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Over the last few days, I've had an email conversation with a gal, Lulu (not real name), who just got started with Arbonne. She hasn't been able to get herself started. Her first email to me asked,

"I'm dragging my feet, and don't know why. I believe in the company I represent (Arbonne), but feel overwhelmed with "making a list of 100 people I know;" "having an open house to introduce my business;" and, all the other suggestions...Do you have a magic answer?"

I asked her to tell me why she'd signed up for the business in the first place. Here's what she said:

"I signed up for 2 reasons: 1) I've worked in health care for 21 years. I own a successful [health] consulting business. However, I'm absolutely burnt to a crisp and detest the direction health care is going.

2) I'm also 58 years old. As I see it, I can continue to work infinitely as a consultant and grind out a decent living, or throw myself heart, soul, mind, and body into something FUN, with the potential of making more money that I'm making now."

Then she wondered,

"Is it really possible to make Donna money (Arbonne's top earner) by starting this at age 58?"

And then the other shoe dropped:

"I'm not at all afraid of hard work, long hours, or starting over. What I'm afraid of is spinning my wheels."

Amen. Isn't that what nags at ANYONE who starts a business later in life? Not knowing for sure whether it'll work or not? Especially knowing you'll have to put in long hours for who knows how long?

One NEVER knows how a business venture of any kind will come out.

But before 30, who asks? Once past 50 or 55, or after a surprise diagnosis, people ask themselves the very scary question: "Am I just spinning my wheels here - with the time I've got left?"

Once you are clear about the real, inner reason you're doing something, in Lulu's case, first something "FUN" and second, something that might have potential to make more than she has in her other business, the next question is: Of all the things she might do to get customers, which ones seem the most FUN? E.g. might she invite some ladies 55+ to her first show and tell?

Remember Lulu's first reason for doing the business was to have some FUN! So she'd better find things she can do that ARE fun to her. And skip the rest.

Then, for the money, what if Lulu sets intermediate goals like $50, $500, $1k, $3k, $5k/mo over say the next year? After all, even though she has business experience, she still has to learn the ins and outs of THIS business. That will take time and practice.

And we've all learned from the experts that if someone doesn't enjoy what they're doing, or isn't having fun, they will not put in enough deliberate practice time to get really good at it.