Taking Consistent Action Has Benefits!
I hear a lot of complaining about owning one’s own business these days – that it’s too hard to gain traction, too hard to build a list, too filled with hype and cheesy sales tactics.
There’s truth in all of that.
- It’s harder than it used to be to gain traction
- It’s harder than it used to be to build your subscriber list
- There’s a ton of hype and cheesy, manipulative sales pages out there.
On the other hand – there are people who will help you along the way.
- If you’re just getting started you need help gaining clarity, purpose, and exactly how you will earn income from your idea.
- If you’ve been at it for a while but are barely making it, you need help with refining your offers and pricing, increasing your visibility, and leading your business.
Lately I’ve been called to say, “I’m here and I’m available. In fact, I’m available and I’m not charging you a dime. Do you want to dig in and work on your business? Or, do you just want to fuss that nobody ever helps you or gives you anything?”
I recently offered a totally free 6-week group mastermind to anyone who wanted to sign up. It gave one the opportunity to take consistent action for 6 weeks without fail. We are meeting for 6 weeks from mid-May until the end of June. Although the offer was widely distributed, I had only 11 people who signed up to participate.
Why would I do this? Because I want to challenge those who say, “I want help, but I can’t afford it.” Because I believe strongly that if you are willing to show up and work, you can create your own income. While some people say it’s not possible to do that any longer, that’s not my experience or the experience of many of my clients.
As a business owner for almost 2 decades now, I know what it is to build businesses, to have successes, and to have big failures. I know that success comes from thinking outside the box and from consistently taking action.
I want to be the disruptor. I want to be the thought leader. I’m always going to be the one who says, “There is no magic to creating what you want in life. Solid work and solid business principles get you where you want to go. There is so much opportunity, both in brick and mortar businesses and online right now that it is just incredible.”
4 Character Traits Every Entrepreneur Needs for Success
Anybody who wants to build a business, if they’re willing to work they can have it. I truly believe that, but you’ve got to be willing to learn, you’ve got to have some business skills, you’ve got to have some work ethic and you’ve got to have honesty and integrity. Because, in the end, these are what every other human will respond to. That’s human nature.
It is our human nature that we like the quick and easy things. The people who find success are those who know that while we can make our lives to be joyful and easy, we also have to be disciplined, focused, and take consistent action.
I tell people all the time I am not any smarter, I am not any better educated, I am not anything that you are not. What I am is one thing. I am consistent. I will always be here, I will never go away, I will get up every single day and I will do my work. Your work doesn’t have to be hard, but it has to be consistent over time.
If you know much about me, you know that I had a very serious knee injury and was told I would probably never walk again without assistance. I was in a wheelchair, totally immobile, for six long months. Years later, I am have to work on my leg every single day. Many times, so many times, I got discouraged and thought I would end up permanently back in the wheelchair. I didn’t want to show up sometimes for PT. It hurt. Sometimes I would cry all the way home from PT.
I have an amazingly talented physical therapist who understands energy, as I do. One day he said to me, “You know what? It’s just small, consistent action every day. It doesn’t have to be horrible and long, but it has to be small and consistent every single day. Change is made through small, consistent action.“
It’s those small, consistent actions that builds the life you most want. You don’t have to work 14 hours a day, but you do have to work four, five, six hours a day and be consistent. Have a plan. Don’t take the buckshot approach.
The tagline for my business is “grow yourself to grow your business.” These two go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. If you love the technical or back end parts of your business that’s great, it’s an advantage! But if you’re not willing to challenge yourself personally, your business will not last. The same is true on the other side. If you love the personal, transformational, creative stuff but you won’t come home from those rich experiences and do the management of your business, you won’t make it, either. You have to be willing to do both.
There are a lot of moving parts to owning a business. You’ve got to know what you’re not good at and what you need to hire someone else to do. I’m a business strategist, a teacher and a writer. I am not a great technical person, so I have team to help with my tech stuff. Still, it’s up to me to know what my systems can and cannot do, to select what systems are best for my business.
It’s on us to know our strengths and weaknesses. We must be willing to grow, to challenge ourselves. You have to have self-knowledge. You have to have self-honesty. You have to be willing to step up and be a leader, to represent your business well. You are the vision carrier for your business, and what you say inspires others, or it doesn’t. It’s on you to inspire and lead your clients or customers, to show them what is possible with your products or services. It’s on you to inspire and lead your team members, too.
If that sounds like a lot, it IS a lot. But it’s also doable. Remember the “small, consistent actions” plan. It’s a winner for you and for your business. If you are serious about wanting help and you’re willing to show up, browse this website for coaching and consulting opportunities with me.
Character plays an important role in the success of any business. One can develop a great relationship with their teammates and clients having the right character. Looking forward to more successful entrepreneurs.