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Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List How often do you do things you don’t need to do so you can avoid doing something you are supposed to be doing? We all put off things sometimes, both in our personal and business lives, so there is room for all of us to become more productive. Why We Put Things Off Procrastination is the gap between what we know we should be doing and our actions. When it comes to self-sabotage, procrastination is king. We know what we need to do, but for whatever reason, we put it off. The bigger the gap, the bigger the issue. There are three basic reasons we procrastinate: We don’t like to do the task that needs to be done, or doing it will upset us somehow. This is the most common reason we procrastinate. In life, especially in business, we regularly face tasks we would prefer not to do. But to succeed, we must not only do them; we must make a habit of them. For example, cold calling, asking for referrals and taking educational courses are just a few of the common tasks that are fundamental parts of our jobs but are not on our “can’t wait to do” list. These challenging functions make us feel uncomfortable. The truth is, we just do not want to feel negative emotions — it’s about feeling good now. Often, we simply give in to feeling good by putting off these tasks. These delays sabotage both our short-term and long-term goals. We make our daily goals or tasks vague or weak. We know we really don’t want to make those calls or complete that training, so we make those tasks vague, without a deadline. We say, “I’ll get to that later this week.” It’s impossible to control behavior against such a poorly defined standard. We are easily distracted, and some of us are highly impulsive. We catch ourselves often saying things like, “It will take me only a minute to check my email” or “I’ll just update my Facebook page quickly.” Or maybe we just got a LinkedIn request, so we log in to find out who sent us a connection request. Then all of a sudden, we say, “Oops! Where did my day go?”In today’s hyper-connected world, our digital distractions can provide the perfect excuse for procrastination. But the things we really need to be doing won’t disappear, and putting them off just causes us more to feel more stress and a lack of accomplishment. A task is either too easy or too challenging. The problem with a task being too easy is that we quickly get bored, so we find little motivation in it, and there is little to hold our attention to the task at hand. To keep yourself engaged with tedious tasks, use frequent mini-rewards to keep your focus from one small chunk of time to the next, such as every 30 minutes. Now, don’t do anything big; the reward can be as simple as eating a snack, getting up for a cup of coffee or a soda or taking a brief walk.If the task is difficult, we seem to procrastinate even more. The reasons we do this vary greatly. Maybe we simply lack the confidence — we’re nervous or even scared. So we keep putting a task off, finding anything to keep us busy other than the task that needs to be completed. Finally, because time is normally running out, we force ourselves to do it. And because we are now short on time, we normally do not achieve the level of success that we would have or could have. We lack motivation. Finally, too often procrastinators say, “I lack motivation.” The word “motivation” is a vague term that lacks action. We need to think of what our motive is. In other words, what is your reason for doing a task? Every task we complete should play an important role in accomplishing our ultimate goals. If you have no good short-term or long-term reason for accomplishing a task, eliminate it from your to-do list. Tips for Overcoming Procrastination With today’s world competing for our attention, it’s more important than ever to prioritize where and how we spend our time. This is true whether you’re a financial advisor or a sales leader. We must understand that self-deception is the handmaiden of procrastination. When we don’t feel like completing a task now, we will often deceive ourselves — or try to — by saying, “I’ll feel more like doing this tomorrow.” Or maybe we just won’t remove distractions that we know undermine our work. Too often, we tell ourselves little white lies as we wait to become inspired and take action. However, deep down, we know these are just excuses. To end the self-sabotaging act of procrastination, it’s essential to stop all these self-deceptions. How can you do this? Let’s look at a few simple tips for fighting off procrastination to become more productive. Simply get started. This is the most effective solution. If your action plans call for you to do a task, don’t think about; just start doing it. Put a sign on your desk that reads, “Am I procrastinating?” The quicker you recognize it, the faster