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# 12. Anything Worthwhile Takes Time
- URL: https://graham-thompson.ghost.io/12-anything-worthwhile-takes-time/
- Published: 2026-09-02T16:02:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T11:19:13.000Z
- Author: Graham Thompson

If a person starts a traditional business, they expect to break even in their first few years and possibly pay back their initial investment in the first five years. But when a person starts a Network Marketing business, they expect to get their money back in the first month, make a profit in second month, and get rich by the third month. And when that doesn't happen, they blame Network Marketing!

It’s like people don’t want the laws of the business world to apply to Network Marketing. We DO have a better way, but we're not selling magic beans here. Anything of value takes time to develop.

I learned a great lesson early in my Network Marketing career: From time to time in your life, your income might take a lucky jump. You might be in the right place at the right time. But if you don’t quickly grow as a person to that new higher level, your income is going to come back down to the level of who you really are. In the end, you only get to make what you are.

How many people do you know that hit it big and lost it all? I learned this lesson the hard way in my first few months in MLM. Back in 1988, I joined a company that had a $5,000 upfront package, which paid the sponsor between $1,200 and $2,400, depending upon their level. Although I’m glad most of those big money packages have left our profession, back then a person could make some pretty big money fast.

In my first month with that company, I earned approximately $7,400! If you remember, my strategy was to quickly call my dad’s friends before he could get to them. I was ecstatic! In my second month, I earned about $12,200\. Unbelievable! But then reality kicked in. I wasn'ta $12,000 a month person. I hadn't worked on my skills. I wasn't developing myself. I was just riding the wave. My third month's check was $1,098.60\. Looking at that check was like looking at myself in the mirror. It showed me who I was. It was an ugly feeling.

My first reaction was to quit and blame everyone and everything for my bad check. But eventually I realized that to earn more, I needed to become more. I needed to work on my skills so I didn't have to rely on luck or timing or positioning.

You might have heard, “You can get rich quick,” or, “There's no work involved,” or, “The product sells itself,” or any number of trumped

up statements. But you must learn to give up those false and unrealistic expectations and go to work on YOU.

## The 1/3/5/7 Formula

There's a formula I've seen work in our profession. I call it the 1/3/5/7 Formula. As a general rule, it will take you about one year to become competent and profitable in Network Marketing. You'll know the basics, you'll cover expenses, and you'll be learning. It will take about three years of consistent part-time effort in order to go full-time. It will take about five years of consistent effort to become a six-figure earner or above. And it will take about seven years of consistent effort to become an expert.

That doesn't mean you can’t make more than that in the short-term. Many people do. It just means if you want to KEEP making that kind of money, you need to eventually become an expert.

When you think about it, seven years isn’t so bad, especially when a good portion of it is part-time. You're going to be seven years older anyway. You might as well become an expert over that period of time instead of just going through the motions.

## How to Learn

Once you make the commitment to focus on your skills, the next thing you need to do is figure out the best ways to learn. One of the best things that ever happened to me was realizing there are no bad experiences and no good experiences, only learning experiences. This was a major breakthrough. In other words, let go of the outcome and focus on what you can learn from every experience. This took so much pressure off me. Instead of always looking for great experiences, I started focusing on how MANY experiences I could have, because the more I had, the more I could learn.

Another attribute of a top earner in MLM is they are what I like to call “an active student.” As a professional, they are always learning, always growing, always trying to get better.

Lou Holtz said it best: “In this world you're either growing or you're dying so get in motion and grow.”

I think that’s true. Never stop learning.

## Model Successful Behavior

Try to avoid reinventing the wheel when you get involved in this profession. The hard work has already been done. No matter what company you're in, it’s easy to find someone who's very successful. It doesn’t matter if it's getting customers, finding prospects, inviting, presenting, following up, closing, getting people started, building for events, or any other skill, there are people in your company right now who have them mastered. And unlike other professions, the successful people in your company are eager to share their secrets! All you need to do is model their behavior and you can begin to enjoy their results.

