You From Stepping Up L earning to walk is just the first hurdle. Life gets complicated and our failures are harder to get back up from. Or are they? What if the line between failure and success is just a state of mind? - “Major setbacks, like an injury, don’t have to set back your business if you have strong leaders in your group,” Krista explains. “It’s all about developing leadership.”
In a recent issue of Leadership in Action, Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot said, “If you look at what separates those who achieve success and those who do not, you will find many significant characteristics. Work ethic, tenacity, determination, and passion are all key differences. The biggest difference, however, is how these people view and deal with failure. For many people, failure is the ultimate rejection. They allow it to stop them from trying again. Champions, on the other hand, view failure completely differently. They understand what failure is. They know that failure is a necessary and essential step on the pathway to success. Failure emboldens them. Each time they fail, they know they are one step closer to success.” There are countless studies and articles on the subject of what makes a person successful, each one trying to find some magic key that will unlock the door for us. But we each walk our own path and define success differently. What matters is not the destination but how we choose to get there. Are you waiting for something to happen that will change your life? Are you putting off doing something because you have other priorities? Take a moment to say out loud to yourself why you are not reaching your goal, whatever it is. “I want to lose weight, but I’m not going to the gym today because the weather is bad.” “I want to have a successful business, but I’m not picking up the phone today because I’m too tired.” Does it sound like you’re bargaining with yourself? If your major setback on the path to success is “failure to launch,” you may have a problemwith procrastination. But even if your setback is something out of your control, such as an unexpected illness or injury, there are ways to make sure it doesn’t derail your entire future—namely, being prepared. North American Executive Director 7 KristaWineinger realised this when she broke her foot in December. It was her right foot, so she couldn’t even drive for several weeks; but instead of watching her Melaleuca business crumble, she saw it thrive. “If this had happened to me at the same time last year, everything in my business would have halted,” Krista says. Krista prepared her business for success by carefully choosing the right people to work with, namely people who were eager to step up and take responsibility to build their own businesses, rather than people who drag their feet and need a lot of hand-holding to do their job. When Krista told them about her injury, they sprang into action to take over Melaleuca Overviews, set up webinars, and keep everything organised and in motion.
Staying positive in the face of adversity crucial to bouncing back. “It’s also about mindset,” Krista says. “I keep my mindset positive and remind myself that there’s a reason why everything happens. I’m going to get through this and get back to work. I think sometimes when things go wrong, people let their mindset go bad, that it’s going to be too hard to start over. Melaleuca is not like that. This experience has been a real eye-opener for me.” Whether you are having trouble getting started or having trouble getting back up, it’s never too late to take a step in the right direction. Next time you find yourself making excuses for your lack of success, take a moment to ask yourself what you can learn from this setback. Then take a deep breath and move forward.
Tips for Making a Comeback • Clearly define your purpose and your motives. Do you have a goal? Why do you want to reach that goal? • Learn from your mistakes. When you fail or fumble while trying to reach your goal, stop and reflect on what really happened and what you can do to prevent it from happening again. • Don’t despair. It’s easy to get fixated on the negative and get down on yourself. Try to analyse the situation logically. Ask yourself if this failure is fixable. If it is, start building a plan to fix it. If not, build a plan to move on. • Accept responsibility. Don’t make excuses or shift the blame. You can’t learn from your mistakes if you don’t face the consequences of your actions or inactions. • Be prepared. Having a contingency plan will help you
stay calm and focused if something goes wrong. • GET UP. You know what you need to do, so do it.
30
MAY 2017 | MELALEUCA.COM
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter