The call we did earlier this week was phenomenal. We had more people register, more people listening in, and more people commenting on it than any other call we’ve ever done.

But what’s even more satisfying than setting new records is the fact that you obviously got a lot of valuable, life-changing content from this.

Because the comments we’ve received so far are blowing us away. Here’s a few…

“Massive value is an understatement in regards to the information you shared with us…” — Chaney Alulis

“Stunned. At the end, it even brought a few tears, that I thought I was beyond.” — Bruce Brodeen

“For the first time it provoked me to think effectively what is really holding me back.” — Dr. Kazi Anam

“Anyone who is serious about success in online marketing would do well to listen..” — Roger Johnson

“I can’t wait to see what you unveil later in September!” — R. Newhart

(hang on–we’ll get to that in a moment)

Now, we appreciate the fact that this call really opened the eyes of thousands of entrepreneurs, and we’re grateful for the chance to bring it to you.

But there’s something that I’m grateful for even MORE…

In reading your comments, I can see that your truly GETTING IT.

Stated more clearly, you get the fact that:

• my guru clients have struggled with the same stumbling blocks you now need to overcome…
• your mindset matters and getting the right mentor is critical to side-stepping the land mines in your path
• fast growth involves identifying and eliminating the one core constraint currently holding both you and your biz back…
• your strengths determine your potential, but your constraint determines your level of success…
• most entrepreneurs spend the majority of their time achieving false-efficencies which have little impact on your success…

Believe or not, writing those past five sentences gives me goosebumps, because I know your now getting on the same path my biggest success stories have traveled on…

Because as a teacher, mentor, trainer, and coach, I know what happens to entrepreneurs who don’t know those five facts. I’ve seen thousands of online entrepreneurs thrash around in the same nasty (opportunity-seeker) pit for years on end…

They pursue success as if it were a race… and end up spinning their wheels in a desperate attempt to track down the “magic pill” that promises some mysterious shortcut to be an ‘instant-winner’, and we both know where that leads (nowhere)…

No matter how hard they work or how much they spend, they never realize success can be so much simpler if they stopped looking outside and started looking inside to determine the single constraint holding them back. The one thing guaranteed to give the fastest, and biggest payoff.

In other words, they never GET IT.

But with Monday’s call (and the replays), I’m ecstatic that my guru clients were able to pull back the curtain and shed some light on your situation.

And now, you’re ready to take that next big step on your way to the success you’ve been seeking.

So where do we go from here?

Up, my friends. Further and farther up.

If you’re ready to proceed on your journey to a higher level of awareness (with even higher profits) and a better understanding of how you can leverage the very same tools I’ve used to skyrocket businesses in record time (while the entrepreneur slashes their work hours), then I’ve got something you’ll want to hear…

On this page, I’ve loaded up 3 case studies from the archives. These coaching clients were once struggling like many of you who commented on my blog…but their success skyrocketed in record time (you’ll get the complete inside story how). And check this out: all three of these entrepreneurial success stories continue on to this day, meaning the phenomenal success documented kept going and going (like the energizer bunny) dwarfing the already incredible results they had achieved.

Meaning, sustainable success – a fast growing business – along with a lifestyle that allows these entrepreneurs the ability to enjoy it.

You’ll hear from:

• • Jim Edwards. Jim came to me exhausted and completely overworked. In fact, he was very close to quitting the internet business entirely. Find out how Jim pulled himself out of this hole here…

• • Mike Filsaime. You heard from Mike on the call, but we only scratched the surface of the whole story. Mike’s profits multiplied over TEN TIMES after we made some simple changes in his business. Learn what they were here…

• Hans and Dani Johnson: This husband-and-wife team had everything–a thriving business, a growing family, and a bright future. But after seeing one my presentations, they realized the single critical element that was missing. See what that was here…

Consider Monday’s call ‘Internet-Success 101’ where you got a quick overview on some very important concepts (IF YOU HAVEN’T LISTENED TO MONDAY’S CALL CLICK HERE FIRST)

Now it’s time for ‘Internet Success 102’ – we’ll take the same issues we touched on in the call, and go even deeper. giving you a better perspective on how to really build a profitable business that delivers the freedom and wealth you desire.

And right now, they’re yours for the taking.

So if you’re ready to take your understanding and your business up a another notch or two…

Go there right now and soak it in.

I promise you–there’ll be no chanting or incense. Just profoundly profitable advice 😉

To Higher Profits,

Rich

P.S. BTW…I’ve already started getting questions about the coaching program I mentioned on the call. Don’t worry I’ll have more to share soon. But right now, with the record number of entrepreneurs listening to the conference call and even more reserving their priority copy of my next report (you can reserve your free copy here) I’d rather focus on you and what you and your business needs first.

