Food for thought…
As entrepreneurs we started our business for a couple reasons, we had an idea to make an impact, we wanted to break free from the corporate grind, or we wanted to do something on our own. Right?
Nowhere in that list did it say I want to work harder than I ever was and make less money.
Sadly though, this becomes a phenomenon for far too many entrepreneurs.
They hustle and grind, on the verge of burnout, barely making minimum wage when it is all said and done, spending the majority of their days asking is this worth it?
I have a theory about this, would you like to know what it is?
I think it comes down to 2 (maybe 3) things.
First, we are not taught from a young age to appreciate and hone our strengths.
Nope, quite the opposite.
Amazing at literature but suck at math? Guess it’s time to double down and focus on math until you “get it.” Love inventing things with your imaginary friend but mediocre at social studies. You guessed it, until you get your grades up, no more daydreaming.
Sound familiar?
It’s really sad if you think about it.
Until we had standardized tests and a school system built for the assembly line (think about it, the whole premise of school is memorizing information to regurgitate it on a test you “pass or fail”) kids followed what they were good at and what interested them and were very successful for it.
Edison followed his genius.
Madam Curie was relentless in her solo focus.
The greatest thinkers, inventors, and creatives never fell in line, yet that is exactly what we are “trained” to do from day 1. Hmmmmm
Second, we are taught that if you want to succeed you have to work twice as hard and as much as your competition. This one puzzles me the most because I am not sure where it’s root came from but I can tie it back to point #1.
If you really think about it, and I know I am going to get a lot of heat for this one, if you are doing mediocre things of course you are going to have to work twice as hard as the next guy.
BUT, and this is important, if you are in your unique genius and doing what Cal Newport calls, Deep Work, you will be amazed at how much faster success and progress comes.
Third, sadly we are in a technology overload age that has spread our intelligence out like a flashlight instead of a laser. If we are always looking to learn more things and be a jack of all trades, we really are a master of none.
By not allowing our children, and ourselves the permission to follow the rabbit trails of creativity, intellect, and genius we are doing ourselves a disservice that is known as the hamster wheel of busy and unfocused.
If you really think about it, you know this to be true. Just think of someone like Michael Jordan.
He knew his gift and he honed it until he retired. He mastered the basics and keep getting deeper and deeper into his craft EVERY SINGLE DAY!
This is the difference between an amateur and a professional. One focuses, improves, knows his lane and sticks to it. The other goes from thing to thing without blinking and wonders why success keeps eluding him.
So here’s my question for you…
Are you running a business or are you really just in a job disguised as a business because you haven’t doubled down on your unique talents and found others to compliment you?
I don’t know which of you will read this far, and I know this post is basically against everything we have been told, but if you are running out of time in your business, you don’t have a time problem, you have a team and vision problem.
If you don’t know where you are going and what your super powers are, how ever will you get there?
If you don’t let go of control to others whose super powers are your weaknesses, you will continue to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.
You will be the bottleneck of your business until the end of time, and that is the real tragedy.
Just imagine how many more people you could help if you could get out of your own way and out of the meaningless minutia.
Just imagine a thriving business AND time freedom. It is possible, but you have to be intentional and you have to know what you are building, who you are, and who you need to help you get there.
It’s a new month. September is the new January. There is no better time than RIGHT now to plant a tree, make a plan, hone your talents, re-clarify your vision – START BEING INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR BUSINESS!
Ask yourself what you really want your business to look like. Everything from customers, team, operations, revenue, profits, get specific and then work backwards with intentional action.
The world needs your talents, stop hiding behind your “job” disguised as a business.
Agree or disagree? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
