**First of all, Today is Jen Creed’s birthday! I’m so stoked to celebrate her birth today and you should be to! She’s pretty awesome. Wish her a happy birthday and follow her on twitter @jencreed.**
I’m still trucking slowly through Rory Vaden’s book, Take The Stairs. He includes a case study early on in the book and I thought the whole thing was worth sharing.
Jeff Dobyns, financial adviser for Raymond James in Franklin, TN, has managed to build the top producing office globally out of 1,200 branches worldwide. Most of the folks at the top of the industry have over thirty years of experience, Rory says. But Jeff was able to take the top spot in only thirteen. In the case study, Rory says that Jeff is always perplexed when people ask what he does that is special because in his mind, it isn’t.
**Prepare for the longest quote ever**
“It’s always made so much sense to me that you have to pay a price upfront for the rewards that come later on. The first 5-10 years of this business take a lot of sacrifice to make the business run the right way. Unfortunately, we sometimes see young people wanting to focus more on balance than putting in the work, and it inevitable prolongs the time to which their desired freedom comes.
Going ‘all-in’ to any endeavor is the best way to be free of the mental clutter that stifles our progress. It’s the fastest way to get us where we want to go. Also, it’s not just about working hard but also making sacrifices to do the right thing. There are countless times when I’ve given clients advice that forfeits me commission in the short-term because another vehicle is honestly the best strategy for them. That type of advice would’ve gotten me fired in some organizations, yet is has become the very foundation that our reputation is built on. Over time, you develop a strong faith and realize that if you do the right things, everything will work out. But it’s always an ongoing process because as we master the process of sacrifice in one area of our life or business, it seems like we’re often just beginning to practice it in another. But in every area of life, those sacrifices become easier and easier to make until one day they become automatic.
It’s a surprising revelation that what started out as a disciplined sacrifice later becomes a deep source of satisfaction. We take pride in putting in the work necessary and making it a priority to do the right things for our clients. What I think most people underestimate is, how much greater the impacts are positive or negative in the long-term.” 
What I got from that is: If you want success long-term, go all in. If you want freedom long-term, go all in.
This follows a theme Rory gets on in these first couple of chapters: Commitment. He says, without commitment things slip away. We end up in a Should I? mentality instead of a How Will I? mentality. Should I? puts us in a place of “I’m not sure yet.” How Will I? put’s us in a place of commitment, of “I’m here for good.” The “how will I?” question opens our minds up to think creatively on how to make it work.
He goes on to say, “If you don’t shift from ‘I’m not sure yet’ to ‘I’m in for good,’ then you are already slipping back to doing things the way you’ve always done them.”
There is no one foot in, one foot out, half-way to do this thing. Commitment is undoubtedly a key to long-term success. If you’re going for it, go all in.
I needed to read that this morning and hopefully someone else needs it too.
You can buy Rory’s book here: Take The Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success.
Happy Monday! And Happy Birthday to Jen Creed!! 🙂
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