But make sure to mark your calendar on Wednesday, September 17th, because that’s when the you’ll get your copy of my next report (if you’ve opted-into the priority list here) So, start getting ready to grow your business and reclaim your life, because it’s all going to get a lot easier real soon.

More to come on that…so stay tuned.

And don’t forget–when you’re finished listening to the case studies, come back and post your biggest takeaways here. (I was literally blown away by your comments on the last post… and it’s making dig deep to give you more (lots more) – I’m a sucker for appreciation)

Can’t wait to see them…

It’s late at night and I’m burning the midnight oil. Why? Because I am working on my next report, and it’s shaping up to be my best one yet. It happens everytime… I get so absorbed in my writing that I just click away on my keyboard until I look up – and everyone is gone!

Anyway, during my research I happened to stumble across a really cool new site. It’s SearchMe and it completely changes the way you surf online. I think you’re going to love it.

Continue…

Do you ALWAYS follow the bouncing ball?

Congratulations! Like me, you may already have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

And you may be on your way to becoming an Internet Millionaire!

I’ve coached thousands of entrepreneurs. Many of them have been diagnosed with ADD, but many more have not… they just think they have it. And they are using ADD as an excuse for why they haven’t succeeded in their chosen careers.

That’s a cop out. 

There’s a reason why 76 percent of the successful Internet business gurus I have coached all have ADD. (That’s 15 times the national average).

People with ADD are exceptionally suited to excel as online entrepreneurs because of — not in spite of — our so-called “affliction.” You should think of it as an advantage. Learn from people who are using ADD to grow their businesses.

Here’s why:
(Hat tip to Peter Quily, author of Top Ten Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career”)

Hyperfocus Rules! Who says people with ADD can’t focus? Sometimes, that’s all we do. You know how to get in the zone and stay there. Sometimes for 14 hours at a time. Make it productive. While others are sleeping, you’ll be making money.

Use Your Rapid Fire and Ferocious Mind. Your brain is a cheetah. The next great idea is a rabbit. Yummy, yummy. Enough said.

Multitask Like an Octopus on Crack.  How many browsers can you keep open on your monitor and still stay productive? Push the limits and find the best research in less time.

Experience a Super High Energy Level. Is Adrenaline a vegetable? If not, I’m declaring caffeine and sugar as fruits. Vroom! Vroom! Let’s get healthy and wealthy!

Get Highly Creative. Do you look at Dalmatians and see dice with legs? Ever find a business solution at the bottom of your smoothie? You don’t just think outside the box you play in it and turn it into a multi-family dwelling when you’re done. Rock on, origami boy!

All Hail the Quick Learner. ADDers pay attention to things that interest us. If something bores you, move on. There’s plenty more to do and discover with your supercharged mind. Mix in some creativity and create a cocktail for success.

Welcome to Stimulation Nation. Your brain craves stimulation. The Web gives it a home. Turn your distraction into discovery and keep your brain juiced with something amazing.

Leave X-Ray Vision to Superman. He only used it to check out Lois Lane, anyway. You have the super ability to see what others don’t see. Find business opportunities while your competitors find despair.

You’re a Crisis Champion. You don’t just like to mix it up, you are sometimes guilty of being the instigator. You thrive on chaos and change, and you don’t shrink from intense situations. Create an environment in which you thrive that will drive your competitors crazy.

No Risk, No Reward. Take some chances, then move onto the next adventure. You have ADD. While others are still reading the directions, you’ve already made two trips around the game board. Learn as you go, but keep going! and going! and going!

Forget about making lemonade from lemons! You have ADD! Go make your millions while others are still wondering how you get everything done.

Remember, ADD is a disorder, not a cop out. It’s a physiological problem, not a psychological one. You can’t fake ADD, and you shouldn’t try.

There are good traits with ADD as you can see, but there are some bad ones, too. I know because I struggle with them everyday.

Don’t use ADD as an excuse for your fears and failures. Rather, you should be inspired by people who really struggle with ADD and have turned perceived weaknesses into business strengths.

I know because I’m one of them… but I won’t change who I am or make excuses because of it.

Simple message: Be comfortable with who you are… but be more productive.

Share your thoughts…

Some days, you wake up to challenges…

The alarm clock didn’t go off. The modem isn’t working. The milk has spoiled.

And yet, there are opportunities…

You awake to the feeling of sunshine streaming through a window. You read a newspaper instead of scanning news online. You drink your coffee black.

Each day brings new challenges and opportunities. But what if you could turn those challenges into opportunities for greater productivity?

It’s possible, because I do it every day.

Here’s the secret: Focus attention on the tasks that will lead to success.

