Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD
I was recently asked by a fellow entrepreneur, why I thought entrepreneurs fail. Admittedly, I was reluctant to address the topic initially, because it’s not the sexiest or fun conversation to have regarding entrepreneurship for obvious reasons. When most start a business for the first time (especially), they are at their highest level of enthusiasm, but also lowest level of competency at the same time. You don't want bruise them, or diminish this much needed excitement before things get underway.
Also, it's easier for so-called leaders simply to chalk it up to people being lazy, not willing or able to learn, or being beset with character defects when they come up short. Sometimes it's easy to forget the ugly duckling stage we mature out of as entrepreneurs and leaders. And if the quitting or failure rate continues to grow, this thinking is usually a sign that those charged with the responsibility of creating fertile ground for success, haven’t taken the time for introspection.
Once again, it’s always easier to blame than to take the time to contemplate, and as the tough questions like…..am I as a leader effectively creating environments of opportunity that truly empowers and brings out the best in people?
As in most cases when making generalizations, it's always important to take into account context. However, when taking inventory of yourself, as an aspiring entrepreneur, as a leader, or the owner of a business, there are a couple icebergs we all need to be aware of when starting or scaling a business.
ARE YOUR DREAMS AND GOALS BIG ENOUGH?
One of the first questions I encourage every entrepreneur to seriously think about is what inspired you to start your endeavor, or why did you choose entrepreneurship? The answer to this question is the most important determinant of whether or not someone is going to succeed in business. Please believe.
Not having a solid answer to this question is a sure sign that someone is either headed straight down mediocrity road or is about to experience an imminent, and fatal failure. Whenever, I hear some combination of the following words, you might as well start writing the eulogy:
I started this little thing. My little business. Can you participate in this little conference call? I got this little presentation I want to invite you to.
Starting a new business from scratch, especially if the goal is to immediately draw a significant income or one is required, takes a huge expenditure of energy and effort physically and psychologically. One of the biggest challenges for most is overcoming the sneers or negative perspectives others attempt to project upon you if your success isn't perceived as imminent, especially from those closest to you. For many the fear of judgment is crippling, and unfortunately many will allow other people's opinions to torpedo their endeavors before they even get started.
Also, there is going to be turbulence. One of my favorite quotes often attributed to Albert Einstein is, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Nor can you overcome your current circumstances with the same habits and itinerary that created them. The circle of people you spend the most time talking to will most likely need to change, if they're not coming along for the journey. Don't misunderstand this. This is not an invitation to diss your current circle, but you may have to distance yourself from many of them, to make space for people who can help you achieve your goals.
Your reading, sleeping, and eating habits will most likely need to change. You may be surprised to find the music, audio content, videos, or even your taste in movies and other cinematic tastes may change. As you begin to change the inputs being deposited into your mind and body, you're growing into a new you. No different than if a person switches from eating a couple 1 pound fast food burgers everyday to a vegan diet. You can rest assured some significant changes in energy, appearance, and mindset will accompany the switch.
Or just like elite swimmers, boxers, sprinters, and cyclists tend to have different muscular attributes and physiques that can be strikingly apparent, due to their workout routines and habits, so will entrepreneurship alter you as well. And it will require a level of humility and will power to embrace it all.
There is going to be stress any time you're forced to move outside your comfort zone, but remember those who exhibit courage aren't lacking in fear. They are simply willing to do what must be done anyway. Remember, you’ve already earned and already accomplished all you’re going to in your comfort zone.
If you're going to transform your life, then your goals must be big enough to incite, compel, and force you to make the necessary changes. They have to be ever present to prevent you from drifting, and be so LARGE that they literally dwarf the trials and tribulations that inevitably await you. So much so, that your family, friends, neighbors, or those who are close to you, look at you in sincere disbelief, but stick around anyway, not wanting to miss it if you achieve it.
