Don’t Try to Please Everybody
For everything you do in business, there will be some people who like it and some people who don’t. You have to live with it; don’t try to please everybody. Consider the iPod for example. Some people complain that its digital camera doesn’t come with a flash or a powerful zoom. If Apple were to comply with every request they get, they would end up with a big, ugly product that nobody would like.
Learn to say no to some people so you can better serve your real market.
Appearance Matters
People will judge you by your appearance. Is it fair? Probably not, but who cares? The truth is that if you show up for a meeting wearing a dirty suit and driving a crappy car, you won’t make a great first impression. Look great and people will pay a lot more attention to what you have to say.
Don’t Surround Yourself with People Who Don’t Let You Grow
You know who I’m talking about: those folks who, when you tell them about your dreams and goals, either laugh at you, tell you it’ll be impossible or that you’re not ready for it. Unfortunately, there are a lot more of these people than those who will support you, and the worst part is that the short-sighted people around you are usually your spouse, your best friend or a close relative.
Don’t be mad at them. They’re trying to help you to avoid doing what, in their opinion, is too risky. But, don’t listen to them either. When someone tells you what you want to do can’t be done, what they’re actually saying is that they don’t have the balls to do it, but you’re a different person. You can’t be too young, too old or too inexperienced. Always be hungry and work for what you want. Life is way shorter than we think it is. Let’s not waste it.
Thoughts Aren’t Real
Every time a thought comes to our minds, we feel that we need to do something with it. We don’t. A thought is not reality; it’s just a thought. For example, let’s say you have a presentation tomorrow morning and a thought enters your mind: you will screw up and people will laugh at you. You will then get sad at the fact that you might screw up and you’ll be anxious all night and won’t be able to sleep well. The next day, you give an outstanding presentation and you don’t screw up at all.
As it turns out, you spent 10 hours worrying about something that never happened. Thoughts are just thoughts; nothing else.
Have a Vision Board
A vision board is a whiteboard with pictures of things you want to accomplish. You can put a beautiful man or woman, your favorite sports car, a gorgeous house, a beach vacation, family time or whatever you want to accomplish in life. I have my vision board as the background image on my computer desktop, so I see it every day. Put your vision board in a location you constantly see.
I know this sounds a little spooky, but it really works. It has worked for me and a lot of my friends. As it turns out, having a constant reminder of what you want in life keeps you on the right path to getting it. I usually put ten things or so on my vision boards and at the end of each year I usually accomplish about 80% of the goals I set for myself. When this happens, I create a new vision board.
Try it. I promise you it works.
You Need to Invest 10,000 Hours
In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell explains that it takes 10,000 hours of rigorous practice to really master a skill. Running a business is a very complex skill or set of skills, so don’t expect to start your business and be a great entrepreneur and leader in 10 days. Work hard on perfecting your skills. And never ever give up. If something doesn’t work, try it from a different angle or try something else, but don’t give up.
There’s this great guy we’re working with. He told me a great story. His son told him he wanted to be an NBA player. Most parents would tell their kids, “you better have a plan B, because it’s almost impossible”. Instead, this is what this guy told his son: “I believe you can be an NBA player but you need to change a couple of things. LeBron and Kobe Bryant used to spend eight hours a day shooting hoops. You spend eight hours a day playing videogames. If you change your habits and work hard, I think you can make the NBA.” Brilliant.
Don’t Over-Obsess About Your Competitors
Some business owners waste too much time looking at what they’re competitors are doing. Don’t do that. Innovate; compete with yourself. Spend some time every once in a while analyzing your competition but don’t over-obsess about them. See their websites and their specials. Where do they advertise? Have they been advertising in the same medium for a while? Well, it must be paying off for them, right? Did they launch a product and took it off the market right away? It probably failed, right? Ask them for a proposal, see what they offer and how they present their solution.
Get ideas from them. But, at the end of the day, it’s your company that you have to run, so focus on making it better.
Read Business Books and Magazines
I read two business books a week and some magazines too (my favorites are Inc, Fast Company and Entrepreneur). I love learning from other people’s experiences. They’ve made a lot of mistakes and I, by learning from them, can avoid making the same mistakes. Also, reading opens up your mind to new ideas and gives you the tools to solve the challenges you’re facing.
Read a lot. Most successful entrepreneurs said that one of their keys to their successes is reading a lot.
It’s All About Having the Right People on Your Team
I always knew that having a great team was important, but now I understand that is more important than anything else (by far). Having a skilled, excited and hard-working team allows you to delegate effectively so you can focus on your business strategy.
Take Care of Yourself
Working hard and making a lot of money is important, but being healthy is more important. The best part is, being healthy makes you a lot more productive and effective at work! Work out often, spend time with your family and friends, sleep enough and eat healthy foods. When you’re burnt out, don’t keep working. Get out for a while, play a sport or do something fun. You’ll be re-charging your battery and when you get back to the office, you’ll be unstoppable!