Before you make your coffee… Before you butter your toast… Before you drop the kids off at school or complete any part of your morning ritual, ask yourself this question about your business day:

What am I trying to accomplish today? It’s a short question, but it packs a big punch.
Many of my coaching clients, most of whom are online entrepreneurs, are blinded by the prospect of making lots of money without spending much upfront.

The potential of having a successful online business is enormously attractive. Not only does it sound cool to say “entrepreneur,” but it’s even better when you can define the term by saying “look at me.”

Yet, the same low-cost barriers to entry can bring a low probability of profit if you can’t address the question: What am I really trying to accomplish?

You need to spend some quality time figuring out what your objective is and how you need to focus your attention to accomplish and exceed that objective.

– Do you want to become the best Internet business coach?
– Are you hoping to sell self-help books online?
– Have you discovered a way to feed the masses and end world hunger?

Whatever your goals, whatever your talents, you have to give this your full attention. Anything less will lead you in the wrong direction – closer to frustration and further from your goals.

So, ask yourself again: What am I trying to accomplish today? And continue to ask this question every day, several times a day, to maintain your focus on achievement.

I know from asking several of my coaching clients that many people struggle with this question.

It’s not because they lack confidence. It’s not because they are trying to be evasive. It’s simply because – no matter how long they have been thinking about building an online business – they just haven’t given the question sufficient, serious thought.

What are you trying to accomplish with your online business?

I am asking this question within the framework of our discussions about attention and, more specifically, our anticipated return on attention.

If you choose to give your attention to something that will become your livelihood, you should certainly know what you hope to accomplish with all of this attention, right?

Remember the examples in previous posts about Starbucks and Apple. Their corporate and critical success is about passion, customer service and paying attention to the right things.

You have to find those same magic seeds and spread them among your customers.

Without a well-researched and well-executed plan for growth, you stand little chance of succeeding against a world of competitors as an online entrepreneur.

Yes, I said an entire world of online entrepreneurs.

Remember, the Internet is not located on a street corner; it’s located on the World Wide Web. Your competitors may be found anywhere on the globe. Are you ready to compete with them and win?

So, ask yourself again: What are you trying to accomplish today?

How will your focused attention translate into higher profits for your business?

If you’re struggling for an answer, it’s time to maximize your attention on the subject. Here are some tips:

– Prioritize. Gain the ability to organize your tasks in a way that aligns with your goals.
– Determine really clear short-term goals. Long-term goals are great, but the short-term goals provide a “scorecard” to make sure you are completing the most important things that will keep you moving forward.
– Upgrade your ability to deal with information. Take a speed reading course. Discover new methods of research and study. Become informationally efficient.

I’ll have more tips on how you can accomplish these attention goals in Part 2 of The Attention Age Doctrine, which will be released later this month.

But in the meantime, I want to hear from you.

What are you trying to accomplish with your online business?

Besides trying to make lots of money…

No one knows better than you about your passion and goals. Share some of them here and build a community of fans who will cheer for you as you exceed your own business expectations.

You have my attention… Now, start accomplishing your goals.

Show me how it’s done.

Post your comment: 

Man, I love this blog.

I enjoy the give-and-take of this group as we hammer-out the challenges and issues in the Attention Age.

Your comments provide great material for Part 2 of The Attention Age Doctrine, which will be ready later this month. Thanks for your contributions and your patience. I promise, it’s going to be great!

As you may realize, one of the best attention-holding features of blogging is the opportunity to keep conversations alive. I do it here as often as I can.

While each blog post may survive on its own merit, it is also possible – and encouraged – to carry thoughts from one post to another as a viral thread.

After all, this is how some of the best ideas are spread.

That said, let’s return to the topic of Return on Attention (ROA).

Return on attention is the performance metric by which we measure the value of the attention we “pay” to other people and ideas.

You’ll remember from a previous post that I asked about the return you are receiving from the attention you freely give to others. Thanks for your comments on this topic and keep them coming. You’ll see in a moment why I asked for them in the first place.

Think of ROA as a financial transaction.

When you pay for a product or service, you expect something of value in return:

– Pay for milk. Bring milk home and drink it.

– Pay for housecleaning services. Come home to a clean house.

– Pay for business coaching. Get Rich Schefren. 🙂

The return should always be of great value, otherwise, there’s no point in making the purchase.

Yet, as I’ve noted earlier, we tend to give our attention away to many things, asking little or nothing in return. Seems strange, especially if you are trying to succeed as an online entrepreneur.

Since attention is such a scarce resource, we should recognize its value and only exchange it for something of equal worth.

It’s like bartering diamonds for gold pieces. The value of each must be measured accordingly.