you can move on to the task at hand. A task begun is a task half done. Don’t think too far ahead — take baby steps. Research indicates that establishing a low threshold to task engagement will fuel your motivation and change your perception of the task. Quickly you will discover that it was not as bad as you thought. Recognize and acknowledge your delay tactic, and move on. Look carefully at your progress on your daily task sheet. Are you choosing what you like to do over what you don’t? If so, recognize and acknowledge it. Don’t get upset with yourself; just acknowledge it and move on. You may want to say to yourself, “Time to move on.” This catch phrase simply allows you to acknowledge that you are procrastinating, and you are getting back on track. Set deadlines. Deadlines allow you to have enough time to accomplish your task thoroughly. They let you know when you need to have it completed, which will tell you when you need to start it. That will enable you to be more productive and focused. Evaluate these difficult tasks, and break them down into a step-by-step routine or process. Also, break your day up by adding a couple of easy tasks as relief from the more difficult work. These are deadlines that you impose on yourself, so don’t freak out — it is a commitment to yourself. Decide when you will begin the task and when you will have it completed. And when it is time to start, start! Don’t think about it. Dig in and begin. Having self-accountability is great; however, if you don’t feel like you can hold yourself accountable, then get someone else to establish deadlines for you and check in with you to see how you’re progressing. This is a common challenge for advisors, especially those who are just starting out. If you’re an advisor, then get your manager or a mentor to work with you. If you’re a sales leader, ask another manager or colleague to hold you accountable. And you can do the same for him or her. By promising to complete certain tasks by a certain day or time, you will begin to form the habit of delivering on commitments. Know how long each task takes. We must become aware of exactly how long each specific task takes to complete, rather than just guessing. Take control of your time. To do this, you must learn what really takes 15 minutes, what takes 30 minutes and what takes an hour. By improving your estimate of how long a task will take, you can get better control of your time and achieve a sense of accomplishment by checking each task off your list. Know what you do while you’re procrastinating. We all have our special distractions to fill in the time. To overcome these, we must first identify what they are. What distracts you? Are you filling your time meant for other things by browsing social media or getting lost in the maze of the Internet? These digital distractions are powerful temptations. We all find it too easy to click on a social media icon when a task is too boring, difficult or uncomfortable to do. Begin to make notes about exactly where your time goes. This will enable you to consciously build your resistance to these distractors. Create a detailed daily action plan — a list of tasks you will accomplish each day. Assign specific time periods during the day for each task — for example, calling people to set appointments from 8:30 to 10:30, following up with people from 10:30 to 11:15 and taking an online course from 4 to 5:30. Reasons We Want to Complete Important Tasks Wouldn’t you agree that there are only two basic reasons for doing anything? We take an action because it is inherently pleasurable. In this case, we most likely won’t need any other motivation. We want a positive outcome that will result from completing a task. This could be short- or longterm in nature. A simple example might be to obtain enough referrals and networking leads each week. A short-term benefit is that you can avoid having to ever make cold calls again and thus spend less time on the phone and more time in front of potential clients. A long-term goal is to build a successful practice on client or network-based referrals, which will replenish itself based on its very nature. Those are both compelling reasons to get started on a task and complete it. If you are a sales leader, being in control of your time and digging in to complete even the most dreaded tasks will set a good example for your advisors. If you’re an advisor, learning how to conquer procrastination can help you build a more successful practice. Everyone can overcome procrastination. So don’t procrastinate! Start putting these tips to work today. Stop Procrastinating

