I talk to sales and business people every day who tell me they are overwhelmed by the current events of the day. Between checking their stock market portfolio and the current events on the news, they are overwhelmed and feeling a bit hopeless. When I ask how many times a day they view the news and current events on the Internet and most say at least a dozen or so times a day.
First, I have a real problem with checking the Internet for news during the course of a workday, especially someone who is checking the news at least a dozen or so times in a workday. It shows a lack of discipline and focus as well as a complete diversion from the one activity we are paid for, which is work (productivity).
Do the math; in an 8-hour day to check the news, current events, and personal portfolio means every forty minutes they would inundate themselves with negative news. This is essentially giving yourself a barrage of current events every 40 minutes, which dramatically impacts your thinking, and impacts it negatively.
Try this instead: Every time you are tempted to flip to the news, current events, or your portfolio, make a prospecting call for business instead. That would mean instead of checking on events that make you no money, you are engaging in the one event that can cause your income to grow and portfolio to grow, which is work. Instead of flipping to the news a dozen times, you now substitute the news with a prospecting call. 12 calls a day times 5 days equals 48 prospecting calls in a week. If you made 48 prospecting calls a week (instead of 48 negative views) your income is more secure and your mindset is engaged in the only activity that can insure your success, which is work.
Question: What is more valuable, time or money?
Answer: Time is more valuable than money.
Why? If you run out of time (die) and have plenty of money, so what. But if you run out of money, but have time, you can make more money.
Try this for one week: Do not look at the news for the day. If tempted, instead divert your time toward a work activity. At the end of the day your productivity will soar, and your serenity is guaranteed.
