Do you feel like you are going up the down escalator in life, working as hard as you can and getting nowhere? You are not alone. There are so many people in life who feel like this. How long are you going to keep doing things the way you are doing them, getting nowhere and getting totally frustrated and almost on the verge of giving up.
This is sometimes how life and business works. At times you will feel like you are busting your gut, and going backwards. You have to keep going, even if it is 3 steps forward and 2 steps back, and some days you may be going more backwards than forwards. As the quote from Usian Bolt says, don’t worry about it – it will get you nowhere. You have to stay focused, keep positive, and make the best of every day. This is where a positive attitude, reading personal development books and having someone like a mentor you trust and respect that you can just pick up the phone to really helps. You do not have to struggle through these times on your own – if you don’t have anyone to call, then call me. I will help you.
Planning your days are important, and make sure you take at least an hour out for yourself to go for a walk, or get away from technology. This is important for your mind and it gives you good thinking time. Most business owners I know spend far too little time working ON their business, they are too wrapped up on working IN the business. Working on – in my opinion – should make up at least 10% of your working week. It is as vital – if not more so – than working in the business. The reason so many businesses fail is the lack of time spent on planning. Most business people turn up at the office and literally plough through the days work, with no forward planning, no working ON and then when things get tough, they wonder what happened. You will have heard the quote, “Some people watch things happening, some people wonder what happened and others make things happen” – we all need to be in the latter category but can only be there if we are spending time working ON our businesses and planning – consistently. One of the biggest frustrations I have with most small business owners is they literally wait for the shit to hit the fan before they do something about it by which time it is far too late. The demise of so many businesses is because of this. DO NOT let it happen to you.
To me, running a business is simple. I grant you it is tough, but it is simple. Stop being all things to all people. Do what you are good at and outsource everything else. Build a strong team of outsourced professionals around you – make sure you check their credentials first though – and meet with those professionals at least once a month to make sure you are on track. Make sure you have a mentor who is there to support you and do whats right for you and not to line their own pockets. It worked for me for 38 years and continues to work for me, so why would it not work for you. I am always here for a chat if anyone wants to run anything by me. Just drop me a message on Linked In or email richard@lionheartmanagement.co.uk
As always, I wish you every success with your business
This article was first published on LinkedIn by Richard Knight on 14/10/2021