I am in a priviliged position in the work I do. I come across people at all stages of their business lives and so have a good awareness of which people will succeed, or not.
I am surprised regularly by people about to start a business. When we sit down to discuss their plans, I find out they don’t have any… They have a vague dream about running their own business and a few ideas to try to get them going but…… what about in 3 months time, 6 months, 12 months or even longer down the line? No idea – we will see how it goes.
These are the people who are likely not to succeed.
I heard recently that more people spend time on planning their next holiday than they do thinking about their business. So, I ask them, “Would you go into a travel agent to book a holiday if you don’t know where you want to go?” Of course not! It sounds absurd doesn’t it.
The people most likely to succeed are those with a plan, a goal, and an absolute commitment to follow one to achieve the other, no matter what life throws in the way, nor what people around them say or do.
Commitment is what drove the likes of Michael Dell, the Ben & Jerry folk etc., onward to success. It is what drives top sportspeople to succeed; what made Paula Radcliffe overcome her demons, and all public opinion, to get back to the very top of her sport. These people are driven by their burning commitment to their goals.
Business is just the same. It is not about luck, good staff, good product or even divine intervention. It is about committing to goals and going for them.
Most people have heard the famous Thomas Edison quote about the light bulbs – “I didn’t fail 2,000 times, I just found 2,000 ways NOT to make a light bulb. All I need is to find one way to make it work.” Also, most people have heard about Winston Churchill’s speech to students consisting of just 7 words…..”never, never, never, NEVER, NEVER give up!” Who could say it better? The man who led us to Victory when all the odds seemed so stacked against us at the time.
These are examples of real commitment and as a business owner, you need to have the same.
Few businesses who know where they are going, who are passionate about their business, their customers, their staff and their suppliers, who are committed to achieving their goals no matter what….. will fail.
~Ray
Ray Stewart
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