Read This If You Don't Know The Meaning Of Life
Hang with me on this one.
I'm going a little off-script and into more retrospection that I usually do, here.
You have your own set of challenges.
Your personal life, individual experiences, and DNA have led you to where you are.
It's a mixed up, nuanced, convoluted interaction between who you are, where you're going, where you've been, what you envision, and what the world is telling you.
My point?
There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's.
I've had enough bad days to know that there will be plenty more.
I've had enough good days to know that it's worth getting through the bad ones.
At some point, we make decisions about who we are, where we're going, etc.
The way we go is the way we go.
There's no right or wrong, here.
It's just true.
It seems that knowing this, our broader purpose is to conquer ourselves and teach others to do the same.
This might sound too much like my attempt at explaining the "meaning of life," but I'm okay with that.
This is truthfully about as close as I've gotten to answering that question.
The reason we're here, with all our sentience, is to quiet those inner demons, conquer ourselves, and train the next generation to do the same.
I'm sure this isn't the meaning of life, but I'm also just as sure that I'm either close or directionally aligned.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so please reply/comment.
2 Minute Action
Take a second to reflect and evaluate the following:
- What voices do you have that contradict your mission?
- How do you engage them when they are noisy?
- What might you do to help the next generation learn this skill set?
Take 2 minutes to reach out to someone in your life and ask "how can I help you?"
This small gesture just might be enough to move the needle for someone or give them the courage to go after something they desire.
Read This If You Have Lots Of Ideas
Maybe you've heard this before, but maybe you haven't.
Ideas aren't really useful.
By themselves, they don't do anything.
It's the executing of the idea that helps people and is valuable.
So, stop looking for ideas.
Look for actionable insights.
2 Minute Action:
It helps if you know what to do and when to do it.
It also helps if you have someone in your life who can keep you accountable.
Take an idea you had recently and make it actionable.
Decide, in the next 2 minutes, what first step you're going to take, when you will do it, and who you will call to ask to keep you accountable.
You've got this.
We're all counting on you.
Read This If You Aren't Doing Enough
This is where I start to say things like "don't do more, do less!"
And, "focus on what's important, not just what's urgent!"
Sure. That's true.
But how do you know?
Here's a question you can ask yourself if you're not sure where to put your time or energy when every task is screaming your name:
"What would happen if it didn't get done?"
So simple. So not easy.
I've talked with so many small businesses and non-profits who are absolutely strapped for resources. Somehow, they think they need a custom logo, beautiful website, LinkedIn ads, and all these other things that might not be giving them the one thing they truly need: paying customers.
That's right folks. You heard it here.
You only need one thing to have a successful business and I'll say it again: paying customers.
Sure, there are plenty of companies that have huge ad-spends and beautiful websites and in-office chefs who cook snacks and lunches and dinners for the team and all that.
But you know what?
There are plenty of businesses that are doing just fine without it because they are focused on what matters to them.
Joe's Crab Shack is never going to spend money on a conventional TV ad because that doesn't matter to them. They have their ad on the local diner's menu and in the Jersey Shore guidebook for tourists and that's enough!
There are plenty of businesses just like Joe's Crab Shack.
When I meet up with an old friend with a new business idea and I ask how it's going, they often go into a long list of things they're working on:
"Oh, we're so busy it's crazy! I am wrapping up our logo design, we just bought the domain name, I have a web designer coming in on Tuesday, and we are going to be looking at office space to rent next week."
None of those things matter unless they are getting you more paying customers and when you're small or just starting out, the answer is "they're usually not."
2 Minute Action
Take a look through your to-do list and see if you can find an ROI on your work.
But Chris, the website I'm building lets people know I'm legit and can execute.
Do you know what else does that?
Here's a short list:
- Referrals.
- Testimonials.
- Customer success stories.
- Pictures from your portfolio.
All of these things can be attached in an email, which costs $0.
Chances are there is a cheaper, easier, faster way to get what you want. It's up to you to challenge yourself and find a cost/resource-effective solution.
So, ask yourself: "What would happen if I had to do this without a website?"
What would you do?
Start with that and test your assumption.
Building a website is the easy part.
Talking to customers is scary and harder.
Work on the hard stuff and I promise you'll do fine.
If your business doesn't have a hard part then you probably don't have a business.