Yet each day, we let our mind and our attention wander away from our own business goals. We squander our intellectual capital and waste our energies on lesser subjects and ideas.

By doing so, we take our eyes off the ball with regard to our own business goals. We divide and subdivide our own attention to our detriment, diminishing our power to achieve.

Re-read that last sentence out loud. See if it applies to your own online business situation.

Giving away attention devalues its impact. It dulls the force of our competitive nature.

It’s like giving up diamonds for rubber bands. You probably wouldn’t do it if you were of sound mind – unless you received a helluva lot of rubber bands – so why do we constantly give away our valuable attention?

ROA often comes in the form of knowledge. It’s what we receive as a benefit for having paid attention to a customer, a client, a motivational speaker, or anything else.

What we derive from that experience should have its own reward for us, either in the form of financial gain, wisdom increase or future benefit.

Our goal, as always, is to convert that knowledge into wisdom.

Entrepreneurs are the alchemists of the online world. We are innovative enough to make gold out of straw. But we can’t afford to give away our well-earned wealth – in the form of attention – without receiving greater value for our efforts.

Global business strategist and author John Hagel III has his own take on ROA. He says it is “driven by the proliferation of options available to us in all domains of our life, increasing the relative scarcity of an increasingly valuable resource – our attention.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself, so I didn’t. That’s why I’m giving him full credit.

Hagel suggests that virtual communities, such as this blog, can be powerful conduits in delivering ROA by enhancing good fortune.

In other words, you’ll become “lucky” just by paying attention to my blog. I completely agree.

Don’t you get a rush of excitement when you “accidentally” discover a valuable, relevant resource of information that you didn’t even know existed?That’s what the StumbleUpon.com web site is all about. It creates value from other sites that we “stumble upon” as we navigate our way around the Web.

As a former baseball executive said a long time ago, “luck is the residue of design.” You’ll be amazed at how lucky you’ll feel when you do things with real purpose – not just out of habit – like searching for knowledge to grow your business.

The challenge is to harness the power of these valuable resources and derive a healthy return on the attention we give during our quest.

How can you connect with others to grow? How can you take advantage of your skills for finding relevant “treasure among the trash” and use the materials as key building blocks for your success?

Your attention becomes an investment in that success. You have to mine the gems before you realize their value.

Let’s put it to the test on this blog.

Think like a big shot banker… Where will your attention receive the greatest “bang for the buck?”

Share your attention wealth with my blog readers.

Tell me your top three goals for getting a great return on your attention.

It is possible to find treasure in the trash, if you know how to pay attention.

Let’s see if we can turn that attention into business gold.

Please leave your comment… 

Local TV news programs often follow a very simple directive:
“If it bleeds, it leads.”

That’s why crime stories and negative news regularly top the daily newscasts. “Bad news” almost always steals our attention.

The “good news” about the church that raised $100,000 for a blind orphan comes much later in the newscast – if it makes the news at all.

Frustrating, isn’t it? Why do the negatives often grab the spotlight from the positives? Why is our attention drawn to negative thoughts and events?

Blame it on the “attention hogs.”

Sept. 11, 2001. It got our attention. Evil terrorist attacks on the United States and the resulting, ongoing war on terrorism. It’s held our attention.

But while fear and bad news often grab the headlines,  our “good news” – perhaps your own marketing message – suffers as a consequence of dastardly “attention hogs.” By capturing and holding attention, these hogs leave little room for other more attention-worthy news.

Just who are these attention hogs?

The list is long and it grows longer by the day…

Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, the late Anna Nicole Smith and Princess Diana. They join the ranks of Monica Lewinsky, Barry Bonds, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, global warming, Hurricane Katrina, Harry Potter, and the Apple iPhone on our impromptu list.

They are all persons or entities that have won our attention, for better or worse, in the Attention Age.

Not all will hold a treasured place in our memories. In fact, many may be fading as we speak, but they still receive attention. At least for a moment – usually more – and just long enough for us to emotionally brand our brains.

Our attention is a scarce resource, and so is the attention of the marketplace. How we allocate our own attention really matters.

But there are those “attention hogs” among us who are trying to steal more bandwidth. They want real estate in our brains, and with the help of technology and mass media, many have left their mark forever.

Attention hogs not only suck your attention, but they make it more difficult for your own marketing to be successful. In essence, we are all competing with Paris Hilton and the terrorists for attention.

When people are paying attention to them, they’re not paying attention to you and your products.

Terrorism is clearly an instrument of attention-getting cowardice. Osama bin Laden is known worldwide as a terrorist mastermind. His name and face are synonymous with terrorism. Bin Laden’s acts of terror have made an emotional connection in our brain. He captures that much of our attention, as we hope to capture him.