Speaker, Author, Coach, Boxer, Knock Out Networker Michael Goldberg CSP Speaker, Author, Coach, Boxer, Knock Out Networker Michael Goldberg has helped thousands of financial advisors, brokers, and agents generate hundreds of thousands of dollars using his Knock-Out Networking system. Michael’s firm Knock Out Networking has been recognized as a speaking and training resource in the insurance and financial services industry for over 20 years. Michael launched THE Networking Group in 2014, a national networking organization with over 60 Members across the U.S. and Canada. Michael speaks at conferences and associations, runs sales meetings, and delivers “results driven” programs on networking, referral marketing, and recruiting. Clients include Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, UBS, Oppenheimer, Mass Mutual, Chubb Insurance, Mutual of Omaha, and Aflac. Michael writes regular columns for various industry publications and has been referenced in the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company magazine. His blog 3-Minute Rounds has thousands of subscribers worldwide. Michael is a two-time TEDx Speaker and has spoken at major conferences in the financial services industry including the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). His book Knock Out Networking for Financial Advisors is considered a “go to” for new advisors, top producers, and field leaders in the industry. Michael is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an earned designation awarded by the National Speakers Association and the International Federation for Professional Speakers to recognize demonstrated commitment and success in the speaking profession. Fewer than 5 percent of the thousands of speaking professionals worldwide hold this designation. Michael has been an award-winning adjunct professor teaching public speaking at Rutgers University since 2004 and frequently volunteers as a speaker at organizations focused on career search. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Adam Holt CEO and Founder, Asset-Map Speaker Bio Alan Nero Managing Director Octagon’s Baseball Division Speaker Bio Alexis Gladstone Principal, Intelead Speaker Bio Amy Florian Grief & Bereavement Specialist Speaker Bio Ande Frazier Partner at Peachtree Planning of North Georgia Speaker Bio Andrea Bullard Andrea Bullard & Company Speaker Bio Ben Newman Best-Selling Author, International Speaker Speaker Bio Bill Cates Referral Coach Speaker Bio Bill Grimes Consulting and training firm, Grimes & Associates Speaker Bio Brian Doherty Speaker, Author and President of Filtech Speaker Bio Brian Moran CEO, NYT Best Selling Author, Speaker Speaker Bio Dave Sanderson Inspirational Speaker, Bestselling Author Speaker Bio Select by Category All Coaches Leadership Marketing Motivation Practice Management Product Knowledge Sales Skills The HPN Faculty Is Comprised of Individuals Who Have Over 100 Years of Combined Industry Experience. These Hoopis Performance Network experts provide a vast array of knowledge and insights that have been proven from over thirty years of industry-leading experience. Our faculty represent top experts and field practitioners in the industry and each of them specialize in the financial services space. Load More

Gail Goodman Leading Trainer to Financial Services Professionals Leading Trainer to Financial Services Professionals Gail B. Goodman has spent more than two decades perfecting a systematic way of understanding the appointment setting phone call for financial services professionals. Her engaging and funny style has inspired thousands of advisors, managers and recruiters to nickname her The Phone Teacher and she is THE recognized expert in the field. Ms. Goodman has trained over 50,000 advisors and managers and is attributed to saving many careers. Ms. Goodman continues to update her training materials to reflect how we must adapt our phoning and incorporate new technologies into our prospecting. She is a frequent contributor to industry publications and her client list is a who’s-who in the financial services industry. Ms Goodman is married and lives in Bedford Hills, NY on a small horse farm with her husband, three horses, one cat and five parrots. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

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HPN News Blog All Posts HPN Article HPN News Harry Hoopis HPN News Paul Feldman Interviews Harry Hoopis for InsuranceNewsNet Magazine Recently Paul Feldman, the Publisher of InsuranceNewsNet Magazine sat down with Harry Hoopis, COE of the Hoopis Performance Network and... 0 Post not marked as liked Hoopis Performance Network HPN News Harry Hoopis to Speak at the Virtual Latin American Conference 2022 Harry Hoopis, CEO of the Hoopis Performance Network has been selected as a featured speaker at the 2022 Virtual Latin American Conference... 1 Post not marked as liked Harry Hoopis HPN News Harry Hoopis to Speak at the Virtual Latin American Conference 2022 Harry Hoopis, CEO of the Hoopis Performance Network has been selected as a featured speaker at the 2022 Virtual Latin American Conference... 