MRL #009- How To Make 2023 Your Worst Year Ever

In today's issue I'm going to introduce you to "inverse thinking" and how to use it to make 2023 your best year ever.

Made popular by renowned investor Charlie Munger, inverse thinking is a powerful tool to clarify potential obstacles or behaviors that could be detrimental to your succeess.

Instead of focusing on what you need to do to succeed, Munger suggests to start by identifying what you need to do to fail.

Once you've identified the obstacles or behaviors in your path, now all you have to do is avoid them by doing their opposites.

So, let me ask you... what do you need to do to insure failure in 2023?

Lucky for you, I've already failed plenty in this business. So, I can help with that.

Here are my top 6 recommendations for failure, guaranteed to make your 2023 an epic disaster:

1. Prospect When You Feel Like It

Don't feel like prospecting? Then don't.

Prospecting can be challenging and full of rejection. That's uncomfortable, and you don't want to face discomfort on a daily basis.

Instead, wait until you "feel" like it.

By entangling activity to your "feelings" your prospecting is guaranteed to be sporadic... or even better, nonexistent.

2. Manage Your Time Poorly

Don't value your time.

Don't plan your day. Be totally reactive. Let other's dictate what you do and when.

This guarantees you have no time for the high leverage work that actually moves the needle.

3. Take Clients For Granted

Clients are a dime a dozen.

Pay them no mind. If they leave, you can always find another one.

Don't answer your phone when they call, and don't pro-actively reach out to them throughout the year.

Make sure you deliver their renewal as late as possible... and if they're getting a huge increase, keep it to yourself. Suprise them without warning.

Even better, they will tell all their friends. Your chances of getting a referral will be zero.

4. Play The Quoting Game

Why be a strategic partner, when you can be a vendor?

Beg business owners to let you quote their renewal.

Collect policies and loss runs 30 days out.

Take enormous amounts of time and energy filling out 100's of apps, with little to no chance of winning the business.

Then, race to the marketplace and hope there are are a few scraps left behind by the other 3 agents involved.

5. Only Do Exciting Work

Chasing shiny objects is fun.

Boring work is not.

Avoid cold-calling, drop-ins, and building out your cold email sequences.

Instead, chum it up on LinkedIn, play in the Chamber's golf tourney, and go to those cocktail hours.

You know the boring work you hate? Just keep putting it off.

Do what's exciting, instead.

YOLO.

6. Constantly Compare Yourself To Others

You know Randy down the hall, whose killing it?

Compare your numbers to his constantly. Better yet, on a daily basis.

Beat yourself up. Allow those negative thoughts of inadaquacy to permeate your entire being. Think of nothing else.

They say comparison is the theif of joy.

So, let it rob you blind.

Now That You Know What Not To Do...

Let's use this thought experiment to inform us of what you need to do to be successful this year:

• Prospect relentlessly- regardless of whether you feel like it, or not

• Manage your time wisely- prioritize important work first

• Treat your clients like gold- because they actually are

• Avoid the vendor trap- sell via BOR's

• Do the boring work- avoid shiny objects like the plague

• Run your own race- focus on the process, not outcomes

Ok, Thats It For This Week

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

Now, go unplug and enjoy some quality time with those you love.

See you next week.

Kick ass take names,

Maximus F. Revenue IV

P.S.

Gird your loins and prepare for lift off.

As promised, Micah Salas and I are combining forces to launch a new podcast.

We're giving you an over-the-shoulder look at how we're both re-building our books from scatch. The first episode drops in January.

All aboard the pirate ship.