I know, I know…as if you need more reasons as to why your business will fail, right?
The reason why my business is failing right now: I’m writing this blog post and not investing my time doing paid client work. (Oh, you thought I got PAID to write these gems? I like your style, but no, this is all on my own time.)
The reason why your business is failing right now: You’re reading this blog post and not investing time doing core business work. That is, unless someone’s paying you to spend time reading these gems. In which case you should be rocking on with your bad self and sending some love my way.
And so goes reason #1 as to why your business will fail:
You aren’t relentless with your time management.
You own your time. Nobody else has the right to screw with it – unless you give it to them. This applies to all you full-time-employee-types, too. You only have so many hours in a day, so if your boss, client, co-worker, spouse, ex-wife, neighbor, friend or whatever is talking your ear off and all you can think about is the uber-important project that’s due in two days, you have to get your ass out of that conversation – fast. Be polite, lie, fake a leg cramp – whatever it takes. Unless it’s your four-year-old child asking you to play the ladybug game for the 100th time today.
During my time at FedEx, I learned a phrase that summed this notion up for me:
Sense of Urgency.
Act like you’re in a hurry, and people will think you’re in a hurry and respect your time more. If that fails, skip back to the part about faking a leg cramp.
Which leads me to reason #2 as to why your business will fail:
You aren’t taking care of your body.
Maybe you’re reading this and you’re thinking,
“Jason, I’m hot. I don’t need to take care of this body. It takes care of itself.”
Ok, listen up blondie/stud – I’m talking about the entire package. That includes your brain. Seriously, jog, ride a bike, lift weights, do yoga – your brain will thank you for the exercise by being more alert and able to work longer, harder and faster. You’ll still be hot and, you’ll be adding smartness to your hotness. Who doesn’t want that, right?
Which leads me to reason #3 as to why your business will fail:
You’re too smart for your business.
You will never know it all. And if you DO know it all, go away. This blog isn’t for you. If you don’t run your small/micro business from the mindset that there will always be something to learn, you WILL fail. Nobody knows everything. The people who DO say they know everything know even less.
Accepting that you MUST learn to succeed allows you to be humble. It causes you to be gracious for what you do know and curious about what you haven’t learned yet.
The good news from this post is that your business WON’T fail if you don’t want it to (within reason, of course). If you didn’t make notes from this post, I’ll save you the trouble:
1. Guard your time – don’t let anyone take it from you if you don’t want them to.
2. Exercise – you’re already hot, why not get smart, too?
3. Never stop learning – there is always someone who knows more (or who needs your knowledge).
Ok, gotta go, I have a leg cramp. Shut up, I’m not lying.
