Time for a 2012 Tune-up?
2012 Tune-up
Charles Geschke, a co-founder of Adobe Systems, Inc., said, Our only cleverness was in the perception of what was happening, and in being quick enough to take advantage of it.
Seriously into 2012, have you thought of giving your leadership a mental tune-up?
What am I talking about? Give your whole year so far a going over. See what’s going well, what could use some tweaking, and what really needs some replacement attitudes and beliefs.
Wise, successful business people of all times constantly looked at what they were doing, how they were doing it, how others were doing it, and how they could ratchet up, revamp or recycle their business products, services, and practices.
They knew some old had to be replaced with some new. And they kept their fingers on the pulse of not only their industries but other industries, as well.
Why do this suggested annual exercise? Hear Tony Robbins when he says, The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.
Hear also Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi Nagyrapolt, who said, Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.
Apple’s Steve Jobs said, Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
The Body Shop’s Anita Roddick said, Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.
Do you spend at least fifteen minutes a day of undisturbed time asking yourself questions about how you can do things better and more profitably? If you do, good for you and your business.
If no, why not start today? Now, if fifteen minutes of quiet time sounds too woo-woo to you, consider reading the stories of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, Radicals and Visionaries by Thaddeus Wawro, published in 2000 by Entrepreneur Press.
Whatever it takes to daily put yourself into a forward-thinking what are the possibilities exercise will be good for both you, your employees and your business.
Always this daily exercise focuses on your true north on any given day, your buck in the sight.
During your fifteen minutes silently thinking or reading, avoid getting bogged down in negative thinking. Spending time ruminating on how bad something is keeping you stuck in it, like throwing yourself in the truck with the rubbish.
If a problem confronts you, pop yourself into possibility thinking and consider your options to move forward and leave what’s not working behind you. Be bold in kicking out of your business what is not working.
Be different and stand out positively. Tell yourself your success story and raise your standards to live it. Do what you love so you love what you do – happiness is all about love. Persist until you succeed and keep on persisting to stay successful. Do your best each day, every day, no excuses!
When other people flap their gums about what you’re doing while you are trying different ways to run your business, enjoy the breeze and keep on sticking with what your believe in. Mr. CNN, Ted Turner of Turner Broadcasting, said, All my life people have said that I wasn’t going to make it. You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
That’s what all the entrepreneurs whose stories are briefly told in Radicals and Visionaries believed as they tried new things, sometimes succeeded, sometimes failed, but always got up to try again another day.
Have questions? Give me a call.
Barbara Garro, MA, CPCU is a Motivational Writer & Coach, Speaker, author of Grow Yourself a Life You’ll Love and From Jesus to Heaven with Love: A Parable Pilgrimage. Contact: 518-587-9999, Garro@ElectricEnvisions.com