If it's not downhill, it's not a good opportunity
Opportunity is a word that is extremely important to understand if one is to succeed in life, whether it's in one's career, business, social life, love life, etc.
The best way to illustrate what an opportunity actually is, is to think of yourself as an alpine skier.
You walk through life with those darn skis and they actually impede you. However, you suddenly see a slope and it looks smooth enough. THAT'S what an opportunity is! A nice slope for a nice skier like you.
Sometimes, somebody might approach you and invite you to climb a mountain. He might say, "Look at that mountain! It's a wonderful opportunity for you! Climb it and conquer it and be successful! Achieve your dreams!"
However, that is NOT an opportunity, because it is not downhill -- like a slope. Climbing a mountain actually requires a lot of work, chiefly because you are working AGAINST gravity.
Skiing down a mountain, however, is easy work since gravity does most of the work!
Therefore, remember this neat success secret: If it's not downhill, it's not a good opportunity. In other words, look for valleys, not for mountains!
Note: Climbing a mountain or doing anything that involves hard work may not be a good opportunity although it can be a very good training exercise.
Now that we've established that "downhill" is the way to go, let's examine different types of slopes. Some are for beginners, some are for intermediates, some are for experts and some are for truly suicidal people!
When I go skiing, I never go down the "expert" lane, I always choose the "intermediate" lane.
It's the same in life. You have to know your skills level. Practice first with the "beginner" slope, then move on to "intermediate" and finally to "expert."
For example, if you want to go into business, start with something really, really, really simple.
Note: Contact me at superscribe@gmail.com if you would like to hear opportunities for launching a micro-business that is really, really, really easy to succeed at. I can get you started on the right track.
Below is a ladder of difficulty so you can understand what I'm talking about:
1. Network marketing (e.g. Melaleuca)
2. Direct sales (e.g. Avon)
3. Order taking by phone + cross-selling/up-selling
4. Order taking by phone
5. Order taking by email
6. Working as a paid apprentice for an entrepreneur
7. Working as an apprentice-volunteer for an entrepreneur
The above list is not exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of the level of difficulty involved at each stage. 7 is easiest while 1 is hardest.
Anyone can go from 1 to 7. And you can go slowly or rapidly. But what you cannot do is fail at one stage and expect to succeed at a higher stage.
In the early 90s, someone approached me to join his network marketing organization. I carefully considered the opportunity as I was looking for a way to make money (I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in life since I had just dropped out of university).
Now, in retrospect, it seems to me that I declined the offer because I was not ready for it.
Then, over the years, I went from stage 6 to stage 1 as explained below:
1. Network marketing (I'm currently building a network marketing organization -- or rather, an e-viral marketing company to be exact)
2. Direct sales (I ran my own marketing company with a partner who did the graphic design work)
3. Order taking by phone + cross-selling/up-selling (I sold extra and advanced computer courses)
4. Order taking by phone (I sold computer courses by phone)
5. Order taking by email (I sold computer courses by email)
6. Working as a paid apprentice for an entrepreneur (I worked on salary for an entrepreneur)
If you are having difficulties with your current business, it could be that you are "taking on too much." That is, you are at a level that you are NOT prepared for.
For instance, you might be prepared for level 3 (order taking by phone plus cross-selling/up-selling) yet you are pursuing a level 2 business opportunity (e.g. Avon).
This ties in with our previous discussion about an opportunity being anything that is downhill. In other words, do what comes easily to you. Do what you have done before and have succeeded at.
Then, as you master that activity, you can graduate to a higher level.
Don't jump to a higher level too soon because you will fail and then feel bad about yourself (although it is not your fault at all).
In other words, do only what you are WELL prepared to do and are CAPABLE of doing.
This is the best explanation I can give you regarding self-management: give yourself only work that you CAN do. This is the "downhill" part.
The other part is to continually go higher, as shown in the ladder of difficulty above.
If you follow this process carefully ("seek opportunities down the slope, seek growth up the ladder"), you will inevitably become very powerful and very rich.
