Last week a viewer asked about what kind of vision I had for my business when I first started out – well the real answer was that I didn't have that big of a vision, but I did have a whole lot of desperation.
Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think…
Patricia
Love the part you mention you reached your goal, but now you realize that if you had a bigger goal you would have probably reached too! Thank you for being an inspiration 🙂
Ashley
Hey Jeff! I think that with desperation comes drive. However I do believe that for some of us within certain industries, desperation can lead to doing some unethical things. See it in my industry all the time.
Love that you’re always willing to share your story and best part? It’s inspiring.
For me personally, some say I have a tendency to set “unrealistic” goals but in my opinion, I believe that if you don’t think big and dream big and take big actions? You’ll settle for mediocrity. And who wants that?
Keep making an impact Jeff!
xoxo,
Ashley
Don Olund
Thank you for the inspiration Jeff. Making an impact is the takeaway for me. My goal is to make an impact in couples and families by helping them to connect.
Jeff Whitaker
Great advice Jeff. I’m finding that if I sit around waiting for everything to align, I’ll be waiting a long time. It’s about taking the first step and as I do, I see the next step appear and the next and so on. Thanks for your inspiration and wisdom.
Continued Success!!
Cedric
Sure, this is what’s happening to me, but sometimes “impatience” make the delay between the steps we are taking to complecated to handle!
Lirone Glikman
As always so Inspiring! Thanks so much for getting back to basics.
I Love what you said about always stretching out thinking and impact to grow .
Thanks this is just what I needed to hear now… x
Lirone
Business Networking expert.
Gerry Garcia
I am going through the hardest part of my life. I am 67 and have always been very vibrant and started a business five years ago but could not get the marketing together. I do not have a spouse due to being widowed. I went broke twice and had to take a job just to pay the bills. I am feeling disppointed about things now. I had been a parenting coach ten years working for a foster agency. My dream was to start my own super nanny business. I have a predevelopment company wanting to use my anti-bully ideas. What would you suggest to get my hope again.
Charlie Weisel
Dear Gerry,
You’ve taken a lot of good steps, by trying and doing your best, even if you didn’t achieve the success you hoped for. We learn a lot by doing, nd that means trial and error. But there are some things you can do that will maximize your chances of success.
To get your hope and vision back, there are 2 great principles:
1. Associate with, and learn from people who are successful as much as you can. Choose one or more good mentors and learn all you can from them. Their attitudes will be contagious. Choose people you want to be like, and learn to think and act like they do. It’s called the Law of Increase by Association. Learning the essential skills you need will make the critical difference.
2. Develop a stronger faith in God. You will find inspiration, meaning and purpose in life, far beyond just business success. Again, the people you associate with and learn from will make all the difference. Jesus said you’ll become like your teachers. Some of the best teachers in the world are on free Christian TV networks, 24 hours a day. People like Joyce Meyer (relationships and emotional health), Kenneth Copeland (simple faith that receives answers from God) and Joel Osteen (attitudes that will make you a joyful and successful person).
If you do these 2 things consistently, success will be yours.
Ken Biggs
Thank you, Jeff; it is real inspiriting to hear your story of how you started out from a state of desperation and where you plan to go to over the next 5 years (10X !)
Ken
Lizz
When I was in my very first network marketing company, I had a great upline who always had team have goal cards and teaching us about stretching our vision. He showed us The Secret when it came out we read the book. We also studied The Purpose Drive Life by John Maxwell. He is still in my life and introduced me to you as well Jeff. I know when I have my goals front and center I do well. When I do not, all goes to hell in a hand basket. Without a big Why everything negative that happens to you will take you off course. You should have small goals and bigger ones. My kids are now doing this as well. Thanks for sharing this video with us.
Harun Rabbani
Hey Jeff
Thank you for your inspiring message. How did you deal with the various challenges that you faced from time to time whether it be technical or people holding you back? I would love to hear your experience on this. Also, how did you deal with the disappointments of not achieving some of your goals ( it at all)?
Thanks.
