I recently had a coaching call with a man in his late 30’s who was looking to make a dramatic change in his business life. He didn’t want to just change jobs, but he wanted to create a business that works around his ideal lifestyle.
My sweet spot as a mentor.
When I asked him to tell me his “superpower” he replied: “I’m a hard worker. That’s my best skill and attribute. ”
When did working hard become a skill that sets someone apart from others striving to be successful? Did I miss a memo?
If working hard is your key selling point as to why you feel you should be successful, then you’ve got problems lurking around the corner.
Being able to work hard should be a bare minimum, something you just do as an entrepreneur, and not the way you separate yourself from the rest of the crowd.
I don’t know any successful business owner, athlete, or person in any walk of life that doesn’t work hard.
“But Doug, I work smart, not hard.”
Good for you! This is a great strategy provided your competition isn’t working at all or is mentally handicapped in some way.
Yes, you should work smart, but you should also work hard when launching your business. Working hard, and working smart, should be things you just do. They shouldn’t need to be talked about. This goes for your staff as well.
Clock in at 8:05 and clock out at 4:50…
… this won’t work for anyone looking for something other than average. This is the mindset of someone who is ok with being mediocre and if that’s you, that’s fine. Just stop reading now.
Did you know that Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, would walk around the gym and pick up the basketballs and put away people’s towels? It’s what champions do and to him, it wasn’t hard work.
What would life look like if your norm was doing those things that needed to get done rather than claiming it was hard work?
What would your business look like?
What would it look like if you were so passionate about what you were doing that working hard felt like simply doing those things that got you what you wanted out of life and not as much like work?
What if we stopped patting ourselves on the back for doing what needed to get done and instead, we celebrated doing the “and then some” moments?
What if, in reality, it was easy?
It is.
When I explained this to the man on the other end of the video, he broke down in tears. Not because he was sad, but because he was relieved.
He had carried around a story that wasn’t serving him. He had put himself in a box that wasn’t allowing him to get what he wanted out of life – he just didn’t know it.
What if, in reality, it was easy?
Here’s something you can do today:
Grab your journal, or a piece of paper, or open a doc, and answer this question: What would my life look like if it were easy? What would my business look like if it were easy?
Paint that picture clearly.
You’d pick up the phone and make those calls…
You’d wake up with more energy because the stress wouldn’t be there…
You’d give up that lame story of not knowing what to do…
You’d do those things in your business that move the needle first, not last…
What if it were easy?
It is.
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