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Organization/Time Management

Is this you? You sign up for a course or program (or purchase an information product). You're excited about what you're going learn. Your expectations are high and you feel powerful because you just made a positive decision.

And then...

Nothing.

A couple of months go by, the CDs are stacked in you office, next to your empty printer cartridges, and the workbook you had so excitedly torn the shrink-wrapping off is there too, gathering as much dust as it does guilt.

What went wrong?

We entrepreneurs are "life time learners" but without a clear strategy for how to take in all the information available to us, it's all too easy to spin our wheels and waste money on programs and products we'll never put to use.

Now, I LOVE purchasing information products (way back when, I was a die-hard catalogue shopper-anything to keep me from having to go to a, gulp, shopping mall! So when the Internet came along, I was a natural for enjoying its shopping ease and simplicity.)

I also have two coaches (yes, in addition to my mom and husband, who are also both coaches) and am a Platinum member of a year-long coaching program. So you can see that learning rates HIGH up on my list of priorities!

But...I do NOT purchase any product or join a program without first being clear on whether I am going to get information I will actually put to use.

Here are my 5 favorite tips for getting the MOST from the information and programs you purchase, so they put money IN your pocket:

Tip #1 Ask yourself THIS pivotal question...
"What is the ONE thing you want the product or program to deliver?"

When you're clear on what your outcome is, you increase your likelihood of achieving it by more than double. In addition, when you're this specific about what you expect to get for your purchase, you're more likely to dive in and put the information to use. Which leads me to my second tip...

Tip #2 Get into action
No product or program will help you if you don't take action! When I purchase a product I listen to the CDs the moment they arrive. In fact, I have a special case I keep in my car with the information programs I've purchased all lined up in the order I plan on listening to them.

Tip #3 Don't expect one product or program to give you everything you need
When I make a purchase or join a program, I'm looking for ONE great idea that will make my time spent well worthwhile. When I find it, I'm thrilled! Do I care that the other portions of the product or program were just so-so? Not really.
Here's why: it only takes one great idea (put into action) to change your business—dramatically!

For example: Last year, I purchased a very expensive program, filled with incredible content. I listened to all 16 CDs over the entire summer. There were easily ten different ideas I heard that were worth pursuing. I chose ONE idea, put it into action and now have another $130,000 worth of revenue each year.

Tip #4 Decide what you WANT to participate in and IGNORE the rest
Just because a product comes with CDs, a workbook and other goodies does NOT mean you must use all of them! If you prefer to listen then just use the CDs and ignore the workbook. Prefer to read? Great! Curl up with the workbook and put the CDs on your learning library shelf.

Here's another example: Since August, I've been part of a large, high-end marketing program. It includes the usual CDs, transcripts, monthly calls (which I can never attend, due to something else scheduled on that day each month), member forum, etc.

When I joined the program, I knew I would never use half of the program's components. But the other half I make use of each and every month. I read the transcript the moment it is available and listen to the CDs in my car. That's it. Has the program been worthwhile? Absolutely!

Tip #5 Talk about what you're learning
I tell everyone I know (my mom, my husband, even my horses!) what I am learning. Talking about it helps you clarify your thoughts, integrate what you are learning, plus sparks additional questions to ask. I find this tip priceless when it comes to getting MORE than my money's worth from a product or program!

So, whether you're choosing to purchase one of my products or programs, or someone else's, put these five tips into action and you'll learn more-faster-and feel that delicious sense of power and accomplishment long after the shrink wrap is gone!