Remember your goals act like filters, and also create resonance. They are the beats and notes that characterize your music. The words that flow from your mouth, and the way you respond to others, especially when under duress are tell tale signs of how deep of a dive you’ve taken regarding your objectives. And your music will either attract the right people and repel those who may be wrong for you, or the opposite.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR ITINERARY
People spend days, weeks, months planning for a vacation. A gratifying pursuit no doubt, but the super-majority of the time, that one vacation is not going to change the fabric of your family tree. Neither are birthday parties, prepping for the Super Bowl, or the New Years eve party.
However, if you were to challenge most people regarding how much time they spend planning, thinking critically about their habits, preparing, and learning about how to be an elite business owner, all of a sudden they don’t have time. When in reality you don't have time not too.
Just as athletes spend countless hours practicing the same shots repeatedly, musicians and dancers endure backbreaking rehearsals, and hours of prep occur before a surgeon performs his skilled trade, so must you be willing to craft an itinerary and prepare meticulously for your success as an entrepreneur. There are no overnight success stories.We just find out about them overnight.
Not taking the time to create a success itinerary doesn't prove fatal overnight. It shows up the same way knocking back three 2 liter sodas and a fast food burger on a daily basis shows up. It's like a slow moving train gathering momentum and before you know it you're headed to severe heart attack. If you don’t take the time to make success deposits into your business, the alternative reality is waiting and begging for your participation.
A question we should all ask ourselves on a regular basis, is what is your entrepreneurial workout routine? Or another way of thinking about it is, ask yourself what are the three to five things that you're going to commit to on a daily basis, whereas if applied daily over time would make the biggest difference in your life. Choose a work out routine that will slowly chisel you into the entrepreneur you desire to be. Perhaps it's committing to:
#1. Introducing your service to 20 new prospects a day.
#2. Reading 10 pages of a good book a day. That’s a book a month.
#3. Running 12 miles a week.
#4. Meditating and reviewing your affirmations when you awake and before you go to sleep.
#5. Working out for 30 minutes a day.
#6. Getting in an hour of practice or working on a skill.
#7. Writing 20 pages or for 30 minutes a day.
Ask yourself, how much clarity would you have regarding your day? How much more confident would you feel when an unexpected, yet important task is assigned to you (that’s called opportunity). How much more energy would you have? How much more informed, and valuable would your thoughts become to others if you adopted some of these practices?
It's these monotonous activities and habits that ultimately shape you, and win you the day. One day at a time, then two, three, seven, two weeks, two months, the year. In other words show me your itinerary and I'll show you your future.
WHAT DOES YOUR DIET CONSIST OF? BAD STUFF IN. BAD STUFF OUT.
According to the National Science Foundation, an average person has approximately 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts.
What are you consuming on a daily basis to offset the 80%? How often are you taking inventory of the 95% to ensure your thoughts are serving you? Gravity is waiting to greet you from the moment you open your eyes. The BS.com is coming for you 24/7. The 1000s of negative words, images, and moments have to be offset somehow. How often are you viewing your affirmations? Are you really being purposeful, and intentional about the conversations you're having? What of the things you read, and the ideas you allow to occupy space between your ears?
I encourage entrepreneurs to adopt a policy of being able to put their hands and lay their eyeballs on their affirmations, goals, positive meditations just as frequently as they pick up their phones. The screensaver and the home screen are pictures of my affirmations and goals.
Be careful of the counsel you keep. Small people talk about other people all day. Remember, critics don't win championships, performers do. Good, well intentioned minds talk about problems. And great minds are achievers who solve them, overcome them, and dust them off their shoulders.
Is your diet of conversations, readings, training audios, and everything else in between serving you? Is it strengthening you? Improving your endurance? Sharpening you? Or is it making you flabby. Turning you into an excuse making machine, and weakening your immunity to negativity?
Entrepreneurship is not Hollywood. people don't rise to the occasion, but rather their level of training, preparation, and commitment to curating a better self.
#entrepreneurshipisempowerment
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JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.