0 Post not marked as liked Miguel Taveras HPN News Hoopis Performance Network Partners with LIMRA to Offer Services to Members in Latin America Hoopis Performance Network (HPN) and LIMRA announced today that they have formed a partnership to provide shared oversight of the more... 0 Post not marked as liked Joey Davenport HPN News FWD Insurance Thailand Partners with Trustworthy Selling to Establish Sales Training and Development Program FWD Life Insurance Plc (FWD Insurance) signed a five-year agreement with Trustworthy Selling to provide their award-winning sales... 0 Post not marked as liked Joey Davenport HPN News Sales Strategies, Common Mistakes, and the Future of Training for Financial Advisors | Joey Davenport Joey Davenport is the President and Co-Founder of the Hoopis Performance Network (HPN). In this conversation, Joey shares the #1 mistake... 0 Post not marked as liked Hoopis Performance Network HPN News Hoopis Performance Network Announces Trustworthy Selling is Recognized Among the Top 25 Sales Training Companies For a second consecutive year, Selling Power, Inc., a multi-channel media company that produces Selling Power magazine, was recently... 0 Post not marked as liked Hoopis Performance Network HPN News Hoopis Performance Network (HPN) and Financial Services Educational Network (FSEdNet) announce merger. Merger creates the largest content library in the world for the financial services industry. Hoopis Performance Network (HPN) and... 0 Post not marked as liked Hoopis Performance Network HPN News Hoopis Performance Network and LIMRA Announce a Partnership to Provide Online Learning for Agents in International Markets Hoopis Performance Network (HPN) and LIMRA announced today a new partnership to provide condensed, high-impact video-based online courses... 0 Post not marked as liked 1 2 3 4

Search Results All (166) Blog Posts (32) Other Pages (134) 166 items found for "" Blog Posts (32) Paul Feldman Interviews Harry Hoopis for InsuranceNewsNet Magazine Recently Paul Feldman, the Publisher of InsuranceNewsNet Magazine sat down with Harry Hoopis, COE of the Hoopis Performance Network and recent recipient of the John Newton Russell Memorial Award, for a one-on-one interview about his illustrious journey through the insurance industry and how to train for greatness. “When trust is at the highest point, that’s when the sale is made, You don’t have to ask for it. They’ll ask you, ‘Who do I make this check out to?’” — Harry Hoopis As technology and artificial intelligence continue to replace workers to increase efficiency, Using the power of AI, organizations can re-invigorate their learning and development experience, make relevant content accessible anytime and anywhere, accelerate talent and career movement, and make skills the universal language of growth and success. “We’re thrilled to be partnered with HPN,an expert financial services content provider” said Andrea Sennett, Cornerstone Principal Partner Manager. “Many of our customers are looking for modern and engaging content specifically in the financial services space. This partnership provides a great additional resource for Cornerstone Content Anytime customers.” HPN’s initial offering within Cornerstone’s Content Hub will feature financial wellness content for employees as well as Spanish and investment planning content for financial professionals. There are currently 70 modules that are live with another 130 planned for this quarter. HPN is dedicated to producing a large library of content and has up to 500 modules in the works for this year. “We’re very excited to be recognized and selected to distribute our digital content through Cornerstone On Demand,” said Harry Hoopis, CEO of HPN. “Strategically partnering with the largest learning management system provider in the business provides a great opportunity for us to scale our distribution and make a bigger impact in the world.” HPN is one of the premier digital content providers to insurance and financial services organizations – serving clients in over 30 countries worldwide. HPN is one of fifty-four digital content providers featured today in the Cornerstone OnDemand Content Hub and only one of five from the financial services content space. HPN partners with the top experts and practitioners in financial services to provide learning content for financial advisors, leaders/managers, home office employees and financial wellness for consumers. About Hoopis Performance Network For more than a decade, Hoopis Performance Network has been a global leader in providing digital sales and leadership development learning solutions. HPN’s digital resources are designed to increase productivity and retention. In addition, they are scalable and customizable, depending on your organization’s virtual learning and development needs. Visit us at: www.hoopis.com. About Harry P. Hoopis Industry icon Harry Hoopis is a renowned entrepreneur, leader, speaker