## Study

Audio programs got me started. Back in 1988, someone gave me a bootleg copy of a talk Jim Rohn gave to the Shaklee company. It was called, “The Seed and the Sower,” and it rocked my world. I'll bet I listened to that audiocassette in my car 500 times. From there I did some homework on Jim Rohn and purchased his “Challenge to Succeed” audio program. Mr. Rohn gave me hope, but more than that, he gave me direction in my continual personal development. That audio program launched my personal development journey.

Through the years, I continued with dozens of different audio programs, all incredibly helpful in keeping my mind right. There’s something magical about audio. It whispers in your ear, reminding you of your dreams, of your potential and how to get there. In addition, it’s repetitive. You probably won't read a book over and over, but you'll listen to an audio program over and over, especially if it’s entertaining. And it seems like each time it’s different—and it is, because YOU are different.

Jim Rohn also taught me to be a reader. No matter what you're trying to learn, there is someone who has devoted their entire life to the subject and is offering it to you for pennies. Take them up on that offer.

In our electronics-focused, attention deficit society, fewer people seem to read books. That's not true for leaders. Ask the top-earning distributors if they are readers. More importantly, ask them what they are reading. I wasn't much of a reader before I became a Network Marketing professional. But since 1988, I've read an average of about four books a month. Those books have shaped my life and my career for the better. Commit to just 10 pages a day and you can read a 300-page book in a month. That's a great start.

## Video

Video is another source of great learning. Sometimes I like to watch a training program instead of just listening. It’s part of the reason I

decided to use video as my main focus at NetworkMarketingPro.com. I found if I create a short video with interesting information every day, people receive tremendous value. If you'd like to check out the hundreds of videos, you can go to http://networkmarketingpro.com. It’s free.

## Online

The Internet has changed the way we learn and gather information. You can take advantage of online tutorials, watch online videos, attend online webinars, or even watch events “live” with streaming technology.

## Events

The best way I know to really internalize life-changing information is to attend live events. As I've already told you, most of my defining moments have come from events. On one side, there is always good information for a person who's listening. On the other side, when you eliminate all of the other distractions in life and just focus, like you do at an event, you have a chance to really hear. Both sides are good.

## Be Careful of Distractions

With all of the choices available to you in terms of studying your craft, now, more than ever, you must be careful about what you allow into your mind. People everywhere will try to distract you with their latest and greatest breakthrough and it can be very tempting to jump at all those opportunities. You should be focused on a very narrow range of skills: Finding prospects, inviting, presenting, following up, closing, getting people started right, and promoting events. Make sure you master THOSE skills first before adding anything else to your “to do” list.

## Take Action

Almost all of the learning in MLM is in the doing. If you want to learn how to talk to people on the phone, then talk to more people on the phone. If you want to learn how to do a home presentation, then do more home presentations. You will certainly figure it out. That doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to seek knowledge on the skillsets for success in MLM, but it does mean you shouldn't wait for complete knowledge before taking action.

Part of the reason people avoid taking action is they are afraid they'll be embarrassed. If you want to be successful in Network Marketing, you must learn to set that fear aside. Here's why: It’s very difficult to look good and get better at the same time. Instead of being afraid of how you look as you're learning and growing, be afraid of not taking action and living a life at a fraction of your potential.

Let me give you a concept that has served me for over 20 years in the area of developing my skills. Back in the early 1990s, a friend and I were searching for a great Network Marketing product. We traveled the country and met with many interesting people. Our journey led us to an organization in Michigan called the High Scope Educational Research Foundation. They had a progressive and proven way to teach children how to learn more effectively.

High Scope has many components, but the one that struck me then is the one I've used to this day, called “plan-do-review.” Here's how the company explains the process: “In the plan-do review process, children make plans, carry them out, and reflect on what they have done. In doing so, children learn to take initiative, solve problems, work with others, and accomplish their goals — their play becomes more purposeful and focused. By making plan-do-review a successful and integral part of your classroom’s daily routine, you'll learn how you can promote learning and build on children's interests and intrinsic motivation.”

