This morning I woke up thinking about YOU. All of the YOUS I’ve met over the past twelve years of being my own boss. Those of you who’ve inspired me. Those who have been kind enough to stick with me from my first Great Women’s Gathering until today. Those who send cards and well wishes and even gifts. And yes, even those of you that really tick me off. =)
As I plan for 2012, I take stock of all I’ve learned over the years, all I’ve gained, what I’ve lost, and what’s next. I pay attention to the lessons I’ve learned… even the really, really tough ones. And at 4 AM this morning, I began perusing my own blog. I wasn’t looking for some stroke of genius. (Good thing, right??? lol… ) I was looking for what I’ve NEVER said. Things I’ve touched on but not expanded upon. And I starting thinking:
What would I say at my next conference if NO ONE was in the room?
What would I share if I had no chance of offending someone? And so, this post is dedicated to ANSWERING that question. HERE is the unabridged version of what is just a FIRST INSTALLMENT of what I’ve NOT said… or not said clearly enough.
1) Confidence. Confidence is king. You can do without many many things in your life, business or career, but should you lack a steady confidence that is NOT easily shaken, you will fall way way behind your potential. (And confidence is a muscle. Build it. Flex it. Be deliberate about it. It’s importance can not be overstated.)
2) Partnerships. Choose them carefully… and LATER rather than earlier. I see too many people entering into partnerships when neither party has enough business to sustain THEM… hoping that the partnership will double their business. It will not – in most cases. They’re jumping in too soon. I see a lot of people going into partnerships thinking they NEED something the other person has. You do not. You have all you need. And no good decisions are ever based on what you NEED. Neediness is creepy. Avoid it like the plague. WAIT until you know exactly what you have to offer!
3) Learn about EGO. Yours. And Theirs. Study it. Get curious about it. For, make no mistake, it controls a lot of situations and decisions. Check yours at the door… because the root of inflated ego is typically insecurity. And nothing eats away at the foundation of your success like insecurity. Ugg.
4) Passive income. People waste so much time and energy (ironically) trying to create dollars while they sleep…. trying to create the business version of the “FIX IT AND FORGET IT” info-mercials for some kitchen appliance. They hustle and hustle and hustle and invest and invest and invest…. only to find that their “internet cash machine” is short lived, cost them more than they ever wanted to spend, and robbed them of time and reserves better spent elsewhere.
Create opportunities you can leverage. Look for ways to stack your efforts. Automate what makes sense. Build your business around your lifestyle. But, in general: The easy button people are seeking is most likely located very close to the unicorn farm your child was dreaming of last night. Just sayin’.
5) Stop listening to What People SAY and watch what they DO. I recently had a conversation about a particular business opportunity. The person pitching to me pointed to a couple of articles written about their industry. They felt it lent credibility. Well, have those big named business rockstars ever actually participated in your industry? NO. Well, that speaks louder than the article designed and placed to build the author’s brand.
WATCH people. Success leaves clues. Money leaves clues. If you aspire to reach a level of success you know another person has reached in your industry or circle…. Don’t waste time listening to what they SAY. Watch what they do. Their success- and yours – will likely be too messy and zig-zagish to bottle or recreate step-by-step…. but it will be based on your DOing. So watch them. Apply their action steps to your own day.. and see what happens.
6) Get yourself an alarm clock. It is true that early birds catch the worm. It is true that the most successful names you know are early risers. It is true that there is a strong correlation between waking up early and financial / business success. It is also true that many many people would rather sleep than succeed.
7) Excuses are a dime a dozen. Accept none of them. Not your own. Not others’. It doesn’t matter if they’re technically “true”. You can have excuses… or you can have results. I’ve yet to find the person able to have both.
That’s it for now. I think I’m going to continue to have these virtual EMPTY conferences…just to make sure YOU are getting the unabridged version of what success REQUIRES… =) It is not free. What would YOU say that flies in the face of popular business “wisdom”? What would you ADD?
