Perseverance Is the Key
A client ranted at me yesterday. For a solid 25 minutes. I’d encouraged it, and just sat listening. Much of it was railing against the mundane things that need to be repeated over and over, without much evidence of any of it doing any good. Some of it was expression of the mind-gremlins the result from that kind of thinking. The pent-up frustration and even rage in places was a relief and a release for them. We sat in silence for about another 7 minutes, before he said, “I’m complete”.
At that point, having removed the emotional quagmire by letting it out, we set to work (gently) on figuring out just which bits needed attention from this point onward. For all the railing against the machine in his industry, the key is and always will be to do a three fold process:
- Decide if you still want to continue or pack it in.
- If you don’t, do a double check (is this working for me on my TERMS*)
- If you do, make a plan and persevere
At this time of year, in deep January, when things can see bleak, it’s worth having a rant, or at the very least a check in and evaluation. Falling back in love with the business isn’t necessary; determining what needs to be continued is. Because running your business is still a process driving thing, that has a passion under it. Several things just need persevering at to bring in the opportunities, sales and people that mean you can make your difference.
This client decided that continuing was non-negotiable. He and I are creating the strategic plan this week, which will help him know just what actions to persevere with that will get him to his goals, to make a difference and make the money that comes with it.
Whether you are in rant or in love, it’s really useful to understand what activities in your business that need to be continued, even though they feel like they are not doing anything visible.
So, what are yours? Take some time today to work out what you need to persevere with, what needs to be given more time, over time, before you write it off.