A secondary and not overtly stated goal of The Friday Rally is to eventually have enough posts in the archives to pull together a book in the future. A book for new advisors to utilize to build their careers. This resource will take many years to crystalize as we need to develop our careers first to be able to influence new advisors. The idea of writing a book seems overwhelming in my mind. I think it would be nearly impossible for me to sit down at the computer and write a whole book. So, Luke and I plan on writing our book 1 article at a time over the course of many years. We are taking the long view.

This article is the first one that I am intentionally including for use in the future book. If it makes the cut years down the road I cannot know. I would just like to have it available if needed. So, on to the point.

Get up every day and compete!

If you are new to the financial industry or any industry for that matter you may have noticed that it can be hard to envision the success that will come. You may also have ideas and expectations that are not realistic. Success takes time. Getting to your goals takes time. You need time to learn what is going on. There are complicated documents, strategies, and rules you need to understand. There are processes and protocols you must follow. Most importantly, you need to know your audience and how to effectively reach them. It can all be overwhelming.

As time goes on and you work to become more successful these things will become easier. You will learn the nuances of your firm and the industry. You will have become comfortable with the job. It is at this point there will be a shift in mindset and thinking. You will want to rise above the average advisor and become the best.

There is one concept that has been mentioned and will be written about many more times in the future on this site. You must compete. Make it an daily focus. Compete to win business. Compete to gain more projects and gain responsibilities. Compete against your previous self. Become better today than you were yesterday.

If you get up every day, and consistently put in hard, smart work to compete with the other firms out there you will find success. This isn’t just a feel good, pump you up, type of idea. Most people live their lives on autopilot. Other advisors show up to the office take calls, do their desk work, and go home. They sit complacent. They don’t have the fire to go get it. If you compete every day to beat these types of advisors, you will be ahead of 90% of them. They just don’t try. They are content to live their lives in the habits they have developed.

You always have to remember that there is someone out there trying to take your business. They are competing against you whether you know it or not. You must fight back. Be a competitor. Be consistent. Do your important tasks every day, and compete. Then it will not be a matter of if you reach your goals, but a matter of when.

Chris