Do You Need To Get Off The Guru Train?

You may have heard the saying that you have to have a breakdown before you make a breakthrough. Such was the case when less than 18 months ago, I was completely at the end of my rope with my business (and, truthfully, myself).  I’d been self-employed for about 18 months at that point, and I didn’t have anything to show for it but a lot of debt and terror.

I thought, will I have to ask my parents for mo-ney?  Or get a J-O-B? I’ll admit that both options were completely abhorrent to me – especially the J-O-B thing.  (Asking my parents for cash would have been tough, but they are wonderful, so I would have managed.  But needless to say, I didn’t want to.)

As it turns out, I didn’t have to do either one of those things.  But I did have to make a shift, and fast.  I had to get off the guru train.

What is the guru train? Quite simply, it’s the condition of hopping from one mentor to another, spending mo-ney with all but never really making a commitment to any of them.  (I also like to call it “doing the guru dance.”)

The problem with the guru train, of course, is that you’re perpetually stuck.  Worst of all, while you think you’re taking yourself seriously (after all, you’re spending all this money, right?) the truth is just the opposite.  (Ouch!)

Here are some signs that you may be riding the guru train:

• You make buying decisions from a place of fear and lack instead of standing in your power
• You’re racking up debt faster than you’re making money, with no end in sight (in other words, no signs that the situation will turn around any time soon)
• You have a shelf full of information products you’ve never used
• You’re extremely frustrated that you’ve “tried everything” and “nothing works”
• You’re resentful of others’ success and grumble that you’re “sick of being sold to”

Now if any of this is sounding familiar, please take heart and don’t beat yourself up!  I was there. Indeed, I don’t know a single successful entrepreneur in this Internet marketing world who has not been there.  (I’m sure they exist… in some parallel universe.)

If you’ve been riding the guru train, it’s time to get off the train, get serious, and fully invest in one system, program or mentor. That means you pick a system and work it – all of it.  Even when you think you’ve done it all already.  Instead of leading with your ego when something doesn’t work out, ask, “What went wrong here?” Or, “How can I make this work for me?” (Because I’m guessing that you like to do things your own way – so do I.)

So once you’ve decided to make a commitment to a mentor, how do you choose? The answer is, “It depends.”  What’s important to one person, you may care less about.  Bottom line is you’ll want to make a clear set of criteria that makes sense for you.  That said, here are some factors to consider:

1. Are they walking their talk? Not just in their business, but in their life.  Otherwise known as having integrity.

2. Have they created the success (that they claim they can help you create) for themselves? Be suspicious of the abilities of anyone who says they can help you achieve something when they clearly aren’t living it yet.   (This doesn’t mean that they have to be perfect, or they have to be a multi-millionaire.  Remember, we’re talking about a path here – a long one, with significant milestones marking the entire journey.)

3. Do they have a system for creating the results that you want? When followed correctly, a system gives predictable results.  A system also saves you time and mental energy because the steps are organized and you’re only taking the actions required to get your desired outcome.

4. Do you resonate with them personally? I believe that in order for mentorship to be effective, you have to at least enjoy a person enough to invest the required time – after all, you’re sharing space with them, whether it’s live and in person, on the telephone, or even a recording.  Luckily, thanks to today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to get a sense of someone’s energy.  (To that end, a mentor should be open and genuine, in part to help give you that sense.)

5. What does your intuition tell you? Successful people gather all the information they need (and by that I mean what Napoleon Hill called “wise counsel,” not opinions), then confidently and powerfully decide – without second-guessing.  Often that decision is based all or in part on intuition.  What is your “inner business woman” telling you?  She knows best.

Creating success in your business means taking a stand on who you will and will not learn from.  It means respecting your own time as your most valuable asset and taking yourself seriously.  My coach’s request: make an all-or-nothing decision to get the results you want, then make a decision to work with the right mentor for you.

© 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis.  All Rights Reserved.

Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values.  Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.