Jensen Leadership Group Paul J. Jensen Silver Master Business Leader paul@JLGnet.com Leadership Alert Newsletter

It Doesn't Happen in Just One Day

Dear Sunrider Leaders,

Fourteen years ago I was sitting in our kitchen one sunny afternoon when I glanced up just in time to see our five year old daughter Angela go flying at a gallop across our pasture on the bare back of our Arabian mare Shalese. I promptly had a heart attack. I rushed out to see who was crazy enough to put her bareback on a horse … only to find out that Angela had found a bridle, coaxed the mare to put her head down so she could put it on, got the mare next to a fence and crawled up on Shalese … and off they galloped. Like any responsible father … I promptly grabbed the camera … and told her to do it again. And thus began Angela’s love affair with horses.

Angela as a 3 year old on a pony

During these fourteen years many of the activities that have helped Angela develop from a young girl into a beautiful, mature woman took place on the back of a horse. We were riding up Diamond Fork Canyon when she was eleven and wondered how horses were born … which prompted the question if humans were the same, and she wouldn’t accept my vague explanations until I supplied the gory details to which she responded, “gross.” We have been out in the mountains and gotten soaked. We have been packing in the mountains and have been so tired that to cook the evening meal and put up a tent was beyond exhaustion, and we have put in 18 hours cattle drives on the ranch. For fourteen years we worked every day to create a wise, mature, successful adult. (Do I sound like a proud father?)

Angela getting ready for her wedding ... hasn't changed much has she? Still cute as ever.

And this last weekend we were able to celebrate this effort with a wedding and reception party … and it was a party! Angela fell in love with a wonderful young man by the name of Daniel Kennedy who we whole heartedly welcome to the family.

You Can’t Raise a Child or Build a Business in a Day

This last week we had the joy of having both our grandchildren with us. As we watch the amount of effort our children put into raising these grandchildren we shake our head and wonder how in the world we survived with eight children. While it is wonderful … it is also exhausting.

The key element is daily effort. The same is true with our business … and it is so easy to get distracted from our business for things like … well, weddings and such. We need to keep in mind these principles to help us stay focused:

Almost every event in our life, many that we would think are distractions from our business, can actually lead to more sharing opportunities. For example, when I was at the wedding photographer’s studio with my daughter we started talking about what I do for a living and it turns out his parents are devoted Sunrider consumers (in my personal group) and I was really good friends with his grandfather, a devoted Sunrider who lived a productive and healthy life until he passed away in his nineties. So I now can help the photographer understand why his family is so devoted to Sunrider.

Most times when life takes you down an unforeseen road, keep in mind you can help folks that may be along that road who you otherwise would never have met.

Have a vision and goals to get there. Distractions can weaken your vision and cause you to forget your goals. However, if you make distractions part of your building strategy, then distractions can help keep you on target with your visions and goals.

Celebrate when you reach a goal. Wedding are a celebration of successful conclusion to the period of raising a child and the opening of a new period in their life. Reaching different ranks and income levels in Sunrider are also a cause for celebration. Attach a celebration or reward to the achieving of your different rank advancement in Sunrider … and then reward yourself for a job well done.

My son Stephen in helping people and businesses get their web presence set up on the Internet. To motivate him to hit the highest bonus available, he sets a goal to buy a new gun when he reaches a certain level. And it works! (If you go back in our archives far enough you will recall my many stories about Stephen and shooting when he was a little fellow … and it has not changed.)

The upcoming 2009 Convention in Europe isn’t a bad way to start this program off. Set your goal to be there, figure up how much you need to make … and do it.

Sincerely,

Paul Jensen