I don't do resolutions, but reminders are another thing altogether. And before I head out to celebrate the arrival of Twenty-Ten, I thought I'd make a special note of the one consistent criterion for success (especially for entrepreneurs).
A few years ago I'd met the owner of an insurance company (he brokered our company's insurance needs) and he mentioned that his guiding principle for success in business was 'showing up every day'. I must confess that at that time I was unimpressed and thought that what worked for his industry surely couldn't apply to the dynamic world of startups.
With a little more startup experience under my belt, I now believe that the guy was on the money (and I'm more open to non-traditional sources). What I have seen over and over again is that success comes to those who stay engaged, those who 'show up' to get the job done - those who don't give up or get side tracked. The past year has been a tough one for many, especially early stage entrepreneurs, but the ones who have ridden it with some degree of success are those who decided to stay in the game and just play it, without hankering for spectacular moves or quick wins. Companies with limited funds hunkered down and focused on the basics and those with no funds got creative. The teen entrepreneurs I mentor (read more about them here) are a shining example of this: they don't have a smooth-talking CEO or snazzy marketing material or even an eye-catching product, but they did make it to every single meeting and diligently worked on their weekly checklist - and managed to outsell all other teams, even ones with more flash.
As an added bonus this concept could apply to just about anything - from startups to Pilates to making new friends. So, a simple new year's resolution/reminder: just 'show up' to whatever you choose to do in your life and all kinds of goodness will follow. Cheers!
3 comments:
Usha,
I completely agree with the "show up everyday" advice. And I heard an add-on to it a couple of months ago, that I am trying to implement as well:
"Just put it out there. All the time. Start when you wake up, before you even rub the sleep out of your eyes."
You never know when opportunity will present itself, so it pays to be ready for it!
Hope all is going well with you,
Barbara
Good one!
It's easy to stay engaged when things are going well and the money's rolling in. Much harder when you're in the long slog, the idea isn't new anymore, money is tight and success elusive. Showing up every day may be the difference between those who make it and those who don't in these tough economic times. Good post!
Post a Comment