I was accused of it recently… from someone who wanted to challenge how my “disdain” for rules fit into my Christian worldview. This person either didn’t know or conveniently forgot how REVOLUTIONARY Jesus was in His day. But I’m not here to debate religion with you.
I want to challenge assumptions and continue to simplify FINANCIAL SUCCESS for women entrepreneurs.
Am I an anarchist?
No.
Am I suspicious of (and sometimes resentful of and even DEFIANT of) RULES?
I am. I question, often out loud:
Who SAYS that’s a rule?
Who MADE that a rule?
And — WHY?
WHY do “they” want us to follow their system?
Who are “they” to begin with?
Who deemed THEM in charge? Who made THEM the rule makers?
More importantly, given ALL the rules so confidently written and spoken to entrepreneurs about creating success…. WITH AN 80% FAILURE RATE, WHY DO SO FEW QUESTION THIER EFFECTIVENESS? Why do so many follow BLINDLY?
So, yeah… I have my suspicions and am somewhat defiant.
Am I an anarchist?
I’ve never considered the question…. but do I FULLY INTEND to be self-governed? And resent attempts at BEING governed?
The completely honest answer is yes.
I do BRISTLE when I hear people tell me what I MUST do in order to succeed. OFTEN, I hear these rules that I completely ignored, succeeded anyway, and think,
“Things that make you go hmmm…. ”
I DO get frustrated when our Women Who WOW members come to me with what THEY have been told by a mentor. “They said that I HAVE to do ______________, but I’m not really comfortable with it.”
My response is measured.
I don’t want to dishonor another mentor.
I usually say something like, “That’s one way to go. What are some other options you’ve considered?” OR, my best southern “hmmmm.” OR “Okay. What do YOU think?”
Has this defiance, this suspicion, this resentment of RULES… this DETERMINATION to be SELF-GOVERNED been responsible for some of my business success?
OH, YOU BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR IT HAS.
Do I think it’s HEALTHY — and even COMMON-SENSICAL– to challenge rules that lead to a — across the board — 80% failure rate?
I do. In that spirit, here’s a woefully incomplete list of business rules that YOU may consider giving the “middle finger salute:”
- You have to WAIT to succeed or be in business for ______ years or months before you can expect success.
- You MUST do _________. (insert some specific strategy: video, blog, network, give away your stuff, start local, etc.)
- You MUST do it THIS WAY.
- It takes money to make money.
All hogwash. There are SO many routes to wild success, so when you hear ONE way, or ONE MUST… ignore it. Please.
I don’t like RULES, but I LOVE principles. Here are a few PRINCIPLES you may consider embracing:
— DAILYNESS. (Success IS a marathon, not a sprint.)
— Authenticity.
— Ethics. (Do RIGHT by people.)
— OVER -deliver.
— Solve a specific problem.
— HUSTLE.
P.S. I am thrilled to be hosting a 30 Day Immersion Journey into MENTAL TOUGHNESS. This “mental muscle” will CATAPULT your income, impact, and influence. Join me. bmichellepippin.com/mentaltoughness
Ideas and dispositions that seem to people like ‘anarchist’ are sometimes needed to create a balance in thinking and ways of doing things.
With what you have said, I would hardly describe you as an anarchist. No, nothing even close to that. But your ideas could be seen as one of checks and balances to soften the pangs of rigidity in business and also in personal life.