One thing that I see stresses friends and family to the max is just living day to day putting out fires.

I want you to think about that statement.  Putting out fires.  Is that what you do?

Do you get up with a routine, knowing what happens to be done, but having no plan?

Before you click away, I don’t mean something so regimented that it takes away your “free” spirit.  Just the opposite.  This is something that actually liberates you.

Yesterday I chatted on MSN (I’m dave at davejackson.com on there) with a friend who admitted he loved working for a paycheck.  And the more we got into the conversation, I could see that what he really loved was the freedom from stressing out over what had to be done.  Go into a job, punch your timecard, get a coffee, and see what has to be done that day.  Putting out the little fires.

Is that what you really want out of life?  And there is a sense of security in that.  Yes, even when others who pitch their lifestyles to you, telling you that many who have had corporate jobs forever have found themselves unemployed, you look at your job and find security in that.  It’s OK.  Don’t stress.

The question you have to ask yourself is whether what you’re doing is getting you any closer to what you had in mind for life?  It may be… slowly.

Take two things away from this today, OK?  First, I don’t know about you, but for me, the best way to stop living putting out fires, stressing out all day, is to plan.  Now I didn’t go out and buy a planner, but I do have one of those 99 cent composition books beside my bed, and I know where it is at any given time.  I write things in it.  Plans.  Things I know I want to get done.  And it works.  Something about that writing down stuff.

Next, don’t stress out about it.  I find that making my “plans” about helping other people in life make it fun and worth doing.  It’s not all about me, then.  It’s how I can help others.  That’s the main reason for this website.  I’m hoping it helps others…somehow.  I don’t stress out about it.

Plan and help others.  Hey, a good motto.  Think about it.

Do you guys remember when I wrote about what jobs would be best to work in a depression?  What I did – which I thought was pretty cool – was to look back into what areas were doing gangbusters during the Great Depression.  It was fun research and I kinda knew what areas would be the ones we just don’t give up on even when we have more bills than income.  It reminds me of the story Randy Gage tells about all of his stuff being repossessed and the last thing he let go was his couch and TV.  Why?

You probably already know the answer to that.  It’s the same reason why at work you have this fantastic idea to make changes and you get home and sit down and watch four hours of TV instead.  We are wired in such a way that we have to fight for progress.

And as much as I know you want to know what areas thrive in a depression, I want you to grasp that small businesses explode during this time.  It’s all a matter of filling a need.  So pay close attention.

One reason to start your own business is because you’ve been affected by this recession.  Hey, millions are also looking for a better way to keep incomes flowing. These downturns make it prime time to do this.

Another reason is you want to stretch your paycheck.  If you’re like most households, you know how important it is to keep working – even keep your spouse working, because money doesn’t go as far as it did.  Groceries rose 5.5 percent in 2008.  That number will go up this year.  Owning your own business can bring in an extra stream of income.

And how many of us HATE their current job?  Any hands?  Job losses increase each day.  Most people feel they can’t quit their job.  Why not work for yourself?

It is COOL to work from home. I’ve been doing it since 1997.  Very cool.  I can go on all of my kids field trips, vacations, etc.  when I want to.  And you can work from almost anywhere with the right business.  Set your own schedule, baby!

Haven’t you always wanted to own your own business?  It take considerable passion, yes.  But don’t you want that to stay ahead of the recession?

And here’s my takeaway – Owning your own company often brings with it a sense of personal pride and a paycheck to match.  It isn’t too late, it isn’t the wrong time and you’re not underqualified.  Anyone can start a network marketing business and succeed if they dedicate themselves to it.  I’m living proof.

What are your thoughts?

We decided this year to go to the Naples 4th of July parade held on 5th Avenue to show our support for our country.  And it was fun and full of everything you’d expect from a small town on the Gulf of Mexico.  But what snagged my attention was the challenge our daughter was having getting any candy thrown from the floats.

It’s a tradition in many parades here in US that the people on the floats throw hard candy to the kids lined up along the parade route.

Rachel, our seven year old, wanted to get strategically positioned to get as much as she could as the parade passed by in all its glory.  She wriggled her way through a couple of families and got right out on the front line.  Perfect.

However, after a bit she returned and we both asked why?  The position seemed perfect, but Rachel said that there was big competition.  A couple of older girls and a younger girl were there at the same place.  It would be impossible to get anything.

We coached her a bit saying that there will be plenty and so she returned to her position.  But it didn’t last long.  After about 5 minutes, she returned saying she really didn’t want candy anyway and that candy wasn’t good for you and she just wanted to find somewhere to sit.

I thought of how much what she was going through was like many of the people I see in Network Marketing, or any marketing for that matter.

They go out and position themselves for maximum exposure, but then find out that’s where the big dogs hang out, too.  And then after a little coaching, they return but give up saying they just aren’t cut out for that, or that they really didn’t want that anyway.

But then, the dad and coach that I am, I showed Rachel that she needed to ask for the candy and people would go out of their way to give it to her.  So, reluctantly she returned to the front lines.

Then it happened.  When a big float full of people with bags of candy went by she looked up and held out her hand as if asking for the candy.  Two people threw a handful at her!  The other “dogs” or girls there waiting for candy were not doing this, so people were drawn to the open hand first.

Then something unexpected happened that really was fun to watch.

Rachel had turned the open hand into something else.  She would wave at the floats as they passed by – and that would catch their attention.  And once she had their attention, she then turned that wave into an open hand asking for candy.

Wow!  It worked SO well!  And I thought this is just what we need to do everyday.  Get their attention, and then not forget to ask for the sale.  Ask – it opens so many doors.

Rachel still has a big bag of candy at home and is proud to tell you the story of how she got it.

Anybody knows that if you can get some great minds together, you’ll probably have some great ideas percolate up. And so many times we depend on other people that we short circuit what great stuff we can come with ourselves. For example – there’s a ton of great ideas that can come simply from asking focused questions. Something about a well-worded question that just gets to the meat of what we’re after and triggers new ideas and insights.

When you’re trying to come up with the best ideas, stimulate your creating thinking by figuring out what your end result should be. What are you trying to do? And when you get frustrated with the whole thought process, step back and ask again – what are we trying to do?

The next question should be, how are we trying to do it. If you find it hard to get it done, or experience resistance from people, maybe your method is wrong. That’s where that question comes into play – how are we trying to do it? And is this the right way? Maybe there’s a better way? What if what you were doing was completely wrong? There may be another way to get the job done.

I know this is rough, especially if you are in a position of leadership, but facing the possibility that you may be wrong opens yourself up to new possibilities. Look at what’s right before deciding who is right.

Another good question to ask is what is our assumptions? You can ask this about your prospect, your products, your business. Maybe you’re assuming something that isn’t correct. I’ve heard the saying – Errant assumptions lie at the root of every failure.

What if your implied assumptions were wrong?

Here’s another tough one my wife and I do – put past decisions on trial. Sort of like looking at your track record and sometimes it’s not fun. You ask a question like – knowing what I know now, would I have made the same decision? Try to find similar ideas or decisions to what you are trying to cover now and look back.

I want you to be very clear about what you are trying to do. Write it down and then describe it as if you already achieved it. Next, always question your assumptions – especially in the marketing you do. And if there may be a better way… be willing to try something completely different.