MLM: A Journey

MLM: A Journey

You ever feel like you're not quite sure where you're going on this Network Marketing journey?

Everyone feels like that starting out, right?

Shoot, I'm sure there are plenty of leaders who feel like that after years in the industry!

Maybe they're trying to reach a new level... Maybe they're creating a system for their team to be successful with... Maybe they're figuring out how to scale their info product company...

Arizona Dust Storm

The point is, things can feel a little "murky" at times when you're striving to reach new heights.

What got me thinking about this was a little journey Monique and I took a couple weeks ago when we went to visit her mom for Mother's Day.

Now, this is a journey we've made many times over the years, but this particular trip was special.

Why?

Because it was harder than normal -- we had to drive through a dust storm for most of the 8 hours it took to get home!

And it reminded me a little of the Network Marketing journey most distributors are on.

==>Let me explain:

When you start, the journey is full of promise and excitement:

Cortez, Colorado

We started our day off at Monique's mom's house in Cortez, Colorado.

It's a little farming and ranching community in the 4 corners area, near Durango, Telluride, the La Plata Mountains, and Mesa Verde National Park.

It was a beautiful morning, we went and got some breakfast burritos and coffee from the Spruce Tree Café, and we admired the beautiful La Plata mountains in the distance.

"Wouldn't it be nice to get a cabin or second home in Durango?" I say to Monique.

She nods happily.

After breakfast, we say our goodbyes and set out on the road.

Pretty soon on your MLM journey, you need to figure out the path you will take to success:

Now, there are a few ways to get to Tucson from Cortez, Colorado (and we've tried them all)...

• You can go through McElmo Canyon and Monument Valley, Utah --> on through to Kayenta and Tuba City, Arizona --> then Flagstaff and Phoenix on I-10.

Monument Valley, Utah

Anyone who's seen Monument Valley knows that this is an absolutely beautiful way to go! (We first took this route to avoid road construction through the Ute Mountain Reservation.) But it takes you a little out of the way, which makes it about an hour or so longer.

• Then there's the quickest route: Through Teec Nos Pos on 160 South before you hit Kayenta, Tuba City, Flagstaff, and Phoenix.

It's "fastest" because you get to drive on I-10 for half of the trip, while the rest of the roads are 2-lane highways (but they're all headed in the right direction). The only problem is Phoenix on down...

Seriously, have you ever driven through the sprawling suburbia that is Phoenix? Speeding cameras everywhere! I was starting to collect traffic tickets like baseball cards ;)

Then there's the death-trap that is I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson!

Picture this: 4 lane divided freeway separating 5-6 million people living 90 miles apart...

Driving from Phoenix to Tucson

Now picture the freeway packed with the worst drivers in America... all racing to get to either city! It can be a little stressful, especially after 6-7 hours of driving already ;)

• So, weather permitting, Monique and I prefer the Gallup, New Mexico -> Holbrook, Snowflake, Globe route.

I say, "weather permitting" because we have to go through the White Mountains, which live up to their name in the winter ;)

However, this is by far the most beautiful of the routes, because we go from the beautiful, green, snow-capped La Plata Mountains -> to the rugged, sage brush and Pinyon Pine-filled landscape of northern New Mexico -> through beautiful red-rock formations and petrified forest in Holbrook -> to the canyons, Pines and Firs of the Apache Reservation and White Mountains -> and finally, through Saguaro forests and canyons north of Tucson and a beautiful view of the "back-side" of our beloved Catalina Mountains.

==>Moral of the story: Find a niche that works for you (and don't worry if it takes you a few tries).

Then you hit your first sign of trouble:

Maybe a family member or friend laugh at you... Maybe someone calls your company a "pyramid scheme"... Maybe you get a bunch of "no's"

Sleeping Ute Mountain

Our first sign of trouble on this trip was shortly after we passed Ute Mountain...

Ever seen this mountain? Some say it looks like an Indian Chief laying on his back with full headdress on... just waiting for the right moment to wake up and kill all the white man, reclaiming the land for his tribe.

Still others say it looks like Monique's Aunt Cathy after her breast job... I'll leave it to you to decide.

Anyway, it started to get really windy... Like "blow my car all over the road" windy!

Then the dust came... Now I don't know where you live, dear reader, but in our part of the world, it can be a little dusty ;)

In some sections, we could barely see 2 feet in front of us!

When we pull into Gallup to grab a bite to eat, we pull into a Taco Bell and, as I look down the street, I am amazed by the amount of fast-food restaurants this little po-dunk town has!

Fast Food Eaters

Seriously, there's a KFC next to a Taco Bell, next to a McDonald's, next to a Jack In the Box, and on and on...

I actually counted 3 Taco Bells on our 10-15 minute drive through town and I thought to myself, "Isn't this the way most people are? They look for the cheapest, quickest, easiest ways to do everything. And that's what keeps most people from doing anything of significance."

But not us, buddy!

Nosir, we got right back on that road and into that dust storm... Destination -- Tucson!

==>Lesson: Cheaper, faster, quicker is not always the best way (and might just distract you from your true path and goals).

After a while though, you start to wonder, "When will this dust storm end?!"

When will all my hard work pay off? When will I get more "yes's" than "no's"? When will I be able to see through the murkyness?

So, when did our dust storm end?

It ended when we "rose above the noise"... we drove into the mountains!

White Mountains, Arizona

Ahh, the mountains... Crisp air, fresh pine scent, quiet, serenity, solitude.

This is a time to take an overview of your business and see beyond the now. Look ahead, look to the future, see the big picture!

What are you working for? You DO realize that you're closer than you think, don't you?

All we had to do was pass some semis, watch out for cops at the bottoms of hills and, before we knew it, we were in Globe, an old mining town about an hour and a half north of Tucson.

==>Moral: Don't get caught up in the "here and now" if things aren't going your way. Focus on the way things will be, instead.

And you know what? It was smooth sailing the rest of the way home:

The trip from the White Mountains to Globe to Tucson is one of the most peaceful, beautiful, and serene trips you can take...

Catalina Mountains, Tucson

The Saguaros were starting to bloom, the Sycamores, Ash, and Cottonwoods by the rivers were bright green and standing out against the reds and browns of the desert...

And my fellow travelers heading in the opposite direction were blinking their headlights at me whenever they just passed a cop car waiting at the bottom of the hill.

We were in the zone, living in the moment, and good things were happening!

The next thing you know, we started to see the Yuccas and grasslands north of Tucson and at the foot of the Catalinas.

We made it home, safe and sound, and ready for the next challenge.

What a fun journey!

==>How has YOUR Network Marketing journey been? What stage are you in? Are you close to your goals? Let me know in the comments below:

==>P.S. Make sure to share and retweet this post if you think your fellow Network Marketers could use some encouragement on their journey.

If you'd like some training that would make YOUR MLM Journey easier, be sure to sign up for our free bootcamp:

MLM: A Journey is a post from: DriveTheLine.com

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