Far from the only evil “hog” in this Attention Age, Bin Laden is joined by the Virginia Tech killer – no name is necessary – as having successfully seared his image and actions in our brain. The tragic events at Virginia Tech in 2007 and the 33 people killed will long be remembered, even if the name of the killer is soon forgotten.

Why do we know or care about Paris Hilton? How do we know about Lindsay Lohan’s progress in rehab? What about Anna Nicole Smith or the intimate details and tragic turns in Princess Diana’s life and death?

All are celebrity-driven drains on our attention, with two receiving more attention in death than the considerable attention they had already received in life.

Why? Because we allow them to take hold of our attention and keep a piece of it for themselves.

Barry Bonds sets a home run record, but we pay more attention to rumors of “performance-enhancement drugs.” Monica Lewinsky becomes infamous for an adulterous affair with President Bill Clinton. Her last name becomes a slang term for oral sex. Now, that’s attention.

Hurricane Katrina is a metaphor for natural disaster, hope and recovery. Global warming straddles the line between hoax and reality. Oprah is Oprah. Harry Potter is a book-selling, movie-making wizard. And the iPhone becomes the “next big thing.”

All claim attention, all are attention hogs. They hold themselves up as “winners” in the Attention Age.

The losers? Anyone who pays too much attention to any one or all of these winners. They are not all worthy of that much attention, but they get it just the same.

Remember: What we give them in attention, we can never reclaim as our own.

So let me ask you this: What are you receiving from all of the attention you freely give?

In other words… What is your “return on attention” – your personal ROA – from the attention you so willingly pay to the attention hogs?

Create a list of the “good” and “bad” attention hogs in your life.

Tell us what you demand in return from each attention hog and how you will make them earn your attention in the future.

Let’s discover new ways to channel our attention, fight off the hogs, and help our businesses grow.

Post here…

“Interruptions are in the eye of the interrupted.”

This was a key point in The Attention Age Doctrine, and one that really struck a nerve with many of my readers.

Information that you think is important to your business, may simply be an interruption to your business goals.

Trouble is, you won’t realize whether or not the information is important until you’ve given it your attention.

Since the release of The Attention Age Doctrine, I’ve received countless e-mails and blog comments about the distinction between an “interruption” and a “distraction” as it relates to business efficiency. While there are “dictionary differences” between the two, I’ll just give you my quick analysis.

An interruption is external. It’s a break in continuity, something unexpected that “pops up” and causes you to divert your attention. Examples: Someone calling your name, an e-mail alert on your computer, a ringing phone, a raindrop falling on your head, a bowling bowl dropped in your lap. Interruptions grab our attention by diverting our focus.

A distraction is internal. It’s an emotional disturbance that requires our own compliance. It’s your mind thinking about lunch options while you are in an important business meeting. It’s a gaze out the window to watch the birds fly by or the feeling that you left your iron on in the laundry room. There’s an underlying cause for distractions that divides our attention in a subtle way. Distractions may seem like harmless “white noise,” but they can be quite, well, distracting.

Workplace interruptions and distractions serve one disturbing purpose: They take us off course. Every time we “follow the bouncing ball,” our business goals get pushed aside.

By taking your focus off the “big task” of what your business needs (more on this in a sec…), your vision becomes clouded, your message muddled, your decisions diluted and delayed.

What’s even worse is that it becomes a habit. You end up conditioning your brain to respond in a similar fashion in the future. In essence, you are re-wiring your brain to work against you [I’ll share the research that supports this notion, and how you can re-condition your attention, in Part 2 of the Attention Age Doctrine, coming out next month.]

Look, there’s a real reason why many racehorses run with blinders on. It’s so they’ll stay focused on the task at hand – winning.

So why is it so difficult for entrepreneurs to do the same? Why don’t we work with blinders on, avoiding interruptions so we can focus on growing our business and achieving our goals?

Maybe it’s because you love being in the race more than you love achieving the results. You enjoy the “busyness” of your business, but are unwilling to get serious about doing what it takes to succeed. You’re allowing distractions and interruptions to pull you away from your business goals.

My coaching clients often ask: How can I avoid the interruptions that are distracting me from my work?

An easy answer is to work in solitary confinement, but that has its own downside. A better answer comes from asking a better question: Why am I allowing myself to be so easily distracted?

No one makes us answer e-mails. There is no law, under penalty of death, to respond immediately to instant messages or a ringing telephone.

We can avoid interruptions and distractions if we want to do so. So why do we allow this to happen?

It’s always easier to blame an outside source for our troubles – a computer, a colleague, a PDA – rather than take that terrifying look inside ourselves to see what is lurking among the cobwebs.

