About a year ago I read a post where the writer asked, “How bad do you want it?” It’s amazing how one simple question can evoke such strong emotions. I answered with a resounding “YES” and went on to write a comment three paragraphs long about why!
But here’s the deal: what you say and what you do are two very different things. I often hear ‘how bad’ someone wants it, but their actions tell a very different story. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been guilty of this myself. It’s one of our many human faults. Nothing wrong; just what’s so.
So why is it you can want something bad enough and yet not take consistent actions for producing it? Simple; your fear of failure is not stronger than your desire for success. At the end of the day if you feared failure more, you would be taking consistent, massive action in your business. You would be unstoppable. You would take a no-excuses approach to finding success.
I recently heard the lovely, young entrepreneur Ashley Ambirge say, “The fear of staying in your current situation has got to be greater than the fear of moving forward. That is when change starts to occur.” Very well said.
Did you know that less than 5% of small business owners make more than 100K in their business? That’s a sad reality unfortunately. There’s definitely a huge disconnect between what is possible in the world of small business owners and what is actually occurring.
But let’s switch the conversation; now that I may have gotten your blood boiling enough and you are questioning whether or not you want it bad it enough, let’s talk about how we can change that statistic.
First, let’s deal head on with a few nasty myths:
I need to wait for a sign to tell me what to do. Let’s face it. Sure, if you are a spiritual human being you may believe the universe leaves clues. However, ultimately if you want results you have to take action on those opportunities presented to you. Now is the ONLY time!
I have to work on my business 24/7 for it to be successful. I’m not going to sugar coat this; growing a business takes a LOT of time. However, ANY time spent on it is better than no time at all. If you only have an hour a day to work on it, then make the most of that hour. This is when prioritizing and doing the tasks that will generate the highest income with the least effort comes into play.
I need to know more! This is one of those myths that “conveniently” stops many entrepreneurs and small business owners from growing. I’m not a big advocate of ‘faking it ‘til you make it’, but I will say work with what you have now. Develop and market what you can share now and continue to learn and grow as you go along.
For a few people, a good motivational speech to get your brain cells rolling may be enough to get your act in gear. For most people I think no matter how many times you hear it, it just doesn’t stick for long; the “yeah, I’ve heard this before – just do it – blah, blah, blah” internal conversation kicks in. We may get pumped up for about an hour and then all the hoopla wears off and we are back to where we started. We need actionable plans! Fair enough.
Action Plan:
Keep a running list of all your projects you need to complete to move your business forward. Note: keep non-essential tasks such as answering email off this list. Not that this is not important; it’s just not in the category of “tasks that will generate the highest income with the least effort” mentioned earlier.
Each day, regardless if you have one hour or eight hours to work on your business, pick one task to complete. Do not move to another task, do not pass GO, until it’s complete. Why? This is about putting one step in front of the other and training yourself to take consistent actions regardless of your circumstances or how you feel.
Be super picky about what goes on your Action Plan List. Have you ever been to a club where you needed to be on the guest list to get in? Think of your list as the hottest list in town and only the top, ‘big guns’ get on it. The hot shots if you will. Is your task considered the ‘big guns’? No. Then it goes on your non-essential to-do list to get done when you have the time.
Prioritize your Action Plan List. Going back to the night club example – would you put your VIPs at the same table with the general public? I hope not. Your VIP’s are your top-producing tasks and should have the highest priority. Make it YOUR priority to tackle those first. If one task seems like a monster job, break it into sub-tasks.
Let’s get real here. Starting and running a business is hard and serious work. A lot is at stake here. Not just money (although that can be a huge factor), but for most entrepreneurs this is your dream. This is your blood, sweat and tears.
How do you want to play it? I say jump in with both feet. Don’t worry about dropping the ball or missing your shot. Just keep shooting until you hit your slam dunk.
How about it? How bad do you want it?
P.S. Here’s a dedication to my fellow entrepreneurs. I hope you like it. Keep dreaming! Capturing the Entrepreneurial Spirit.
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