While I heard what they were saying on how to use it as a teaching tool for children, the only thing that was rolling around in my mind was how I could use it for myself and for the people in my organization. While things didn’t work out for turning the High Scope product into a Network Marketing product, I'll be forever grateful to their organization for helping me and hundreds of thousands of people all over the world to use this concept to build a better business.

Here's how I've used and taught the concept for over 20 years now:

Choose a skill you want to develop.

1\. Makea PLAN.

2\. DO your plan.

3\. REVIEW your results to see how you can do better next time.

Most people don’t make a plan, they just charge out and DO. Even more people never REVIEW their results to see how they could improve. Do you see how this connects with no good experiences and no bad experiences, only learning experiences?

1\. Makea PLAN.

2\. DO your plan.

3\. REVIEW your results, good or bad, to see how you can do better next time.

4\. Makea better PLAN.

5\. DO that better plan.

6\. REVIEW those results, good or bad, to see how you can do better next time.

7\. Never stop applying plan-do-review and you'll eventually become an expert through trial and error.

This little “secret” to learning in MLM is one of the most powerful I've shared. It’s become part of my DNA. I hope the same happens for you.

## Teaching

Would it surprise you to know that teaching is one of the best ways to learn? It’s true. If you want to really master something, teach it to others. Teaching burns a groove in your brain like nothing else can.

Who do you think gets the most benefit from the daily video shows at NetworkMarketingPro.com? I do! I have to think about it, prepare, and present the message every day, so it helps keep me sharp and on top of my game. The lesson for each of you should be to find someone to teach, even if you just have one person in your group. Start there, and as your group grows, look for more and more opportunities to teach. You'll get the most benefit.

## Your Associations

This is another important lesson from Jim Rohn. He taught me the Law of Association that says you'll become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You'll think how they think, act how they act, talk how they talk, and earn how they earn. Let me tell you something. This law is real. You can't fight it.

I've done three things over the course of my career when it comes to my associations.

First, I've disassociated with the people who were toxic to my life. This isn't an easy decision, but it's an important one. Some people will keep you down permanently.

Second, I've limited my associations with negative people or people who weren't helping me grow in the direction of my dreams. I've just learned to spend less time with those people and more time on positive influences. And third, I've worked to expand my associations with people who can help me become a better person and a better professional. If you're trying to learn to become an expert in the Network Marketing Profession, doesn't it make sense to find a way to spend more time with the people who have the skills you're looking for?

If this is a little too stressful to think about when you're looking at the five people you're spending your time with right now, here’s a little tip: About every six months, one of the people in your five will change. They'll move, get a new job, start a relationship, end a relationship— something will happen. The secret is, when that happens, choose very wisely when you're thinking about who's going to take their place. Most people don't think about this at all. They just let the next person fall into that place. That's a big mistake. Find someone who will push you. Find someone who will inspire you.

I hope these suggestions on the learning process of becoming a professional have been helpful to you. It’s okay to dream big, but you also have to be patient. Anything of value takes time. Continue to develop your skills. Become a permanent student. Those skills will make a place for you for the rest of your life.

There's one more concept you need to understand. I've analyzed the top earners in Network Marketing. I've interviewed them and we've become friends. Do you know what they all have in common? They work HARD. Don't get me wrong, they have a great lifestyle and they love what they do, but they work their butts off. If you want big success in MLM, you're going to have to do the same.

Network Marketing isn't about luck, timing, positioning, or signing that magic person who will make you rich. Freedom is possible, but itisn't free. It will take hard work to stay consistent when the world tries to distract you. It will take hard work to learn the skills required for long-term success. It will take hard work to become the leader you were meant to be.

Some people in Network Marketing become unhappy when they realize work is involved. Most of them join for some sort of free ride. When they experience growing pains, they run for the hills. Be different. It might be hard work but it’s good work and it’s the best way I know for the average person to enjoy true freedom.