Prospecting is an activity that must be performed consistently. Getting up on Monday morning, dreading your week and having a small panic attack is an indication that you don’t have enough prospects. What blocks the road to consistent prospecting? Two factors: a lack of one or more efficient prospecting methods. (You have over 60 articles archived here on LifeHealthPro.com that will give you a large number of methods to place in your arsenal. I wrote those articles for the specific purpose of giving you methods that work.)

The second factor that will lead to inconsistent prospecting has to do with the human condition — our state of mind. We lack motivation. Wherever a crime is committed, the authorities look for motive. If they can find motive, they have a chance to find the perpetrator. In order to prospect, we must be motivated.

A symptom of a lack of motivation is excuses. When I’m coaching an advisor, I listen for excuses. An agent in New England mentioned that there was a 15 percent unemployment rate in his area, which contributed to his lack of prospects. I said that only left 85 percent of the people as prospects. He immediately felt foolish for bringing it up.

A struggling practice that has all of the necessary tools to get the job done but can’t succeed probably has a motivation problem.

Why don’t you get started early? Unmotivated! Why isn’t your calendar full? Unmotivated! Why are you making the income that others make? Unmotivated! Why are you considering a job with a salary? Unmotivated! Is your wife or husband suggesting that you get a job? Get motivated instead.

Are you reading industry publications with articles that constantly tell of new regulations or restrictions, or low interest rates, or advisors being sued, or poor market performance, or competition, or dishonest competitors? Are you consistently de-motivating yourself? Are you looking for excuses? Are you sabotaging your own practice? Stop it! Stay up on new products. Stay up on new methods. Stay up on new concepts. Stay away from negative input.

So, how do you stay motivated? First, you must want to stay motivated. Maybe you are satisfied. If you made enough money, would your spouse be working if you replaced his or her income? Would you be able to save for retirement so that you can have one? Would you get that dream home? Would you drive a different car? Would your kids consider different colleges? Would you travel? Would you dress better? Would you have better seats at the ballgames? Would you hunt for more exotic animals in exotic places? Would you buy better technology? Would you have a better office or even have an office? Would you entertain more? Would you like to be able to spoil your grandkids?

If any of these things aren’t on your list of motivators, get something that does motivate you. Since I’m a Christian, my preacher and my Bible tell me to be satisfied in whatsoever state I am. No problem, satisfaction and contentment can live in the same house with motivation.

I’m not talking about working 80 hours a week and neglecting more important things. I’m talking about being motivated in 40 hours per week.

Read good books to motivate; read stories of achievers. Get a coach who will help keep you motivated, but most of all find a solution. Since you are self-employed, it’s no secret that you are your own boss. That means any motivation for achievement must come from within. High achievers are driven people. They have an innate mechanism that stays in overdrive. Those of us who don’t have that drive must create it. We have to search high and low to bring motivators to the surface where they are helpful to us.

It’s quite acceptable to want to improve your financial status. However, if you don’t have purpose that is strong enough to rev your engine, you can stay at idle speed for a long time. Find what will get you past the traffic of the average. Get out on an open road where you can show how much horsepower is under the hood.

As they say at Nike “just do it.”