January 23 One of my businesses is an MLM.

GASP. I admitted it, out loud. An MLM! Ack! One of those pyramid scheme things, where you talk to people and share what’s worked for you and invite them to join you! A networking marketing company! Which is terrible, because, you know, talking to people and getting their recommendations is so NOT the way to do any kind of business!

I hope you can hear my utter sarcasm.

But really, the point of this post is not MLMs. It’s about a statement I hear over and over when people are talking about these opportunities, people who are passionately supportive of this way of doing business. And that statement is something along the lines of “you’ll be successful if you just keep showing up. Decide you’re going to be here in a year, in 5 years, and you’ll see others dropping off the bandwagon.” And yes, of course that’s true, though it’s not just a matter of showing up – that would be like saying “Hey, put your workout clothes on every single day and you’ll get fitter!” There’s a fair amount of work involved in the endeavor, which is why it’s called a business . . .

But here’s the thing. That advice, to show up and do the work consistently? That’s great advice for success in whatever you’re doing. If you are in school and decide to show up and do the work? You’ll do better than the person who doesn’t. If you are a parent, and decide to show up and do the work? You’ll do a better job and get more out of it than the person who throws his/her hands up in despair and goes to sulk in a corner.

It’s kind of like the Murphy’s Law of finding objects – they’re always in the last place you look. Well, duh – once you find them, you stop looking. Of course they were in the last place you looked.

Except I’ll call it the Badass Rule of Success. 1) Show up and do the work. Decide you’ll still be there, showing up and doing the work, 1,2,5 years out.

Works for MLMs. Works for writing, or teaching, or finishing a project. Go get ‘em.

I’d love to hear about your successes. Leave me a comment here. Find me on Facebook or follow me on YouTube. Let’s unleash more badasses into the world!