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“ You only have two choices when it comes to caregiving: plan or panic…The lack of a plan can tear a caregiver’s life apart…This book will help families overcome objections that relegate extended care planning to stressful crisis planning.”– p.3

As a leading expert and evangelist on the topic of Caregiving in the U.S. and the potentially devastating ramifications on a family’s finances and emotional cohesiveness, Carroll Golden’s latest book,How Not To Pull Your Life Apart Caregiving: Overcome Challenges and Objections to Planning Conversationsis an essential resource for every family to plan for an inevitable part of life.

Carroll Goldenspeaker,best-selling author,and Executive Director, NAIFA Centers of Excellence, including theLimited & Extended Care Planning Center, reveals in her book how it is painfully clear that many families and their financial advisors are unfamiliar with the evolving needs or personal dynamics involved in extended or long-term care until it is too late. Few participants involved in this highly charged process have the knowledge or experience to create an organized approach.

Have you ever heard the saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself?”  Well, that might be true for some things when it comes to your business but if you find yourself stressed out all the time, it’s most likely because you are doing too many things yourself. And, that’s a recipe for burnout.

Challenging an entrenched industry business model, like the employer group health insurance market, is a massive but doable endeavor that is being driven by smaller but dynamic industry players. As large incumbent healthcare firms have little motivation to change when profits are at an all-time highs and business owners do not know of any other options, why break the mold? However entrepreneurial industry players have been emerging knowing there is a better way to create needed change. These innovators realize that business models and product innovation require the clarity of open-aperture vision, deep meaningful conversations with customers, a willingness to thoroughly rethink everything about the product and the marketplace, and, most importantly, a decisive and purposeful mindset to become a catalyst of change.

^{Do you want to take your business to the next level but are unsure how? The answer might lie in identifying its red flags. Here is what I mean.}

^{It’s probably no surprise that a “red flag” symbolizes danger. As you know, red means “stop” when you look at a stoplight. But you might not know that your business could be telling you to stop doing certain activities. You might need to start doing other activities but don’t see the signs.}

Do you ever feel like you have too much to do? You know that you want to grow your business, but you don’t know how to scale it as it grows. This is a common challenge and most advisors and agents don’t have a method for scaling their businesses.

Are you on a production plateau? Most people are or will be at some point in their careers. In fact, your business can go only three ways: up, down, or settle on a production plateau. The big question is, do you know how to get beyond a production plateau?  

Getting to the next level rarely happens by accident. Sure, there is the occasional advisor or agent who stumbles across a big prospect or has clients who come into money. But, rarely do advisors and agents get to the next level without a well thought out system. The solution begins by understanding that success is a process.

Let’s examine each step:

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” However, have you considered when that first impression is? Maybe it’s before you ever meet that person. And, if that’s the case, do you know if you have a good reputation or brand?

Have you ever wondered if great leaders are born or made? Anyone can be a great leader if they understand themselves, know what motivates others to want to follow them, and apply what they learn.

John C. Maxwell said it best, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

Do you know how to get your message across and have others want to follow you?

Let’s look at six leadership styles so you can better understand your style and how to motivate others better.

Do you have a well-thought-out strategy to start your day off right? Like many people, you might not. Instead, you probably have morning routines on autopilot, like making your bed and brushing your teeth. But, if you want to get the most out of your day, it is not the morning routines that will change your life, it’s mastering morning rituals!

Do you have a well-thought-out strategy to start your day off right? Like many people, you might not. Instead, you probably have morning routines on autopilot, like making your bed and brushing your teeth. But, if you want to get the most out of your day, it is not the morning routines that will change your life, it’s mastering morning rituals!

So, what’s the difference between morning routines and morning rituals?

One of the best definitions that I’ve seen is that the difference between a routine and a ritual is the intent behind the action. While routines can be repetitive, like making your bed or taking a shower, rituals are more meaningful practices that can create a real sense of purpose.

Tim Ferris, the author of the book, The 4 Hour Work Week, said it best, “If you win the morning, you win the day”.

And, I believe that it is true. But, how do you win the morning? It’s by having at least one or more of the following morning rituals consistently be a part of your day. Over the course of 20 years of coaching financial advisors and insurance agents, I’ve found a common thread among those who are successful; they all have at least one morning ritual.

Let’s look at five morning rituals that will change your business and your life: