I saw this quote recently and thought how apt it is for starting the new year….”The best way to predict your future is to create it”. It was penned by the great US President Abraham Lincoln.
And I got to thinking about it. So many people have gone back to work dreading going back. They will have to work with colleagues they don’t like, bosses that don’t understand them or are unwilling to understand them. They will commute hours and come home too exhausted to play with their children.
They’ll resonate to make changes – this is the year that they’ll get the ideal job, run a marathon, spend more time with the kids.
But time has a way of catching up and all of a sudden, it’s the summer time and there are no job postings, marathon training should have started and the kids are on holidays.
You, as a business owner – whether small or large – has the ability to predict your future. There is no doubt running a business is hard. You wear so many hats. But the one hat that you own is the one where you control your destiny.
Yes, there are things that are out of your control but the way you handle them is within your control.
You’ll read and listen to all types of advice for setting goals, sticking to them and then really sticking to them. Read and listen to what resonates with you.
I’m not a coach but I do mentor on marketing and communication. This is my advice for you:
1. Fix on one goal
While you may want to change lots of different things, just start with one. If you follow Brian Tracey, he’ll advise that you start with the biggest task as it’s the one you procrastinate on (eat that frog first thing in the morning!). But whatever you choose to do, just focus on one thing. You’ll see results and get energised to make another change.
2. Take the time to work on your goal
It is said that it takes between 21-28 days to form a habit. For my own book, I use 31 days to teach business owners, like yourself, to write better copy to make more sales. So take the time to work on it and make the change.
3. Reward yourself
I’m a big believer on rewards. It doesn’t have to be big; it can be as small as having a cuppa with a kit-kat or a cuppa reading the paper (guilt-free). Plan your reward, do the work and then give yourself the reward. It will be much sweeter. I promise.
But seriously – you have the ability to create your own future. I’ll post this article again in December 2014 and lets compare notes about how we, as a collective group of business owners, have created our own future. Our future is in our hands. Lets make the most of it.