Harun
David Price
Character, motivation, opportunity, application, consistency, maybe a little bit of good luck–who’s to say which factor is the locomotive pulling the train? I do believe intention and follow-through make up to some degree for lack of knowledge and the inevitable wrong turns and bad luck everyone has along the way. It’s helpful to hear the word “desperation” used in this context, because some gurus are saying that you have to banish such feelings in order to be successful. Here’s a little real-world proof to the contrary. Thank you, Jeff.
Ann Rea
Hello Jeff,
I found that being hungry is a huge advantage when starting a business.
Desperation is fantastic fuel to channel towards a specific goal.
With much appreciation from “hippy groovy” San Francisco 😉
Ann
Sergei
Jeff, I understand you very well. The same desperate I had in my life and buisness. But you inspired me and thank you for that!
Peter Martini
Hi Jeff, thanks for the video.
To reach my goal I do babysteps, step by step. Sometimes it is hard (desparation) and I need to be patient. But with every step I either learn or have success. And I need my big why to succeed.
Peter
Edward Yang
Nothing like desperation to sharpen the mind. When you are bootstrapping a new business with no mentor and needing to put food on the table for your family, you will suddenly become the worlds best sales person. BTW Jeff, I bought your PLF course and your book. Phenomenal stuff. Am using it to prep for my first product launch. Wish me luck!
Joe Sabah
you inspire me
all the way from Durango to Denver
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Thinking big is huge! Especially once you realize your goals and see that you CAN always think bigger!
I have no doubt you would have made more if you thought bigger that first year. The important part is you realized the part YOU play in where your business/income goes.
Thanks for sharing another great reminder. Often, we get so caught up in the day to day that we let that take precedence over the reason we’re doing it.
Jeff
Ahmad
Hey Jeff, you’ve got a nice view in your house 🙂 Do you ski?
Great to hear how a multimillionaire internet marketer started with a small vision and then expanded within the next few years. But yeah, desperation is a great motivation for me as well, but I do believe my big picture is what matters most to me.
Savannah Alalia
Jeff
I love your open, real heartfelt, clear approach.
Another inspiration today 😀 Thank you 😀
ania
loveliness! EXACTLY what I needed to hear today!…ahhhh tears of inspiration! thank you Jeff…and don’t slide down that mountain slope :p God bless!
Catherine
OMG 10x! I got freaked out first: wouldn’t it feel like a corporation? what will live events be like? I am hopping to get there next year, but I am definitely not comfortable with 10x more people, but then, interestingly it is the reminder that I tend to wear pessimistic glasses that I have to learn to let go. The new reality (10x) will be different: some things will be worse, other will be greater. It’s how life and growth go.
Insightful: how to measure the 10x? Having more impact in having 10x more customer? or offering more to your existing customers? how to measure the impact? What does having an impact mean?
Another winner for me: “As soon as you get clear on your vision, the world conspires to bring that vision to fruition”. I am trying to get that clarity: I have 3 brands right now that represents my vision, I also have a big picture vision but I struggle with where to begin to get there.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to see you succeed your way: that kind of success is always inspirational and impactful for many.
Jeff
Jeff. Thanks for ur blog. I am at an interesting place in my career having recently pivoted from being CFO of a church and Treasurer of a church synod. my 25 years in strategic marketing and sales to self taught website and social media technology have afforded me in a versitile breathe if experience. I am exploring opportunities where my interests and experience can best be used. Ur blog and products hopefully will shed more light for me.
God bless you and your family always,
Jeff
Azeem Diwan
Hi Jeff
A lot of people smile when they present something. There is something about yours that I believe is unique and ‘convincingly sincere’. If a judge having that smile gives me a death sentence, I am not sure I will mind!!
Yes Jeff you are inspirational. Yes you advocate ‘big vision’ and believe in ‘having desperation’ to reach your lofty goals. But is that enough? I do NOT think so. These elements are motivators and DO help but I believe you have to have a PLAN OF ACTION in life. We are all, I believe, in search of this PLAN OF ACTION that will lead us to our Shangri-La. Our UTOPIA so to speak.
A person such as you who has reached a certain level of success that vast majority of people of the world can only dream of, has a moral duty to create for these less fortunate people a tried and tested easy to follow PLAN OF ACTION with proper detailed guidance to achieve similar success.
Why not create one Jeff?
