Tag: entrepreneur development

Becoming the Real Deal – Part IV

Never before has there been a time so ripe with potential for those of entrepreneurial spirit. We have educational resources–more than we can use in a lifetime–only a click away. We can find and connect with like-minded individuals around the globe in seconds, using 140 characters or less. Fertile ideas are lying around everywhere, any of which can grow at any moment, given the right nurture and the right conditions.

It is the first time in history that we do not have to ask permission to create.

Thomas Edison said,

“If we all did the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”

Many are still waiting for permission to become the Real Deal. Some are waiting for the foolproof formula, some waiting to complete the next perfect webinar, some for an experienced mentor to tell them exactly how to do it. They want someone to hand them magic pixie dust that makes stuff happen.

I hate to tell you. There is no magic pixie dust. No one has it. No one sells it. Even if you had a magic formula, you would only know it after the magic happened. Going forward? It is always crap shoot.

The real potential–the real magic that will make things happen? Is found right between your ears. It lies in how you think. Our businesses become a reflection of what goes on inside our heads. Truly the largest obstacle in entrepreneurship is not found in our circumstances, not the economy, not in perfect cash flow, but in our self-talk.

When you wake up in the morning, what do you say to yourself about the day? What voices crowd your thinking? What voices might be hindering you? Who or what is forming your path? Remember many of the voices in our heads are coming from outside our heads.

Your worldview is how you think–how you view reality. Your worldview informs your behavior and determines whether you feel confident, whether you feel the world is a safe place, and how well you connect with other people. It does not fashion our experience but interprets the experience for us. The voices in our heads are a formidable force. We behave according to what we believe. It is important to test the veracity of these messages and know where they come from.

It has been said a gazillion times that if you want to become the Real Deal, you need to change how you think. Think and grow rich, right? Visualization is and old technique and not without merit. But even if you can imagine your perfect skinny self, your bathroom scale does not lie. Even if we can imagine ourselves wealthy, our bank statement does not lie.

There has to be a better way to create our desired reality, and tame our inner beast. Here are three good ways to train those scary creatures:

Get some perspective. If you talked to your best friend the way you talk to yourself, would you have a best friend? Would your best friend say you were dumb? Would your best friend say that you are a loser because you did not win the contract? Of course not. You could be sabotaging your own success. Step out of your head for a moment and get some perspective. Be kind to yourself. Talk to yourself as you would talk to your best friend.

Know that action precedes feeling. So you do not feel brave. Welcome to the Club. (I am Weanie Club President. If you only knew how far I have come, you would be compelled to send fan mail and donations to my address here.) In 1880, William James was one of the first psychologists to discover that our emotions follow our behavior and not the other way around. (Lest you think he is old school, know that his two-volume tome The Principles of Psychology is still required reading for students in behavioral science.) His favorite way of putting this phenomenon was,

“You do not run from a bear because you are afraid of it, but rather become afraid of the bear because you run from it.”

In other words, if you want to be brave, do the things that brave people do. You will find more courage. If you want to be more loving toward that certain person that irritates your socks off, do the things that loving people do. You will find that you at least like them a little more than you did before.

Change your focus. Stop setting yourself up for failure. Setting realistic goals is tough enough. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the immensity of the mountain we must climb, and we get stuck at base camp. James Clear has written a marvelous article teaching us to focus not on the end goal, but on the daily habits that make the end goal possible. Not only can you be successful in this approach, but it is sustainable even after you reach your goal. Inch by inch, everything is a cinch. 

You, the entrepreneur, are the biggest asset in your business. Don’t wait for the alchemy of success. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to be all you can be. Success is not found in wishful thinking, but in taking action, even if it is only small steps each day.

Pay attention to your inner beasts. Take care of them, harness them, and train them into action. They will empower you to be ready for every opportunity, and in turn, help you become the Real Deal.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

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Why do we at etc!graphics inc, a graphic design company, care about your business strategies?  Because no matter how beautiful we make your visuals, your graphics will never make more sense than the clarity of your own vision. The clearer your target, the more lucid your marketing will be, and the better connection your visual graphics will make with your target customer. We want to help you become the best you can be. Join us all this month as we share ways to help your small business sustain and grow in a crowded marketplace. Etc!Graphics is devoted to helping you, the small business owner, think like a marketer. 