Are we are our own worst enemy when it comes to distraction? Are we the cause of our own interruptions that take us off the path to success and down a spiraling path toward procrastination and diminished productivity?

Think about it for a moment. Each time you sit down in front of the computer you should do so with an ultimate goal: task completion. But getting from Point A to Point B in your business is rarely a direct line of progression – at least, that’s what you’ve been telling yourself.

The demands on our attention are infinite, but our attention is finite. So we have to keep focused on the goal of winning.

Every time we turn our attention away from our purpose – task completion – and toward something else (i.e., reading e-mail, mindlessly surfing the Web, chasing butterflies, chatting on the phone), we imperil our business goals and do our customers a great disservice.

We can choose to blame technology, our neighbors, family and friends, but really the blame is our own. It is our own refusal – note, I did not say “inability” – to eliminate the interruptions and distractions that cause frustration and prevent us from achieving ultimate success.

By allowing interruptions to sidetrack us – by giving in to the pull of distraction – we simply delay our primary gratification: the knowledge and pride in a job well done and the financial reward that comes with it.

Instead of doing what your business needs you to do, you end up doing what you want to do.

Let’s put that in perspective. You may not want to change diapers, but your children need you to do it. You may not want to pay taxes, but it’s probably a good idea to complete them on time each year. In both cases, you just have to hold your nose and get it done.

Successful entrepreneurs (in the right business) love their businesses. They shouldn’t “have to” do the job; they should “want to” do what is best for business development and ultimate reward.

This creates another immediate concern:

Do you know what your business really needs of you?

If not, all of the time you waste through “distraction” may really be the fault of your own “indecision.” You must decide what your business needs from you (in a step-by-step list of tasks) and eliminate the interruptions and distractions so you can get it done.

Two days ago I attended a networking event in Texas that will most likely go down in history as one of the biggest gatherings of influential men and women in business and marketing.  It was hosted by my good friend Stephen Pierce. Some of the powerful people in attendance were T Harv Eker, Jay Abraham, John Reese, and Jeff Walker; Tim Ferris, Armand Morin, Russell Brunson, and John Carlton; Mike Filsaime, Tom Beal, Jerry Clark, and Shawn Casey; Eben Pegan, Mike Litman, and Dave Lakhani; Janet Switzer, Yanik Silver, and Lori Morgan Ferraro.

At the event I had a great conversation with Internet Marketing legend John Reese. Besides getting some great marketing advice from him regarding our upcoming seminar in February, we also compared our approaches to getting our work done. And we both had a similar approach.

We both think about the goal we are trying to accomplish and list all the steps we need to do in order to accomplish it. Then, we get to work. John said (and I agreed) that often people get sidetracked or procrastinate because they haven’t taken the time to layout all the steps they need to take to accomplish their goals.

The list of steps helps grab and focus their attention.

Early radio and television programs used to be interrupted by breathless announcers with a familiar refrain: “We interrupt this message to bring you a special announcement…” The message grabbed your attention and wouldn’t let go until you absorbed it, at which time you were “returned to your regularly scheduled programming.”

It’s time to get clear about what you need to do, focus your attention and “get with the program” of working on what matters.

So, why are you not achieving your business goals faster?

Do you have an interruption problem, a distraction problem, or an indecision problem? (Share your thoughts on this here)

Sometimes introspection can be a painful journey of discovery, but one we all must take.

So do it right now, right here… Then get back to work!

Post a comment about this article 

Most online entrepreneurs just like you either suffer from too little or way too much information: There simply is no in-between.

Where do you stand? How do you figure out which amount of information is “just right?”

Today, we’ll continue the conversation on information overload that we started in an earlier blog post. And, boy, is there a lot of material to cover …

Let’s begin with one of the biggest issues.

I’m often asked by nervous entrepreneurs:

When is “enough” information really enough?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this question from clients – “newbie” business owners and veteran business leaders alike.

So many smart people are convincing themselves that they are just not smart enough. Stop doing this to yourself and your business.

As we mentioned in an Aug. 15 posting on this blog about information overload, you can’t possibly know everything, so don’t even try. You just need to recognize what you don’t know and fill in the gaps along the way.

One of our blog readers, Dan Scott, put this urgency in perspective: “Often we keep acquiring more information so we can put off pulling the trigger … at some point, you’ve got sufficient information and should just act.”

Excellent point, Dan.

Think about it:

It’s great to have an impressive vocabulary, but you don’t need to memorize an entire dictionary in order to enjoy a good book. If you don’t understand a new word, simply look it up. It’s that easy to do.

