“Give to us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for – because unless we stand for something, we will fall for anything.” ~Peter Marshall
Regardless of your chosen industry, it’s my belief that every successful entrepreneur has a set of principles that they will not be shaken from.
1. Know Thyself
We talk a lot these days about overcoming weakness – whether it’s Crossfitting, or Spartan racing – we live in an age of the pursuit of power.
We’ve been taught to identify, analyze and conquer our weaknesses in order to become ‘better’.
All this energy spent is wasted – focusing on faults and failings do little to build your strengths.
And your strengths are what make you a truly unique, and powerful, human.
To be successful in anything, and especially in business, you need to become an expert at what makes you a true leader; find your strengths, foster them, and learn to use them in world-changing ways.
2. Collect Knowledge & Hone Skills
Competition is a fact of life…always has been.
I’m not talking throw-your-neighbor-under-the-bus kind of competition, but that inner burn that drives you to be just a little bit better than you were yesterday.
Being knowledgeable is one of many skills you’ll need to build a successful business, but it is the foundation upon which you build.
If you have no strong foundation, then essentially you are building a house of cards…guaranteed to tumble at the slightest breeze.
The more you know, the more you grow…
3. More Importantly, Collect Smart People
At the same time, it is impossible to know everything.
In fact, if you set this expectation for yourself (perfectionists out there please raise your hands!), you are guaranteeing that you’re business growth will be slow and painful…forward momentum will die while you pause to learn a new skill.
Gather enough smart people around you, and you can know almost anything…
…in fact you can do almost anything.
Build your community of like minded people, people who are smarter than you, people you can learn from and people who support you in your adventure in to entrepreneurship.
4. Give Before Receiving
There’s a thing in life that I like to call the “Relationship Bank Account”, and it applies to every aspect of your life, not just business.
This bank account always starts at zero at the beginning of every new relationship. When you ask for something, you are making a withdrawal, and when you give something you are making a deposit.
My goal is to leave every bank account in a positive balance, and most importantly to make sure that there is a significant positive balance before I ask for a sale/favor/re-tweet/share…you get the idea.
Focus on providing value before making a sale…care more about what you give than what you get.
5. Adopt the “Onward” Mentality
It is impossible to predict where this journey will take you.
Some products stick – for a while. Some services flourish – and then wilt.
As an entrepreneur you must be agile – you will always need to be facing forward and moving onward.
Successful business people know this mentality will help them weather the storm when times are tough, and reach new heights when business is booming.
Failure sucks for all of us…look at the lesson and then…
Move onward, friend.
6. Get Good at Eating Humble Pie
Speaking of failures – making mistakes is essential to growth. When you look back, one of the best things to be is wrong because when you make a mistake you are given the chance to learn.
Every successful person has failed numerous times. Most have failed more than you…that’s why they are successful today.
Own every mistake, every miscue, and every failure. Say you made a mistake. Say you messed up. Say it to other people, but more importantly, take a look in the mirror and say it to yourself, then forgive…
…tell yourself ‘onward’, put it in the past, and do better in the next round.
7. Action – In Any Direction!
Do you have an area of your life that you persistently grumble about?
There’s only one person here who can change it – YOU.
Think about what you want, think about what in this situation is really under your control, and then move.
Even if it’s just an inch, that inch will empower you to move another inch.
Action is the answer to every single one of life’s complaints.
8. LIVE. BREATHE. LOVE.
If I’m honest…I forget this one sometimes.
It might be the most important.
And I should know better.
After a decade of working in the hospital I know that life will be too short, even if I live to 101 years old.
I will wish I told my partner ‘I love you’ one more time, wish that I hugged my sisters and wish that I’d taken that one more step towards my dreams.
Do these things now! Revel in the juiciness of this moment in life, tell someone when they touch your soul, stop and enjoy the beauty of this great world…
Spend time truly living!
And for pete’s sake – go after what your dreams with your whole being…you only get one ride!
My best,
Cathy
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