselves but not by themselves. They have someone to motivate them and someone to bend their ear about the ups and downs of the business. Otherwise, working from home can be sometimes lonely especially when starting from scratch and no contacts or business partners to work with. These factors alone can be often overwhelming for many. Hence, the failure to launch.
Word is, about 98% fail in the home based networking industry and most claim it's bad product, bad company, bad comp plan, blah blah blah. But my experience through the years is that if you are completely surrounding yourself by other motivated and success-minded people the only way is up. And to be able to offer to others when marketing a training program the option of also being part of a Mastermind group if they make a good fit as business partners can make a huge difference from someone who doesn't offer the same kind of support.
So, if you're one of those people who believe a mastermind group is just for mindset. Remember, it can also put more profit into your business as well, so think twice before you dismiss the thought.
One of the things I really love about mastermind groups is that it can be a place where you can learn to hone your skills and be pushed to your potential. One of the mastermind groups I belong to has ongoing trainings and many of us, if we feel ready, are asked to train on a particular subject we may have a passion in or background in.
Stepping up in front of others may not always be the most comfortable experience, but in most businesses, the person who stands in front is the most recognized. You may remember this from school.
A mastermind group is a great place to hone these skills because you are doing it in front of a group of people you already know in an atmosphere that is safe and non-threatening. Your fellow masterminders will usually encourage while you to do it and push you to step up to the plate because let's face it, you may never think you are truly ready to teach others. Did you know you can actually learn more from experience of teaching than many of your students?
Stepping up to the plate can be empowering, build self-esteem, speaking and communication skills which can be key to a more profitable and powerful business.
Other trainings will include doing live calls to prospects in front of others, now talk about nerve wracking, but imagine what this can ultimately do for your self confidence in who you are and where you want to be?
I found this to be one of the most powerful experiences of mastermind groups because while I was growing up, my parents tried to shield me from failures by not pushing me to live up to my inner potential. They would tell me to quit when things got tough. I suppose because they struggled so much, they did not want me to experience the same kind of grief. They didn't realize they were just enabling me and not equipping me with the skills I needed to be successful I had to learn them all on my own as an adult and it didn't exactly give me an edge starting out first as a freelance writer and now as a marketer.
Mastermind groups gave that power and place to practice and learn those skills to succeed and push beyond whatever limits I had already set for myself. Today, I am always ready to be put out there in the forefront, it's not to say I won't ever stumble. But the obstacle of fear has been broken through due to my mastermind experiences, and for that I am truly grateful.
Not too long ago, I took a detour along the roadside not knowing it would lead me to the destination I wanted to follow. Does that even make sense? Because sometimes things don't. At least, while you're doing them anyways. "The tree came out of no where," you sometimes hear people say. But we all know it was there all along, the person just wasn't paying attention to the fact it was larger than life and in plain view.
Whenever I am offered a detour, I stop and think where would I be if I didn't take all of the other roads less taken in my life? When I met my husband I was on my way to California instead I ended up in beautiful Calgary, Canada with two incredible children. What if fear had stopped me to take that risk?
The point is, we don't always see what's in front of us, but just follow our inner instincts and not what we see outwardly. Being part of a mastermind group is helpful in this respect when you have your 'ah ha" moments because a member of your group talks about his/her path hits a chord with you that finally helps you to understand where you are going.
You see, when you are in the process of making decisions on your own, in particularly decisions that may involve risk and might scare you, you tend to analyze them to death resulting in paralyzing fear. The end result? Nothing. Nada. No move because the fear overcomes you and stops you dead in your tracks.
Belonging to a mastermind group can offer you a different end result and allow you to be open and secure enough to take the risk, take the detour. Because in the end, you will find the detour was actually the track you were supposed to be on in the first place.
Bringing balance to your life and your business. Wow, this can be a real tough one for most people including myself. I am a mom first to my two toddlers, then comes writer and marketer, home maker, and teacher. But how does someone find a balance between home and business? I have a passion for all of these aspects of my life and I find there are times when one part of my life is sacrificed for another. So, what's the answer?
I am sure you have heard this by now, but I will say it again, the mind is key to achieving everything and being part of a mastermind group can be an incredible source to help you develop and keep that mindset.
Don't forget, there is a also a spiritual side of your life that helps you develop the winning mindset. I am not telling you all of this to overwhelm you but to show you the difference between letting the balance slide along with your goals or achieving the balance while reaching the goals you have set out for your life.
Many of us have goals or expectations written down or in our heads of where we want to be in our business in 6 months or a year, but do you have goals of where you want to be in your relationships with your children? Your spouse? Yourself? It's important to discuss and break down barriers that may be holding you back from your success. You may surprised to find out how one aspect of your life no matter how unrelated it may seem, may affect other areas. That is why so many trainers tell people to focus on their Why. Your Why may be to have more money to travel. My Why is to be able to give my children whatever they need. Many try and give a general answer such as "I want more money," but there is ultimately a much deeper reason such as what will that money enable me to do in my life?
This is where a mastermind group can be really useful because they are a group of people who understand mindset is everything and to achieve the proper mindset you must have both feet firmly on the ground.
A mastermind group can help you stay grounded and focused on what is a priority at the time and what's ultimately the most important. Our group uses the Universal Laws as the basis for everything by studying the Master Key System, a book written in the 1900s. Some groups focus specifically on the Law of Attraction, other groups are more religion based but the theory is the same. A mastermind is usually a group of people using a way to keep their mindset focused and achieving a balance in all areas of life.
That's the great part of belonging to a mastermind group as opposed to groups which focus on only one area of your life because the balance is needed. Think about it for a moment. Have you ever experienced a traumatic event or been physically ill? Think back to how it affected you mentally which in turn affected your work productivity or even your attitude towards life. You probably felt tired or even depressed.