The winter of 1932 was one of the darkest in US history. How I wish I were talking about record amounts of heavy snowfall, but you know that I am not. It was the Great Depression that was falling over the hearts and minds and spirits of the American people, paralyzing them with fear. Food lines were longer than every before. Angry mobs were forming. Politicians could not cooperate long enough to find any answers. Even President Herbert Hoover himself expressed a deep sense of hopelessness; so much so that by the end of his term, he was close to despair. “We are at the end of our rope. There is nothing more we can do”.

Who in their right mind would run for the highest office at such a time? One would think them mad. But the man that stepped up to encourage a very weary nation was a man that had already suffered and overcame his own worst personal tragedy. Eleven years prior, while out sailing during a family holiday, he suddenly became exceedingly cold with severe pain radiating down his legs and back. After examination by his doctor, his pain grew much worse, leaving him completely incapacitated. His symptoms proved to be poliomyelitis. Franklin Delano Roosevelt would never again regain control of his legs.

Many believed this disease would prove the death knell to his vibrant political career. It did not. A decade later, President-Elect FDR would take his seat in the Oval Office. He was undaunted–even energized. His inaugural address delivered some of the most powerful words in the history of our nation. You have heard them over and over, but perhaps you have never known the context:

“First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

FDR knew he needed to rally the whole country into action in order to overcome the obstacles. He knew there were few things worse than the condition of paralyzing fear.

The same is true for small business. We may be a little boat in a big big sea. We have our pains, and we may have much against us. But the thing to fear is, indeed, a paralyzing fear that retreats from battle.

Here are just five things that we should fear more than the waves:

Fear inaction

Entrepreneurs get tired and for good reason. We are constantly on guard, knowing the waves can swamp our boat at any moment. We often feel a need to catch our breath, and we must find ways to recharge. It is necessary to find rest. But paralysis from fear or simply coasting downhill, is akin to going backward. Never stop pedaling. It allows your competitor to catch up. And renders us unprepared for opportunity.

Fear succeeding without knowing why

Success is a lousy teacher. Many overnight successes take place because the timing is right, the funding was perfect, and the stars aligned in their favor. The entrepreneur does not know what they did right, and so cannot make it happen again. The first few months are their best, and the business is more like a shooting star. Overnight success can be an accident. If you are successful right out of the gate, the best thing you can do for yourself is to find out what went right.

Fear paper cuts

If you are not failing, you are not engaging in life, you are not growing, and your goals are too small. If your worst hazard is paper cuts, find some loftier goals, extend your reach, and learn to leap the chasm from where you are to where you need to go.  

Fear your own self-talk

Susan had just bombed another interview. She decided to go to dinner with her good friend. To her surprise, her friend offered no comfort. “Of course you didn’t get the job,” she said. “You’re overweight, that outfit is unbecoming on you, and when was the last time you took a class to upgrade your skills? Who are you trying to kid? You are a joke.” Susan would have ditched any friend that spoke to her in that way, and yet she constantly talked to herself that way. The friend was Susan herself. Think about the way you talk to yourself. How would you talk to your best friend if she were in your situation? Be as much of a friend to yourself as you are to others.  Our assessment of ourselves is most likely at some variance from reality. That is why we need to fear. . . 

Fear having no mentors

No entrepreneur succeeds alone. In the multitude of counselors, there is wisdom. You are in the frame. It is very difficult to gain the perspective without someone outside your business providing you with objective feedback.

Beyond these five things, there are many others. In Part I we have already discussed that not being afraid at all is worse than having some fear. And if you have no Vision for your business, as discussed in Part II, you should be very afraid indeed.  

Yes, you can swamp your boat faster with your own two hands than by any of our perceived or actual panic-inducing circumstances. If you feel paralyzed with fear and need some encouragement just now, I prescribe FDR’s entire speech. He found many reasons for continued hope, found many things for which to be grateful, and he refused retreat, despite the dire circumstances. It may provide just the courage you need.

Then stay tuned for the last installment in this series, when we discover the biggest monster of them all.

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Why do we at etc!graphics inc, a graphic design company, care about your business strategies?  Because no matter how beautiful we make your visuals, your graphics will never make more sense than the clarity of your own vision. The clearer your target, the more lucid your marketing, and the better connection from your visual graphics. We want to help you become the best you can be. Join us all this month as we share ways to help your small business sustain and grow in a crowded marketplace. Etc!Graphics is devoted to helping you, the small business owner, think like a marketer.

And if you are enjoying this series, will you let us know in the comments below?