The best way to illustrate what an opportunity actually is, is to think of yourself as an alpine skier.
You walk through life with those darn skis and they actually impede you. However, you suddenly see a slope and it looks smooth enough. THAT'S what an opportunity is! A nice slope for a nice skier like you.
Sometimes, somebody might approach you and invite you to climb a mountain. He might say, "Look at that mountain! It's a wonderful opportunity for you! Climb it and conquer it and be successful! Achieve your dreams!"
However, that is NOT an opportunity, because it is not downhill -- like a slope. Climbing a mountain actually requires a lot of work, chiefly because you are working AGAINST gravity.
Skiing down a mountain, however, is easy work since gravity does most of the work!
Therefore, remember this neat success secret: If it's not downhill, it's not a good opportunity. In other words, look for valleys, not for mountains!
Note: Climbing a mountain or doing anything that involves hard work may not be a good opportunity although it can be a very good training exercise.
Now that we've established that "downhill" is the way to go, let's examine different types of slopes. Some are for beginners, some are for intermediates, some are for experts and some are for truly suicidal people!
When I go skiing, I never go down the "expert" lane, I always choose the "intermediate" lane.
It's the same in life. You have to know your skills level. Practice first with the "beginner" slope, then move on to "intermediate" and finally to "expert."
For example, if you want to go into business, start with something really, really, really simple.
Note: Contact me at superscribe@gmail.com if you would like to hear opportunities for launching a micro-business that is really, really, really easy to succeed at. I can get you started on the right track.
Below is a ladder of difficulty so you can understand what I'm talking about:
1. Network marketing (e.g. Melaleuca)
2. Direct sales (e.g. Avon)
3. Order taking by phone + cross-selling/up-selling
4. Order taking by phone
5. Order taking by email
6. Working as a paid apprentice for an entrepreneur
7. Working as an apprentice-volunteer for an entrepreneur
The above list is not exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of the level of difficulty involved at each stage. 7 is easiest while 1 is hardest.
Anyone can go from 1 to 7. And you can go slowly or rapidly. But what you cannot do is fail at one stage and expect to succeed at a higher stage.
In the early 90s, someone approached me to join his network marketing organization. I carefully considered the opportunity as I was looking for a way to make money (I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in life since I had just dropped out of university).
Now, in retrospect, it seems to me that I declined the offer because I was not ready for it.
Then, over the years, I went from stage 6 to stage 1 as explained below:
1. Network marketing (I'm currently building a network marketing organization -- or rather, an e-viral marketing company to be exact)
2. Direct sales (I ran my own marketing company with a partner who did the graphic design work)
3. Order taking by phone + cross-selling/up-selling (I sold extra and advanced computer courses)
4. Order taking by phone (I sold computer courses by phone)
5. Order taking by email (I sold computer courses by email)
6. Working as a paid apprentice for an entrepreneur (I worked on salary for an entrepreneur)
If you are having difficulties with your current business, it could be that you are "taking on too much." That is, you are at a level that you are NOT prepared for.
For instance, you might be prepared for level 3 (order taking by phone plus cross-selling/up-selling) yet you are pursuing a level 2 business opportunity (e.g. Avon).
This ties in with our previous discussion about an opportunity being anything that is downhill. In other words, do what comes easily to you. Do what you have done before and have succeeded at.
Then, as you master that activity, you can graduate to a higher level.
Don't jump to a higher level too soon because you will fail and then feel bad about yourself (although it is not your fault at all).
In other words, do only what you are WELL prepared to do and are CAPABLE of doing.
This is the best explanation I can give you regarding self-management: give yourself only work that you CAN do. This is the "downhill" part.
The other part is to continually go higher, as shown in the ladder of difficulty above.
If you follow this process carefully ("seek opportunities down the slope, seek growth up the ladder"), you will inevitably become very powerful and very rich.
posted by Super Peter at 10:34 PM
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