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Success

Author: Mike Watts

Finding Success through Network Marketing

This past month, Kate and I were recognized for hitting one million dollars in commission with our network marketing company, Usana Health Sciences.

Today, I’d like to share my insights, experience and advice surrounding the network marketing industry.  A formal definition of network marketing, also known as MLM (multilevel marketing) is essentially a direct selling method where independent distributors sell goods or services for a commission.  Distributors are also encouraged to recruit and train others, with a goal to build and manage a team.  To me, it is a business model that exists because it brings a higher quality of product as well as allowing for delivery of product to be much quicker.  Network marketing eliminates the middleman and in turn, myself and our team become the marketing arm of the company Usana.

One of the more unique parts of this business model, is you have a choice in the company you promote and sell for.  When you’re actually excited about and fully believe in the product or service you are selling, it’s a game changer. I’ve known people who dislike the company they work for, don’t enjoy the product they promote and simply see it as a job.  This can make for a mediocre career and overall experience, which is why network marketing is different in it gives you a chance to choose a company that feels right for you.    

[If you’d like to hear more about my experience, listen to Project Life’s Network Marketing Series, Episodes 030 – 033]

Often when people think of this type of business, an aggressive salesman, persistent promoting and pushing sales with complete disregard for customers can come to mind.  This type of mentality is not how we have built our business, and not an approach we have ever taken.  I’d like to share Kate and I’s personal view when it comes to our Usana business, and what we like to call Conscious Network Marketing.  Meaning we present material to someone when they actually want to hear about it and when it’s relevant.  If they are not interested, we stop talking about it and simply let it go. We listen to the customer – what they want, how they feel and if this feels right for them.  We are professional when it comes to a potential customer and make a point to be transparent about what we do.  When it comes to our team, we lead with a purpose to nurture, help them grow and hopefully produce a transformational change.  There is no bait and switch situation, there is no taking advantage of people – the goal is to just make a positive impact.

When it comes to my personal success with the network marketing space, the benefits I’ve received and what this industry has allowed me to accomplish in my first 7 years of business is invaluable.  It has acted as our starter business, our most consistent source of income and has put me on a much higher platform as a result.  I say it’s a great business to start with because what I learnt and experienced in my first 3 – 5 years was phenomenal from a skill building standpoint. The confidence I now have within myself and the strengths I bring to the table not only have a powerful impact on my business, but on me as a human.  

I have seen our team members start with Usana and then go off to do great things, others have stuck with Usana and now have a reliable business they enjoy.  It’s all about being part of something greater than ourselves and I believe it is a perfect place to begin a transformation.

Interested in this topic? Check out TheFreedomFamily.net!

The Habit of Personal Responsibility

Do you take responsibility for your actions?

With recent events including the actions of our current president, I feel like I’ve witnessed a whole lot of blame, non-accountability and generally, a lack of ownership.

Taking it down a notch and simply reflecting on our own lives – are you making sure you’re accountable for your thoughts, decisions and actions?  Do you hold yourself accountable or play the victim?  Sometimes it is easier to dodge this responsibility because it forces us to take a good, hard look at ourselves.  This self reflection and awareness based on our actions and reactions can make us uncomfortable.  

And I think that’s a good thing.

Taking personal responsibility for each action in your life, helps us to grow.  This personal growth and improvement within ourselves is invaluable and can only come from being uncomfortable and facing it head on. It helps us reach our full potential, shift old mindsets and ultimately, transform into the person we aim to be.  It helps us to re-set the old stories and limiting beliefs we had against ourselves and feel that power to change. To be comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Self-examine and learn rather than blame and deny.

[Want to hear more on this topic? Check out Episode 029 of Project Life]

And as always, whenever you make a positive adjustment within yourself, it immediately has a positive effect on everyone around you.  Blaming those close to you for your decisions or pushing the responsibility towards anyone but yourself, will not benefit you or anyone else involved. Putting that time and effort into improving yourself, improves everything surrounding you – including these relationships.

Next time you’re faced with a situation that requires you to take personal responsibility – check yourself, take ownership and get ready to grow.

Have an experience regarding accountability? Let’s hear it below!

What is Enlightenment?

I’ve started to notice that our society labels enlightenment as something you achieve, a goal to accomplish, a win.  I think it’s a little more than that.

I believe it’s closer to a feeling, not a singular achievement.  If I can feel a little more enlightened every day, I’m doing something right.  It seems we’ve started to believe it can only be felt through methods such as meditation, but I’ve found it when doing something as simple as hanging out with my daughter Penelope.  I’ve tested out a few different ways to feel enlightenment in my daily life, so I thought I’d share a few with you.

A while ago I completed a program surrounded around the Wim Hof Method.  Essentially, it’s a combination of breathing techniques, mindset shifts, along with cold exposure.  While it may not be for everyone, I really enjoyed the process and will probably try the program again in the future.

I’ve experienced enlightenment through the simple acts of going about my daily life.  I’ve gained clarity listening to podcasts, peace while playing with my daughter and insight while driving around in my car.  When you struggle to create time in the day, you can choose to create moments in time where you are open to feeling enlightened.

In an episode of The Kate & Mike Show, we chatted with Rebekah Borucki.  Rebekah is the author of You Have Four Minutes To Change Your Life and we spoke about how taking even a few minutes to yourself in the day can be life-changing – and it is. 

Whether one of these resonates with you or not, find out what enlightenment means and feels like to you.  If it’s taking a few moments to gain clarity, seeking out calmness, or practicing an activity that gives you confidence – I promise you the search is worth it.

