The Bricks and the mortar

In building your business it helps to have a visual. I like to think of building a castle or a fortress or even a cathedral...some stately structure that is big. Let's go with castle for this illustration. It is important to visualize the castle you want to build. It could be an actual castle, or if you want to have a bigger home in the future, you can use this practical goal as the visual. Take a picture of, or have a rendering done of the home you would like to have.
Put this picture up in your work space. Of course to build a home or castle or any large structure that you want to last for generations to come, you must start with a foundation. You prep the area, then you start putting in the bricks. The interesting thing about this part of the building process is that from afar, there is a lot of building going on, but it isn't very noticeable. This is sort of the way it is in the early days of building your business. Things are happening, both tangibly( the sponsoring of a new builder and the development of customers) and intangibly (personal growth and learning) that you can see if you you are looking up close, but as it relates to the long term picture of what you are truly trying to build it seems like you will never get there.
I have already blogged about patience...and here is why. Each day you work and do the right things, you are going to be laying bricks in the castle. Initially you will be laying the bricks in the foundation, this has to be done. Then after a while you will be laying bricks in the actually walls and so on. All you have to do is lay bricks every day and eventually you will have your castle. The key is that you have to lay the bricks.
So what is a brick? A new customer? A new business builder? NO.....literally...NO. The NO's are the bricks. Each not yet you hear is a brick. This is the simplicity of the business. You don't succeed based on the yeses you get, you succeed based on the nos. It wouldn't be this way if you knew who wouyld say yes...but no one does. No one wears "I will say yes" painted on their forehead! It's a numbers game and then a people business. The need is great. Each not yet is simply moving through the ones who aren't ready to act on their need yet....the yes is the one who is ready to act.
The Bricks to your castle are the nos. The mortar is the yeses. Every 5 to 10 bricks you put a little mortar on. This is how you build your castle. It is as easy as this. This is why I tell you to approach first every day. Put in some bricks every day, and have the patience to see it through till the final shingle is laid on the roof. As Og Mandino said "From childish swipes, the oak will eventually tumble."