and industry icon who has built one of the largest and most successful financial services firms in the world. Harry is the author of the best-selling book, The Road to the Bountiful Life and donates all proceeds to the GAMA Foundation. Learn More About Harry. Harry Hoopis to Speak at the Virtual Latin American Conference 2022 Harry Hoopis, CEO of the Hoopis Performance Network has been selected as a featured speaker at the 2022 Virtual Latin American Conference, hosted by LIMRA. Harry will address the “SEA Change” (Selection, Education and Activity) that is needed for the financial services industry to survive and thrive in the world we live in. Better selection, more education and higher activity! Harry will also discuss the formula for success in agency building and how to get the most out of the people in the organization you run. Finally, he will share his 10 Key Beliefs which form the basis of building a Mega Firm in the 21st Century. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the success of the LIMRA LATAM Conference. The work that the Hoopis Performance Network and Limra are doing in Latam is extremely important. This is why we are partnered to create even more success in the region. The best is yet to come”, said Harry Hoopis. Harry Hoopis is the CEO of the Hoopis Performance Network and is a renowned entrepreneur, leader, speaker, and industry icon. In his 40-year career, he built one of the world’s largest and most successful financial services firms in Chicago, Illinois. During his illustrious career, Harry has received the Master Agency Award every year since his inception, the Robert Templin Award for his many contributions to management development, and the Leadership in Life Award from NAIFA Chicago. Harry was inducted into the GAMA International Management Hall of Fame. He served on the GAMA International Foundation Board of Directors and is past president of GAMA International, as well as the Northwestern Mutual General Agents Management Association. He is still an active member of two of the most select study groups in the industry, the LIMRA Group of Research Agencies and the General Agents Symposium. Harry is also the lead author of The Essentials of Management Development , the creator of the Firm Foundations seminar series, and has developed a management system called the Fixed Activity Commitment System. Harry is the author of the bestselling book The Road to the Bountiful Life: Achieving Success in Financial Services and donates all proceeds to the GAMA Foundation. About Hoopis Performance Network For more than a decade, Hoopis Performance Network has been a global leader in providing digital sales and leadership development learning solutions. HPN’s digital resources are designed to increase productivity and retention. In addition, they are scalable and customizable, depending on your organization’s virtual learning and development needs. Visit us at: www.hoopis.com. About LIMRA Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections and solutions to help more than 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com. Harry Hoopis to Speak at the Virtual Latin American Conference 2022 Harry Hoopis, CEO of the Hoopis Performance Network has been selected as a featured speaker at the 2022 Virtual Latin American Conference, hosted by LIMRA. Harry will address the “SEA Change” (Selection, Education and Activity) that is needed for the financial services industry to survive and thrive in the world we live in. Better selection, more education and higher activity! Harry will also discuss the formula for success in agency building and how to get the most out of the people in the organization you run. Finally, he will share his 10 Key Beliefs which form the basis of building a Mega Firm in the 21st Century. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to the success of the LIMRA LATAM Conference. The work that the Hoopis Performance Network and Limra are doing in Latam is extremely important. This is why we are partnered to create even more success in the region. The best is yet to come”, said Harry Hoopis. Harry Hoopis is the CEO of the Hoopis Performance Network and is a renowned entrepreneur, leader, speaker, and industry icon. In his 40-year career, he built one of the world’s largest and most successful financial services firms in Chicago, Illinois. During his illustrious career, Harry has received the Master Agency Award every year since his inception, the Robert Templin Award for his many contributions to management development, and the Leadership in Life Award from NAIFA Chicago. Harry was inducted into the GAMA International Management Hall of Fame. He served on the GAMA International Foundation Board of Directors and is past president of GAMA International, as well as the Northwestern Mutual General Agents Management Association. He is still an active member of two of the