Last month, I challenged you to schedule one IDEA DAY per month that you spend reading and studying all of the business educational materials, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. that you invested money to acquire, but have had no time to focus on the contents. This month, in part 2, I’ll present you with rules for your IDEA DAY.
Rules of Your IDEA DAY
SUBMERGE YOURSELF in an environment that’s different from your day-to-day routine. Find a special location where you can be alone and think and be open to new information. I suggest finding a quiet, positive environment that protects you from all distractions. The truth is that you are better off not doing this in your home, office or business, simply because you’re sure to be interrupted or your mind will stray to office tasks. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted from your goal to learn new ideas.
I suggest that you book a hotel room, borrow someone else’s house or office, or go to a reading room at the public library. Again, one of the most important rules of the day is that the environment is totally different from your day-to-day routine, which will help you be open to new information. One of the reasons for choosing this hideaway place is so you can be alone, and you can allow your mind to absorb the materials. This new information can allow you to use the power of your imagination to know where to aim your powerful energy next! In the book Think and Grow Rich, the author Napoleon Hill said the imagination is the workshop of the mind. Face facts, it’s hard to let your imagination loose in your office or home because most of the time you are putting out fires instead of investing in your mind to go to the next level in your journey.
As you are reading and studying the material you have selected, remain aware that you are LOOKING for ideas to make you money, ideas to make your business go to the next level, ideas to balance your life and ideas to market your business better! Keep in mind that once you have the ideas, you need to find ways to IMPLEMENT them. Write what you need to do. Keep a notebook of exactly what ideas you’ve learned. Create a timeline and a goal to implement these new ideas.
Ask yourself these questions:
· What is my BIG IDEA?
· How can this Big Idea change my business for the better?
· Who else can I invite on board for this idea to work?
· Who do I need to delegate things to?
· Who is on my Team?
· Who can assist me in reaching this new goal?
· What must I do first?
· What is my plan to stay on target to bring this new idea to fulfillment?
· Where will I find support?
TURN OFF your cell phones, PDAs and pagers, and do not even think about looking at your e-mail. In fact, unless you need your computer for notes, don’t even take it with you. Find a place with no potential for interruptions! Schedule from 9 to 5 p.m. and bring your lunch and snacks with you, so there are no interruptions or excuses for leaving your place of learning. Keep in mind that you are looking for a BIG IDEA. Hang in there; it will happen if you give your brain the opportunity to give it to you!
Let me warn you to be prepared: Once you arrive at your selected place for your IDEA DAY, you might FEEL like a fish out of water. Many people do busy work and are so used to checking e-mail, answering the cell phone and allowing others to interrupt them that they really don’t know what it feels like to have a true quiet-time learning experience. I will promise you that once you honor yourself and do this once a month, NO excuses, several things will happen. First, you will feel good about actually doing some productive work that will lead to improving your life and business. Second, you will seed your mind with new thoughts, actions and examples of how to make your business bigger and better.