You just have to trust yourself – and your brain. After all, even Albert Einstein couldn’t remember his own telephone number. He reasoned, quite accurately, that he didn’t need to memorize his phone number because he knew where to find it in the phone book.

Einstein didn’t question his knowledge of the unknown, even for little things like remembering a phone number. You shouldn’t either.

Sometimes knowing how to access information is more important than the information itself. Remember that – I’m sure it will become more and more important to you as your business grows.

There’s another puzzling question I hear a lot, and this one is funny when you say it out loud:

How do I know that I’ll know what I need to know when I need to know it?

Questions like these reveal a disturbing unease about strategic business process – and a lack of confidence among business owners. The questions don’t lead to business solutions; they just heighten our anxieties and pick at the scab of uncertainty that irritates us all.

“What if I can’t keep up with my competitors?” …

“What if I don’t buy every business book, read every e-mail, and scan every RSS feed?” …

“What if I miss the one bit of information that could truly set my business on fire?”

“What if …”

This kind of paranoia freezes growth opportunity.

It discourages risk-taking and leads to indecision, inefficiency, and ultimately, paralysis.

This is no way to run a successful business.

Information anxiety plagues many good business people. But the great ones are able to sort through the clutter of information and inaction and get to the part that really matters – the information that leads you to take action.

Again, knowing how to access and interpret information is sometimes more important than the information itself.

Think about this example. What turns the lights on in your house? Simple answer: A light switch.

You don’t need to know about volts, ohms and amperes in order to turn on the lights. You just need the lights to work so you can see what is in front of you.

The ability to see what is in front of you: This is what so many of us seem to have lost.

Instead, we block our own view, and distort our business vision, with needless stacks of irrelevant information. The “stacks” don’t have to be physical. Even a virtual impediment is a blockade to creativity and productive thought.

Oh yeah, one more thing …

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll still make them, no matter how much information you have in your memory and at your fingertips.

Let me share a secret with you.

If you’ve done anything at all – not just business – then you have valuable experiences locked inside you that are just waiting to be rediscovered

You know what has worked and what hasn’t in certain situations. This will ALWAYS provide the best information you need to succeed. It is personal to you and it is timely: Two strong reasons why it’s more valuable to you than most information you’ll come across.

Most likely, no other business guru has ever shared this secret with you ­– because, if they did, it would be bad for business.

But I’m willing to do this for you because I believe you really must understand this. I’ve had some of the best mentors in the world – Jay Abraham, Michael Masterson, etc. – but even with that star-quality guidance, I needed something more.

The most important, impactful and relevant information I ever received that has helped me be successful has come directly from my own experiences – good and bad.

You are the best source of information for your business.

You know what works best and what doesn’t. You’ve thrown yourself into the fire and perhaps you’ve been burned by a few failed business decisions.

So what? That’s nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it may be just what you need to assure success in the future.

Your experiences, your passions, your successes and failures, all come into play as you move forward in any business venture. Each bit of experience you have gained along the way becomes a pebble on the path toward future growth.

Don’t turn that pebble into a boulder by blocking your ability to move forward with confidence.

Often, clients tell me that watching me make a mistake, rebound and leverage it for future growth has inspired them to really change their way of thinking. They are no longer timid with fear of failure. Instead, they are ready to pounce on opportunity, even if it is born of error.

While you may be tempted to ingest all sorts of information from outside sources, and many of these sources may prove remarkably helpful, the ultimate business decisions are made by you.

It is essential that you take control of that decision-making function.

And no matter what, do not discount what you know already or make your own knowledge any less important than anyone else’s. It is your wisdom that has value because you are living with it.

Last year, in a Sept. 8 blog posting, I offered tips on how to attack information overload and the resulting anxiety it causes.

In it, I asked my readers to overcome “the single biggest obstacle to achieving lasting success online and offline.” That obstacle, for many, is their own personal craving for more and more information.

You may be an information junkie, but don’t let information anxiety turn your business into junk.

What’s causing you to delay action in favor of more research? What impulses are preventing you from “pulling the trigger” on action-oriented solutions?

Your responses on information overload have been illuminating, and I’m learning from all that I receive and read.

Share your secrets to “getting going” on new tasks. Do you have a certain ritual you follow? A certain method you use to kick-start your productivity? How do you know when enough is enough?

Let me know how you do it … There are a lot of people hungry for your ideas.

To Higher Profits,

Rich Schefren

Hey Guys,

I have a quick favor to ask of you.

But before we get into that I just want to point out that, in the last 24 hours alone, roughly 6,231 people have watched my latest video, “Startup To Freedom”. I seems as though people are starting to send the video to their friends and family.

So not only could you learn a lot from the video, but you could also look at it as a lesson in viral marketing! Cool.

