Over the last couple of weeks, we started looking at the 7 characteristics of an Elite Level Producer. We’ve identified that an ELP has CLARITY. They know where they are going and they have mapped out a plan on how to get there. We also discovered that they are AWARE of their surroundings and how important their environment is to their success. They rid or limit themselves of any distractions that might slow them down.
Now I’d like to describe the third characteristic of an Elite Level Producer: COMMITMENT.
Commitment is a decision. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s an answer to a question.
- Do you want to live a life full of abundance or do you want to feel regret at the end of your life?
- Am I going to run a business or a hobby?
- Do you want to be awesome or do you want to be average?
…and my favorite question was originally asked by Alan Brown to John Assaraf, John’s first mentor, when he was 18 years old. John is another one of my virtual mentors who has built multiple, extremely successful businesses. I was introduced to the science of success by him back in 2010. Alan Brown asked him:
"Are you INTERESTED in achieving your life’s goals and dreams or are you COMMITTED to achieving your life’s goals and dreams?”
He went on to explain that commitment is a yes or no question. You’re either all in or you’re all out. You can’t be “kinda committed.” It’s a choice, and an ELP – someone in that top 3% - is all in on their goals.
An ELP is fully committed and they just operate differently.
Characteristics of the ELP that is fully “Committed:”
- They have CLARITY and review their goals daily.
- They accept ownership for their success.
- They value relationships.
- They commit to learning and self-development.
- They look at challenges as learning opportunities.
- They take time off to recharge.
- They look at marketing as an investment.
- They celebrate the successes of others and want everyone to win.
- They realize that success is a marathon not a sprint.
Characteristics of a person that is “Interested:”
- They avoid CLARITY. They don’t take time to think and write down their thoughts.
- They look for others to be responsible for their success. They lack ownership.
- They view transactions as their primary motivation.
- They purchase books and audio programs but never get started.
- They view their lack of success and personal growth as someone or something else’s fault. “They point the finger not the thumb"
- They are inconsistent in planning if they ever get around to it.
- They never fully commit to creating systems within their business.
- They take time off/vacation to escape.
- They look at marketing as an expense.
- They look for quick fixes due to their lottery mindset.
An ELP knows exactly what they want (CLARITY) and is AWARE of what they need to do and what not do to reach their goals. They COMMIT with borderline obsession to make sure they get there.
It’s easy to talk about being committed but is much more difficult in practice.
How does an ELP commit so fully to their plan?
An ELP looks for leverage that they can put on themselves and it comes in different formats. Leverage is essentially “productive pressure” applied to stay focused and remain consistent.
This productive pressure can be applied in different ways:
- You can announce your goals openly and verbally to others that you respect and trust. Once you have CLARITY, tell a few peers close to you what your intentions are and how you expect to make them a reality. Some people announce to the world in the form of a social media post, but the most effective way is to tell a small group of people you know will support you.
- Make a financial investment in themselves or the business. A lack of action will wipe out that investment. For example, a franchise owner is not going to invest large dollars on a franchise and not do something with it. Others invest in themselves with self-improvement goals in mind.
- “Burn the Ships” - you force yourself to go all in and give yourself no option to quit. Michael Jordan was obsessed with winning championships. He gave himself no other option. Half-ass was not an option.
- You can commit to doing it for another person or group. Your family’s success might be what motivates you over your personal success.
- You teach what you have learned. Once you “teach it” you are forced to “execute it.”
These are all forms of leverage and I highly recommend that you find that one thing that drives you. If might also be the recognition and validation that comes with running a successful business.
Being committed is extremely difficult to maintain. COMMITMENT is not just a one-time thing. You have to recommit every day and sometimes multiple times throughout the day when you are making multiple big decisions. The HELL YES filter I covered when I discussed AWARENESS is basically a re-commitment question. ELP’s are proud when they say NO because they know that they opened themselves up to better opportunities. Remember, every time you say YES to something, you are saying no to something else. Choose wisely.
So, are you Committed or are you Interested? Until you can answer that question “Yes, I’m 100% committed,” stop, go no further, and go back to CLARITY. Do not waste your time. Go back and re-evaluate what makes you tick, what problems you need to solve, the goals you want to hit, and, yes, the feelings you want to experience. Until you can jump out of bed in the morning and say “Yes, let’s do this. I’m 100% committed,” your life and business will be full of ups and downs.
Sometimes we don’t need new knowledge, we just have to be reminded of what we’ve already learned.
I was reminded by a 75+ year old man who has built an amazingly successful construction company that Amy and I just finished a project with last week. He’s still out on the job every day because he loves what he does, he loves the interaction, and he is committed to his clients. He told us with 100% conviction “I told my son (who runs the day to day) that if you show up every day, build a good product, and take care of your clients during and after the project, you’ll never have to worry about your bank account.” That statement is so simple but so powerful coming from a man who has been building his dream for 45 years. His COMMITMENT to quality is why he has a two-year waiting list. So sometimes we don’t need new knowledge, we just have to be reminded of what we’ve already learned. Sometimes those reminders come in such powerful ways.
