never easy

Well, this month has been quite a month. I can certainly say that things are never easy. Most of the problem has been my attitude. I am expecting things to be perfect instead of just focusing on my goals and the job at hand. I seem to forget that things were not perfect at the last place I worked but I was able to move forward with that company and I will here too! I think I am in a better postition now if I can just focus on my goals and change my attitude.

I thought about this a lot this weekend and I feel much better about this company. It is definitely no where near perfect but that is just more opportunity for me once I focus on my goals and nothing else! If my goal for the day is to call on new prospects and work on bringing in new business, then why should I worry about an operations issue that I am not involved in? Focus...focus...FOCUS!!!

Today's goals:

1. Find prospects in the Allentown, Philly, Reading area to visit next week.
2. Call through prospects in ACT.
3. Set up rate program and work on that.
4. Try to get Jason from Habasit on the phone.
5. Call Andy at Spear.

Praise God!!!!!

flying by

Well last week sure flew right by! I noticed I did not write much last week. I actually had one of my best weeks last week mostly thanks to a new customer that started with us 2 weeks ago. I hope that trend contuines with them! I am thinking that if things start to line up this week could break records for my profit and load count with my company! I am also hoping for a new customer this week.

So what did learn last week? Well first, there are definitely highs and lows. You really cannot live on the highs because they do not last forever. But you also do not want to live within the lows either...that makes for a miserable life! What I can do is live in the in betweens. The place where I keep a level head and focus on the goals I have no matter what everything around me is saying. I like how Rudyard Kipling described it in his poem "If"...."If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same".

So this week I really want to focus on my goals even if I have another great week or have an awful week.

Todays goals...

1. Get points to quote from KB Toys
2. Call all Spartech contacts!
3. Call north leads on spreadsheet.
4.

God this day is yours!

Staying on track

Well it is a new week and I am pumped to get this week started. I think this is going to be a good week but regardless I plan to leave everything out "on the field" this week. I will look at every opportunity that I come across.

Already the morning seems to be off on the right foot. I have some business from a customer already and I think I should be seeing some business this week from at least 2 or 3 other customers which could help make this my best week yet with this company. Plus I am following up on some other possible new customers this week and of course calling on brand new prospects.

I was glancing over some of my posts from last week and it is amazing how distractions are able to take your eyes off of your goals. Nothing happened expect my perception of the distractions. If I can stay focused on my goals in the mist of dealing with distractions then I will be in a good position. I pray for that determination this week. I have my goals and regardless of the things that occur this week or the thoughts that go through my mind I will keep my eye on my goals.

Goals for today....

1. Finish rates for Jon
2. Try to get Tom on the phone
3. Go through all of my warm leads and make sure I am not missing anything
4. Call on more leads!

God, this day is yours...all of me is yours!!

Very big distraction....

So I went to breakfast with a friend this morning who is starting a company similar to the one I work for now. He really wants me to be involved as an owner but realizes I cannot lose the money I am making right now. I think we have it worked out where I can stay with my current company and focus on the goals I have while being involved with his company enough to still be ethical and have a position when his company reaches a certain revenue.

So...knowing that I could finally be an owner and VP of my own company in the next year or so is a huge distraction for me. Especially since there are a lot of unknowns at this point. Such as...will he able able to reach the revenue needed for me to join him? Will he still want me to join him? , etc, etc. I really do not need to worry about these things right now. I still have my goals for this company that I want to reach!!!!!

Anyways...it is later in the day on Friday and I have a conference call in an hour but here are the goals I want to reach today...

1. Make some calls
2. Finish rates for Jon
3. Plan next week.

God this is all yours!!!!!!!!

ups and downs

Even though I didn't write yesterday it was actually a decent day. I had a rough day on Tuesday with some issues and concerns. I realized that most of things I was worrying about fell into one of these categories:
1. Something that I had no control over. (operations issues, etc)
2. Something that was not going to happen for a long time...It is ok to plan for the future but don't WORRY about the future.
3. Something that I did not know for sure and was probably not true. (Like someone's feelings about me.)

After I went through each of the things I was concerned about on Tuesday I realized I was wasting my energy on all of these things. The only thing I should be concerned about is that which I can influence! All I can influence right now is bringing in new business and growing the accounts I have brought in. that is it at this point. Everything else is wasted energy!!

So yesterday after spending a lot of time in prayer I focused on things I could influence and I had a decent day. I always wish for more opportunities but yesterday I secured some more possible business from a customer, worked on moving forward with some warm leads and began prospecting several more customers.

Here are today's goals..

1. Get a hold of Andy about our rates.
2. Follow up on every warm lead I have right now that can be followed up on at this point.
3. Call at least 30 new prospects today.
4. Secure some business for tomorrow.
5. Write up sales report

Lets get to work!!! God I give you every part of this day!!!!

Tired...

I stayed up late last night watching the Stanley Cup game that went into triple overtime! So I am a little tired today. How do I react to that in a way to reach my goals for today? Well, right now I have a huge cup of coffee in front of me and I am not planning on slowing down today! I need to stay focused and busy.

Yesterday I actually worked on all of the goals I had but it still felt like it was an unproductive day because I had trouble getting people on the phone. I could not get Andy or Jason the phone or by e-mail for feedback on my rates. As I called through the pile of leads I reached a lot of voice mail. I think I need to keep trying to call other companies until I actually reach someone. Sometimes when I get a lot of voice mails I ended up quiting and working on something else. In one way I reached my goal because I did make the calls but in another way it really was not productive. Do I just want to reach these goals or be as productive as I can? Or maybe I need to be a little more specific with my goals?

Oh yeah....now I have the added distraction of a friend who wants to start a company similar to the one I work for now. He wants me to own and run it with him. It will be a long time (18 months to 2 years) before we get to that point but it is something that can derail my current goals. So while I am working for this company I need to stay focused and dedicated to the work I am doing here. I want to reach the goals I set for this job!

Here are today's goals...

1. Try to reach Jason and Andy for feedback on rates. I went a little crazy trying to reach Jason yesterday so I may try later today for him.
2. try to get some business from my current customers.
3. Really, seriously call through your pile of leads. You need to work on this all day!!! If you get voice mails go to the next one. Do not give up so easily on this. This pile of leads is your life blood.
4. Go through all of the activies in ACT.

God, I give you this day!!!

new week

Friday was a good day. I had some distractions but I was able to stay on track and reach most of my goals for the day. I really believe that if I can work as hard as I did on Friday everyday than I should be seeing enough business to really grow with this company.

I have been reading Chuck Colson's book "The Good Life". I came across a quote from the book that really had me thinking. He said...

Our character is determined not by our circumstances but by our reaction to those circumstances

That has been one of my major problems lately. I want the circumstances to be perfect instead of realizing that they will never be perfect. I took this job because it offered me somethings that I did not have at my last job. However, in turn I am now working for a younger and smaller company that does not have the experience and systems in place that my former company had. So how do I react to that? Instead of whinning I need to realize that this is actually a wonderful opportuntiy for me to really grow with a young, agressive company. My goal of being a VP would never have happened at my last company. But I have a real chance to make a difference with this company and reach that goal.

So today, Monday, I need to focus on my goals for today and make the most of every moment I have!! When distractions come, I need to react to them instead of complaining about them. God help me to work hard for your glory today!!

Goals:

1. Set up calls for today

2. Follow up with Jason at Habasit and Andy at Spear about the rates I submitted last week.

3. Contact each of my customers looking for business.

4. Call through pile of leads...especially the leads Craig gave me. Start with those first!