Joe Hentges
Jeff,
Great video. I enjoy and appreciate your inspiration every week in these videos. And love that Colorado scene!
Thanks for all you do.
Joe
Hal Merrill
Nice story Jeff. I’ve been one of your followers for a long time. I’m still at the desperation stage.. I have a job that seems to be holding me back but yet doesn’t pay enough to save the money to make a break.
Hal Merrill
Daniel Looper
One step in front of the other & consistent effort, makes the journey worth it! Where is the next book, I need an advance book! take it to the next level Jeff Walker!
Thanks
Dan
Luis Santana
Good video Jeff, as always! Txs!
Dinh
Jeff,
Nice sharing, it help us know the behind scene. I think that the desperation makes of the turning point in your life!
It also happens with many successful people in the world, do you think it is the common fomular for success ?!
Thanks
Dinh
Derek Russell
You rock Jeff! So true and genuine. I really appreciate you taking the time (away from the sunny slopes – btw love that backdrop, makes me want to get on my bc skis) to make this custom video to answer my question. It is so cool to see your lifestyle and approach to life align with mine (I can see us doing big things together while living the adventure). There is so much power behind your drive to succeed. You had that vision that got you off and running. Since purchasing PLF last summer, I’ve gotten married, traveled to Hawaii on a luxurious honeymoon, and bought my dream home. The skills you teach in PLF go far beyond business. The confidence, determination and drive to live the life I imagine for myself have been put into overdrive with seeing your success and learning your teachings. I am a testament to the power of PLF. Thanks to your teachings, I’m in the planning stages now with the GSV companies of attending their 2015 ASU+GSV Education Innovation Summit, where my vibrant and innovative portraits were gifted by GSV to some of the leaders in education (Magic Johnson, Governor Jeb Bush, Reed Hastings, Coach Lou Holtz, Secretary Penny Pritzker + more) as generous thank yous for keynote presentations they gave at last year’s summit. This year I’ve got my eye set even higher. You are a true inspiration
Jim Range
Nice reminder about how important clarity of vision is.
Man! I want to go skiing!
Nicole Zaagman
Love watching your videos Jeff! So encouraging to hear your story of what it was like in the beginning of your business to now. Hope to meet you someday soon!
Glenys
Thanks Jeff, I needed that! I just got back to Canada from working overseas for many years. I’m determined to get going in my own business now and you continue to give me valuable pieces of advice in small, digestible pieces. It’s a new beginning for me and a huge transition – a mixture of excitement and feeling apprehensive. I appreciate the continual help you post on your blog. It’s my daily charge!
Bill
Jeff, you are always so real in your posts, no pretense, which is why I follow you and look forward to meeting you in October in Scottsdale. I struggle with the same question: how to focus and get motivated to increase the chances of success. I have been told that when doing something new and different, the key is to set near term “bite-sized” goals (you call them baby-steps) while , at the same time describing an audacious longer term goal. I model my life after Lewis and Clark , the great American explorers of 1803-7 , the first white men to visit the recently purchased Louisianna Purchase. No maps, in fact the prevailing “knowledge” at the time was it was inhabited by Wholly Mammoths, had ice-spewing volcanoes and other crazy stuff. And Spanish armies out looking for them to stop their exploration. Every day for them was new…they had to improvise and learn every day. Their over-arching goal was to see if there was a water passage from the east to the Pacific ocean. There was not but they discovered an amazing landscape and resources beyond what they could have ever imagined. A real bargain in real estate! The Universe does not know the difference between a small goal and a huge audacious goal, so the smart money is on setting big goals with bite-size steps.
James
Great reinforcement. Vision is a powerful thing. Key to manifesting greatness. Love the talk on measurement. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Keep it up Jeff. Nice view too.
Duanyi
Thanks Jeff. It’s so relate-able and inspiring. I enjoy your peaceful smile.
Kim
Jeff you have been a hard man to find. I love the new look of your site. Again another inspirational video, I agree that everyone needs to have a vision for their business and think BIG. Without vision or thinking big you will only start how small. I just say to everyone if you have a vision for your business and are thinking big you are half way there. And as Tony Robbins says, don’t reinvent the wheel just role model those who are already successful. Cheers Kim