Now, think about any seminars you may have been to or having an 'aha' moment during a mastermind session. Did your productivity shoot up and did you feel motivated to achieve your goals? It probably also affected how you treated others around you because you were feeling so good you wanted to share it.
A mastermind group can be an important part of the process of balance which can lead to wealth in the truest sense, not just money, but success in every area of your life. With balance come freedom and greatness and what could be better than that?
Because I am running a business from home I am not surrounded by a group of people on a day to day basis to converse with (unless you count my toddlers) whenever I am deciding on something. All home based entrepreneurs soon discover the fact that decision making is all on themselves.
Or is it?
One of the many benefits of belonging to a mastermind group is that you are never alone. You always have people you can bounce ideas off of or talk to when making serious decisions. Recently, I ran into a conundrum when a group of business partners were deciding on whether to market a particular company. I had been very involved in running conference calls, trainings and even putting their first convention together so when we ran into a morale dilemma I had some big decisions to make that would ultimately change the course of my whole business and how involved I would still be.
Fortunately, because I belong to a mastermind group I can hash things out not only in my mind but with other mastermind members who have experienced the same issues.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from a fellow member? "Take the emotions out of your decision making and think only as a business person." Believe me, it's much harder than it sounds but it was both feet on the ground advice in an industry that can sometimes take you on a fast ride when all you can do is hold on tight and sit back.
These are the times though, when you can really use a piece of advice from someone who is in more of a neutral state or an "outside opinion". Because our particular mastermind group is based on home based business members we can all learn from each others' mistakes and this can be so invaluable. Many decisions are minor but some could have a significant effect on catapulting your business to new levels, so doesn't it make business sense to have other entrepreneurs to confer with?
So what kinds of decisions are you making in your business right now? Are you trying to decide the best ways to advertise or how to make sales calls? Or are you just trying to decide what direction you want to go in with your home based business? These questions will pop up on a daily basis if they haven't already and why would you want to sit and attempt to do everything alone?
A true mastermind group is not going to tell you what you should do, but tell you what they learned along the way and how it turned out for them. A member may be able to give you honest and neutral advice that could make all the difference on what path you will take.
When it comes to success, it's all about who you know.
Hmmm, I thought that only applied to the outside world of traditional business? Nope. This is something my mentor taught me a long time ago.Meeting the right people can get you everywhere. It can help with referrals, specialized training and be the difference between finding ok business partners to excellent business partners who already have solid contacts of their own.
But how do you get to know the right people? Networking. And a mastermind group is networking in its truest form. A mastermind group can really elevate you and your contact list to a new level in this respect. When you join a group of people, you become connected to others and develop incredible partnerships and friendships.
You also develop a trust level with a select few that can really pay off in more ways than one. Although you are in different networking businesses or just different teams outside of the mastermind group you learn to help each other by sharing marketing tools, marketing ideas and a confidence in each other that if you're stuck on a computer program and contact one of your fellow master minders he will help you out. You start to leverage each other by sharing your strengths where your weaknesses may be.
That is such a powerful concept when you're doing business because it can otherwise be very difficult to start and run a home based business by yourself. Let's face it, no one is strong in every area. You don't have to be by yourself when there are so many of us out there also running a home based business. Because of our mastermind group, my business partner and husband, Brad and myself have developed incredible business contacts not just from fellow members in our mastermind group but their contacts as well. Without our mastermind group, we wouldn't have gained half the education we have from all of the incredible partnerships we know have and it keeps going like a domino effect.
Not to mention, it's resulted into some of our closest friendships. Who can replace that? We help each other with developing programs, tips on leads, give referrals, etc. These kinds of contacts are invaluable in the business world and can last a lifetime.
One of the aspects I have noticed by being part of a Mastermind Group is the sense of community. Let's face it, people don't quite connect with others like they used to. Neighbors don't bring over a home baked pie when you move into the neighborhood and people are often paranoid in the "big city" to even say "Hi" when passing you on the sidewalk. The world has changed, but that's not to say it isn't for the better. We are now on a bigger playing field and can meet people from all over the world like never before.
We are adjusting to that change. The possibilities are incredible. We now connect through telephone lines and with people across the world through our laptops. We are still human beings and possess that sense of belonging that a Mastermind group can give us. Yes, there are still local business groups that can operate like Mastermind groups but connecting from the comfort of home is what many of us have become accustomed to.
Communities often give us consistency that we crave in our lives. A Mastermind Group can do that for you while some ventures may come and go but a Mastermind Group community can create a commitment from everyone knowing we are accountable to others. This kind of community of like-minded people works together in harmony to help each other discover the most within ourselves and reach beyond what we once thought were our limitations.
An industry like Internet marketing is changing faster than we can keep up. It's good to have some passengers to travel with on that wild ride, people whom you have developed a sense of trust with.
As human beings, we crave that interaction, especially meaningful ones with people who are also committed to each other. It's critical to success to be with others who are also bringing energy, excitement and a fresh perspective to the Group.
Mastermind Group community advantages include:
Support system Energy Motivation Balance Sense of belonging
We join parenting communities to have a support system and help us be better parents so wouldn't it be only logical to join and entrepreneurial community to be better business owners? It only makes sense.
When we envelop ourselves in a community it becomes a daily ritual, part of a successful habit instead of a chore. It gives us a sense of who we are and becoming successful means developing successful habits and surrounding yourself in a community of positive, energetic, motivated and successful people. Brad and I look forward to our Mastermind group classes and would feel lost without our community.
EvanCarmichael.com is the world's #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. Evan also runs a series of successful Mastermind Groups in Toronto for entrepreneurs.
Guest Contributor: Kelly Smith