What is enlightenment to you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

If you’d like to hear more on this topic check out Episode 018 of Project Life with Mike Watts

One Million Dollars in the Bank

One of my goals was to have 1 million dollars in the bank by the time I was 30.

At 34, I can now say…that didn’t exactly happen.

I’ve created goals in my life, in my business and now I’m beginning to realize and re-evaluate the purpose and real meaning behind these goals.

My real journey with what I’m doing now, didn’t even start until I was 28. Leading up to that point I was working my tail off for somebody else and wasn’t exactly enjoying what I was doing.  At that point it was more about survival than anything else.  But when I started my business, my game plan had just been put in place and I was just beginning to enjoy the direction my life was taking.  

Then when I turned 30 and came face to face with the fact that I didn’t hit that goal – I really beat myself up about it.  Even though this was simply an arbitrary goal I had set, I was incredibly hard on myself for not achieving it.  The reality was since I started working on my own business at 28, that only gave me a two year window to reach this goal and that simply wasn’t going to happen.

[Want to hear more? > Listen to Project Life Episode 016: One Million Dollars in the Bank]

Then I came to the realization – why does it even matter that I didn’t hit that one million dollar goal? So I didn’t have one million dollars by the time I was 30, so what?  Why does it even matter, what difference does it really make? My problem was I treating it as a sprint, when it’s actually a marathon.  The business I run now is a marathon, to the full extent of the word. I have been running our business for 7 years now and we make a profit every year. With the goal being to continue to scale the business, reach more people and generally, grow. Now I know the income will grow and the bank account will grow but the question is – what if I never hit one million dollars in the bank? What then?

Gaining this new and different perspective about the reality of life and business, has created a beneficial mindset shift.  I get to see my daughter and wife every day, choose my own hours, and live life on my own terms. Of course I have other goals that require extra capital but it’s honestly not the end of the world if those never happen either.

Have you had a dream that you’ve beat yourself up about not achieving? Let me know in the comments!

The Significance of Self Care

How often do you push off time for yourself?

There will always be something else to do, something more important to take care of, somebody else to put our energy into.  The to-do lists will always be never ending – but what is the cost?

One thing you need to remember is – Self care is not selfish.

We often feel guilty if we take a few moments for ourselves, when you could easily think of 100 other things you could be spending your time doing.  I know for myself, being a parent, being a husband, running a few businesses – it can get a bit overwhelming.   But when I don’t take care of myself, I’m honestly no good at taking care of anything or anybody else around me.  

Now this doesn’t necessarily mean you should go have an hour long massage every day and skip picking your kids up from school or ditch an important meeting. Self care can mean taking 10 mins to meditate, taking a quick walk around the block or simply walking away for a few minutes.  Essentially, self care is anything that allows you to maintain your emotional, physical and mental well-being. It’s purpose is to help you feel aligned, balanced, healthy and ready to take on your life.  Whatever your lifestyle allows on a daily basis, learn to prioritize taking a few moments in the day for yourself.  Once you see the difference in your energy and mindset, this shift should allow you to create space each day for your needs.

[Interested in my experience prioritizing self care? Listen to Project Life’s Episode 009: Filling Up Our Own Bucket]

Learning to prioritize time spent on myself has not been easy, but it’s something I’m working towards. One thing I have noticed is when I spend the time caring for myself and showing up for myself, I do a much better job of showing up for others.  Once I began taking those moments, there was a shift in my energy and I felt so much more fulfilled – ready to take on whatever else the day was going to throw at me.  

Now how do we begin to prioritize self care? Focus on how you feel afterwards, what you’re able to bring to the table when you feel fulfilled and how this shift within yourself affects others around you.  And always remember – Self care is not selfish.

What works for you? Comment below and share your tips for filling up your own bucket.

3 Steps to Manifest Your Dreams Into Reality

Out of all the goals I’ve achieved in my life so far, I believe more than a few were due to manifestation.  It has been a bit of a journey to get to where I am today and become the person I am today – and I’m still working towards my vision for the person I ultimately want to be.

Sometimes we can achieve a simple goal, other times it takes a bit more power – and manifesting.  I’ve been reflecting recently on who I have to become to reach a certain goal.  What does that guy look like? And what do I have to do to become him?  

[Want to hear about my manifestation experience? > Listen to Episode 8 of Project Life ]

Sometimes to accomplish something you never have before, you need to become something you’ve never been before.  This could be a new habit or new mindset, it’s up to you to find out what will help you to achieve your goal.

Here’s my 3 step guide on manifesting your dreams into reality

  1. Start With A Vision

    You can call it a vision, a goal, a dream – whatever it is to you.  Choose something you know will improve your life, bring you happiness and a sense of contentment.  Think about your desire to make this vision a reality, get into that mindset and put that out into the universe.

  2. Believe In It

    Truly believe in what you’re putting out there and what you’re trying to attract into your life. Envision yourself in that situation, holding what you are trying to attract, being what you’re trying to attract. Put yourself in that place, notice how it makes you feel and set the intention that this will be in your life. Re-structure your mindset or habits to encompass the feeling behind this vision. Create reminders of this goal – simple, subtle reminders that will give you that feeling on a daily basis.

  3. Let The Universe Do Its Thing

    Trust the universe and believe in your vision.  Obsessing over it is sometimes not the best way to manifest – don’t be too demanding, pushy or set deadlines. Be open to the way this vision may manifest itself and openly invite whatever may come your way.

Have you ever manifested a goal into reality? Let’s hear it below!

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