You worked hard creating your business. You suffered through all the expenses of getting your worksite and equipping it. You’ve assembled your support team - sales, marketing and administration. You thought that by now your business would be demanding less of your time and energy. But what’s happening? You’re still working too many hours putting out fires, still struggling with those hard decisions and still doing those things you’re not good at and don’t like doing.
That’s the Problem! What’s the Solution?
You’ve read every book relating to your business, attended workshops, maybe you even hired consultants to help you tweak your business. Yet the problem persists. You wondered, “What could possibly be wrong with the way I designed my business?”
What probably is wrong is that you’re asking the wrong question. You may not realize this, but what separates the highly successful and highly satisfied business owners from the rest is not the design and makeup of their business. It is the design and the makeup of themselves.
There are certain attitudes and emotions you need to achieve greatness. This article addresses the most important one - desire.
Most of the people who have achieved greatness did so NOT because they were so brilliant, but because they developed the inner power within them to go for the gusto. They learned how to keep stoking the fire in the belly. They kept their desire and passion burning.
Ask yourself this question. How successful are you right now? I guarantee you, whatever level of success you have achieved so far is more tied to your attitude than your aptitude. Success in business or any other playing field ultimately depends upon the level of your desire.
Desire motivates you, makes you courageous and keeps you going when the going gets tough. Desire is the fuel that drives you to achieve greatness. Desire is the number one attitude you need for success.
If you have “fire in your belly”, anything is possible.
I remember when I was just a kid during the Great Depression. Dad was out of work. Mom took in washing when she could find somebody who could pay her. There was just enough money for food, hardly any for clothes. Anything else, like toys, was out of the question.
I knew how to have fun with empty boxes, using a stick for a sword and my finger for a gun. But there was one toy I really wanted - a new Buck Rogers rocket ship. I saw it in the local hardware store. I watched with fascination as the salesman demonstrated it. It was really neat. Wind it up and sparks shot out of its tail. I had to have it. How could I get money to buy it?
We had an apple tree in the backyard. It was fall and the apples were ripe. I would sell apples to raise the money I needed. I quickly picked the reddest ones and polished them to a bright shine.
I took my treasures out in the street and found grown men on the street corners selling apples too. “Beat it kid,” the man told me. Discouraged, I started walking home. I kept thinking about that Buck Rogers rocket ship with its sparks shooting out of the tail.
On my way I passed some business places. I looked into a barbershop and saw some men waiting. I went in and was able to sell two apples before the owner gently ushered me out. “This will work,” I thought.
I went to the next store and just got in before the owner chased me out. I was discouraged and scared, but I thought of the two apples I did sell and that Buck Rogers rocket ship. That renewed my courage. I did not understand it then, but that Buck Rogers rocket ship had become a trigger. Every time I thought about it, it triggered me into action.
I kept on going, store after store. Some owners were nice and let me come in and sell my apples, others ushered me out. Not all of them were kind. Every time I got discouraged I thought of my successes and of that Buck Rogers rocket ship. I had two triggers now, the memory of my getting money for my apples and the thought of that Buck Rogers rocket ship. I kept on going until I sold all the apples.
I ran to the store and bought my toy.
That simple story is an example of the power of desire. This is the same principle that works on any enterprise, from selling apples to landing a rocket ship on the moon. Desire can trigger your motivation and move you into action.
To strengthen your desire, you need to review all the reasons why you want that goal - all the things you will gain. Then you need to list what you will miss out on - all the things you will lose - if you don’t reach your goal.
You can even create conditioned reflexes to program your mind to give you unstoppable motivation whenever you need it. The details to do this are in my book, Triggers: A New Approach to Self Motivation, by Prentice Hall. http://www.stanmann.com/triggers.html.
Strong desire is essential to create a highly successful and highly satisfying business. Take the time to practice strengthening your desire. It is extremely important to do this when you are feeling lacking in energy or discouraged. I deliver customized coaching programs to help you become the leader of a highly successful and highly satisfying business. For more information, contact me at win@stanmann.com.
© 2006 Stan Mann
Stan Mann, C.P.C. supports business owners, top executives and commission salespeople to substantially grow their business and have a balanced life. He is a Certified Professional Coach. For additional articles and resources please visit http://www.stanmann.com.
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