I only take action when I am in a tight spot.
When my back is up against the wall.
When things are in dire straights.
When there is a burning platform…
Sound familiar?
Cramming last-minute study. Doing the assignment the night before it’s due.
Dragging your feet on a presentation or report for the boss until the day it’s due?
Client submissions at the last minute.
Reviewing and thinking about performance just before a review.
You look for cost savings when you are struggling to make payroll or cover your business costs.
Can I tell you a secret?
Well, it isn’t a secret!
This thinking is holding us back.
Yes, I am in the middle of learning and getting out of this mindset as I write this.
If I only take action when the going is tough, when times are good I am just going to coast along. You see, this type of thinking is not how I am going to take my business to the next level and beyond.
When things are good, there is no external pressure to push. And that is the time when I should be pushing harder. When risks aren’t as risky. When I have a safety net.
I am not sure why or how I came to have this approach of needing pain to take action. I can say that from the people I know, business owners and those who share on LinkedIn, I am not alone in this way of thinking.
It is even a sales technique that many use to motivate you into doing business.
I can understand how it works. You don’t know that you have a problem until something stops working, or it becomes painful. You might be aware of it.
Yet, until it becomes painful, it isn’t an issue.
Then I think about my previous life — Asset and Business Optimisation. Proactive reviews, predictive maintenance. I know that repairing and fixing something while it is still working makes far more sense than waiting until everything is broken. It’s why I have run-flat tyres on my car. Please don’t wait until it is broken to fix it.
Yet… Like lots of other people, I am guilty of failing to take action until it is too late.
I even point this out to my clients. Many find themselves with so many issues that they have no idea where to start. If only they were more proactive.
Picture this. I run a business that is turning over $10m; yet, I am struggling to cover costs and make a serious profit. I will be motivated to make some changes.
I’ll be hungry enough to push my revenue and profits, until…
Until I am comfortable. Then what? My next growth spurt will be when? When times are tough?
What if I was hungry all the time?
I could take a $10m business and push it to 20, 30, 50, maybe even 100. Without wondering IF I can cover costs.
To get to the next level of whatever you’re doing, you must think and act in a wildly different way than what you are now.
Stop waiting until you are in pain.
Stop waiting until your back is to a wall before you come out swinging.
You need to take action every day.
Be as hungry every day — you have to keep moving forward to simply stand still
What impact would this have on your business?