Renegade Professional News 

When you attend a live event of any kind, are you cheating yourself out of the huge strides in your life and business that you could have gained from the event itself?

While most live events offer the built in value of information that is shared through presentations, question and answer sessions, and activities, there is so much more you can gain from the experience if you have the mindset to go out there and get it!

So how do you get the most out of attending a live event?  These events are naturally a gathering of like-minded individuals from all over the city, state, country, or even the world!  It is that very gathering of people that will allow you to reach new heights in your life and business.

Some of you may be thinking that there is something unique that will stop you from achieving this potential during a one or two day event.  You may think that because you are ‘new’ or because you have never attended a live event before that you will somehow not be able to get any more than the base value of the event.  This is not true!  Everyone can use this information to plan how YOU will get more out of your experience.

This article is intended to coach you through the task of setting a goal for the event, creating an action plan to achieve your goal, and then putting into motion.

Of course, because this is an article, it is important to note that this is not a true coaching session.  For true coaching, there must be an atmosphere of interaction and follow up questions.  Therefore, if you have a coach, I recommend planning as much as you can through this article, then talking about any unique situations with your coach.

Define Your Vision:

In defining your vision for the event, think about what your long-term goals are.  Write them down.  Perhaps you are starting a new business and you want to turn it into a full time career that will support your family.  Maybe you have a particular income level in mind.  Or a lifestyle.  Or a passion.

Now relate the topic of the live event to your long-term goals. When you think about what this event might be like, even if you have no actual expectations yet, how does it look?  Who is there?  Who are you spending your time with?  What are you talking about?

Take a few minutes to truly imagine your ideal experience, then write down the key points that make it ideal.  This is your vision.

Set a Realistic Goal:

Think about your long-term goal and your vision for the event itself in order to set an achievable and realistic goal.  Remember, most events are one or two days, so setting a goal to turn your business into a multi-million dollar endeavor is a little large for such a short time period.

What is something you can conceivably accomplish in that amount of time?  Do you want to find a coach?  Do you want to get closer to finding a good business partner?  Do you want to interview someone?  Do you want to make a video testimonial?  Do you want to meet people who are successful in your current or future profession who you can connect with and learn from?

What is a short-term goal that you can set for the live event that will bring you closer to your long-term goals?

Create an Action Plan:

What are the actions that you will need to take in order to achieve your goals?

If there is someone in particular you want to talk to, plan out a list of the most important questions you want to ask them, in order of importance.  Plan to arrive early so that you can sit near that person, allowing you to have easier access to them.

Do you want to interview another attendee?  Go ahead and write out your interview questions.  Get in touch with that person and find out if they would be willing to schedule the interview at a certain time.

If you want to start a joint venture, you can create a list of qualities you might be looking for in the other person.  What are your basic goals for the venture, what can you bring to the table, and how much time can you commit?

Now, decide which action steps you can begin today.  Can you send an email to the person you want to interview?  Do the speakers have any information posted yet about a question and answer session?  What preparatory work can you begin, such as list making, question writing, etc?

Prepare for Obstacles:

Be aware that these events are usually no more than one to three days long.  Who knows what can happen?  One of your goals may simply not turn out to be feasible due to the number of people present who may have similar goals, such as interviewing the speakers.  Perhaps the speakers are simply not available for interview.

There may be factors that are essential to achieving your goals but are out of your control.  This is okay.  So have a backup plan.  Create a list of “If this, then this” statements.  For instance, “If I cannot get an interview, then I will try to ask one question… If I do not meet anyone that fits my needs for a joint venture, then I will write down what I have learned from the experience of seeking out a partner”, etc.

Remember, when things do not go ‘according to plan’, it is simply an opportunity to take new action.  So do not be concerned if a goal isn’t achieved in exactly the way you had expected.  Just learn from the experience, and realize that by learning, you have achieved far more than you would have by not taking those actions.

Heighten Your Awareness:

Here is a fun challenge that can show you, right before your eyes, how powerful the law of attraction can be.  I call it the ‘Dollar Challenge’.  This week, I challenge you to ‘attract’ $1.00. It can be all coins, or an actual bill.  Here are the rules… the money cannot come from your own couch cushions, but it MUST come to you without you asking for it.  The most likely situation will be that you find it on the ground, in the street, etc.  One Dollar.  I encourage you to give this a try, have fun, keep your eyes open, and then come back to share how your dollar came to you.

By knowing what you want, you will be in a mindset that allows you to see opportunities for achieving your goal that you may have otherwise missed.  When you attend a Live Event with a goal in mind, your eyes will be open to your ‘golden opportunities’.  So practice this by completing the Dollar Challenge, then apply it to your Live Event experience.  You can’t help but come out on top.

One way to begin taking action is to announce your goals for a Live Event within your community.  At the Coaching Cognition Page, we have set up a specific discussion thread for the June 2010 Live Event where you can do exactly that.  Find out ahead of time if there are others who will be attending with similar goals by POSTING YOUR GOALS HERE.

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