Now since my inbox has been flooded with questions and comments about momentum, I want to try and answer them the best they can. But before I do that, I want you to submit a question to my blog so that I can have a clear picture of the common obstacles that are preventing people from gaining momentum.

Here is the question I’d like you to answer:

Q:What is the biggest obstacle that is preventing you from gaining the momentum you need to bring your business to the next level?

Submit your answer on this post…

And yes this means you!

It will only take 30 seconds, and it will help you identify the constraint that is preventing you from growing your business.

Then, later on this week, I’ll be releasing something that will address the common obstacles you’re facing. I already have some ideas, based on the feedback so far, but I’m very interested in hearing from you.

I’m looking forward to your feedback.

To Higher Profits,
Rich Schefren

Hey Guys,

Here’s the final installment of your business makeover toMake 2007 Your Best Year.

Pretty soon you’ll have a bigger smile because there will be epiphanies for you if you’ve done the lists with all the heart and honesty you could muster.

So by now you may have some ideas about how to build a better life in 2007… So we’re going kick it up a notch.

Are you wondering just how to use what you’ve learned from the last 4 lists to make this year extremely profitable for you?.

Well, your next Big Question is the glue that brings all of this together.

If you’ve skipped ahead to find out where my Business Makeover Formula was taking you, please go back to the first post and follow the step by step makeover formula for each post.

You’ve really got to put in the time to get the benefit from this… Just like you don’t get the benefits of working out by only talking about it, you wonvt get the benefits of this synergy if you donvt do all of these lists. So hold off on today’s Big Question for now if you need to go back and do the other lists first.

Because all of those steps will lead you right back here.

Then you will be ready for the Biggest Question for turning your situation around in short order.

Your Biggest Question Is…
How Can I Use This Information to Make 2007 My Best Year?

The Big Questions and steps you’ve taken leading up to this post will help you only when you put them to use.

And only if you’ve been brutally honest with yourself.

I strongly suggest that after you finish this post, go into your office and grab a big stack of index cards.

Yes, index cards.

Next, take each of your accomplishments from 2006 and write each one on a separate index card.

Now take each of your disappointments and write each one on a separate index card.

Then take each bad thing that you’ve discovered is holding you back and write each one on a separate index card.

These Index Cards are Your Pot of Gold

Take your stack of ‘Victory cards’. On each card write down as many ways you can think of to apply what you did right to your activities this year.

Next, grab your stack of ‘Disappointment cards’. On each one write down how you can avoid this disappointment in 2007.

Then take your stack of ‘What Held You Back cards’. Write down how you can eliminate each limitation from your life as soon as possible.

You Now Have the Key to Making 2007 Your Best Year!

The pot of gold is what you discover by going through all the lists and the entire makeover process – to make 2007 your best year ever.

You only get the results by first following the formula.

Are you thinking that this index card thing is stupid?

Well lose that thought because it works! Writing things down is very powerful.

Make these cards easily accessible so you can review them regularly and re-apply them when needed.

From my personal experience, I know for a fact that if you do this exercise just as I’ve shown you, you’ll get an incredible amount of ammunition to move onward and upward with your business situation and your life in general.

Now and then as you re-visit these lists and see how far you’ve come, you’ll be blown away… And when you are, donvt forget to write and tell me.

By using this formula to make your situation better, you are not relegated to reliving your mistakes year after year…

Why not capitalize on the things you’ve done right to bring you easy profits well into the future?

Why not eliminate what hasn’t worked instead of repeating the same mistakes over and over?

Why not question beliefs and actions that bog down your life in ways that inhibit your business and personal growth?

I Want to Hear How My 2007 Makeover Process Helped You!

After you create your index cards and get a boatload of great ideas for blowing out your business in 2007, tell me!

Leave a comment. Actually, you can leave many comments, so I can see what you thought of each lesson and how each one helped you.

I’d really love to hear your success story…

To Higher Profits,

Rich Schefren
Strategic Profits

P.S.- You’ve really learned a lot this week about making your situation better and not getting stuck in a rut of poor results from your business.

Making things better in 2007 is affected by the decisions you’ve made over the last year.

More importantly, the wrong decisions you’ve made that you haven’t corrected. The wrong things that you keep on doing, even though you can see they are not helping you to grow the online business of your dreams…

Plus all of the good decisions you’ve made in the past that you didn’t automatically apply to your business this year.

And the decisions you’ve made based on pre-programmed beliefs and weaknesses that you never even knew were there dragging you down.

P.P.S. Make me proud. Do what you have to do to use this powerful Business Makeover Formula (that I use myself) to take your business to new unimaginable heights…

And then let me know, because you’ll be the kind of person that I want to do business with!