most select study groups in the industry, the LIMRA Group of Research Agencies and the General Agents Symposium. Harry is also the lead author of The Essentials of Management Development , the creator of the Firm Foundations seminar series, and has developed a management system called the Fixed Activity Commitment System. Harry is the author of the bestselling book The Road to the Bountiful Life: Achieving Success in Financial Services and donates all proceeds to the GAMA Foundation. About Hoopis Performance Network For more than a decade, Hoopis Performance Network has been a global leader in providing digital sales and leadership development learning solutions. HPN’s digital resources are designed to increase productivity and retention. In addition, they are scalable and customizable, depending on your organization’s virtual learning and development needs. Visit us at: www.hoopis.com. About LIMRA Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections and solutions to help more than 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com. View All Other Pages (134) Dave Sanderson Dave Sanderson ​ Inspirational Speaker, Bestselling Author Dave Sanderson is an inspirational survivor, speaker and author. His thoughts on leadership have made him an internationally sought-out speaker. When US Airways Flight 1549, or “The Miracle on the Hudson,” ditched into the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, Dave Sanderson knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be. The last passenger off the back of the plane on that fateful day, he was largely responsible for the well-being and safety of others, risking his own life in frigid water to help other passengers off the plane. Despite the hazards to himself, Sanderson thought only of helping others and emerged from the wreckage with a mission: to encourage others to do the right thing. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker Ellen Rogin Ellen Rogin ​ Speaker, Prosperity Expert, NY Times Best Selling Author Ellen Rogin, CPA, CFP® and Abundance Activist® is the co-author of NY Times best-seller, Picture Your Prosperity: Smart Money Moves to Turn Your Vision into Reality. As a former top producing financial advisor and founder of a wealth management firm which she successfully sold, Ellen knows first-hand how to build a successful, profitable practice. She speaks internationally, consults to the financial services industry, and trains and mentors advisors to increase their influence, impact, and income. Ellen is a TEDx presenter, and her work has been quoted in such national publications as The New York Times, Money, Time.com, and Forbes.com. She is a regular contributor to Horsesmouth® and the host of Horsesmouth Extraordinary Advisor live cast and on the faculty for HPN University. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker Kelli McCauley Kelli McCauley ​ Consultant, Executive Coach and Speaker Kelli McCauley is a leadership consultant, executive coach, facilitator and speaker who works exclusively with high potential leaders in sales-performance driven industries. As an expert in improving leadership effectiveness and bottom line performance, Kelli works with the best and brightest industry leaders, executives, sales management teams and their key stakeholders. By using highly regarded leadership and coaching programs, Kelli and her team are able to help clients identify, retain and maximize employee talent for increased growth, leadership and profitability. Kelli works closely with her clients to generate fast-track success while avoiding burn-out and maintaining balance. Her expertise includes high potential leadership effectiveness and development programs, talent identification and grooming, and successor planning, identification and development. By initiating proven leadership strategies, Kelli’s clients realize outstanding performance in short periods of time. Her work is founded in research on what separates star performers from average and leadership principles developed at Harvard University. Depending on what you are looking to accomplish, she incorporates measurement tools such as SPQ*Gold (Sales Call Reluctance), 360-degree feedback reports, LPI (Leadership Practices Inventory), and many other best in class assessments. Clients of MK Performance Group continue to report breakthrough results in their business objectives, combined with increased levels of Emotional Intelligence, promotability, and satisfaction. As you can see, Kelli’s passion is partnering with leaders and helping them achieve their full potential. In addition to having a highly rewarding career, Kelli is an avid skier and lover of world culture. Bali, Thailand, Italy, Zimbabwe, and Botswana are a sampling of some of the favorite places she’s traveled to with her husband Steven M. Kress. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker View All