By Chuck Sink
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| Former Superstar |
I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that bad things are never really as bad as you first think they are. The bad news is they are never as good as you first think either.
It’s amazing how something that causes elation one day generates a mere shrug the next. Conversely, there are silver linings in every cloud. Following a tragic event, the best in people is called out and the healing often restores us to better than we were before.
In business, a few days can make all the difference in the forecast, whether we see storm clouds or bright skies on the horizon. Dynamic forces never cease to affect the marketplace so we must constantly keep moving with those forces. If you ever perceive that your company has reached the pinnacle or that you’re riding a never ending success wave, beware! That’s probably the time to redouble your efforts at business development and marketing because all booms have a lifespan. Fortunately so do all busts.
Keep reading. This gets really good!
Business volume tends to come in waves and waves eventually recede. While you’re at the top of the wave, it often seems like business will keep pouring in. It feels like everything is humming and will just stay that way. You may consider investing and expanding the business when you’re in a growth spurt. You might even start looking at boats and vacation homes. Again, be extremely cautious in your forecasting.
Look at long term trends and study the valleys along with the peaks. You need to be realistic in your future expectations. Optimism? Sure, go for it, but be a real optimist. Pie in the sky is not the kind you can eat!
Are you really successful right now? Don’t even pretend to be cocky about it. The
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| Rising Star (for now) |
slightest scent of hubris will corrode and weaken the foundations of your success. Hubris is the false pride that comes from a lack of gratitude. It is loud and ugly in the ears and eyes of others.
The experienced business person understands the inevitability of change; that to continue being successful, you must constantly push forward and work hard. And guess what? There will be times when you fall in spite of your best effort. You’ll be defeated by stronger competitors or won’t have seen something coming that knocks you out of the business. The good news here is that defeat is temporary, just as is being king of the mountain.
Stay vigilant on the battlefield of the marketplace. Work hard and keep new business development a high priority – at all times!
To tie this article up in a nice pithy bow, I’ll leave you with some gems from the late great Jim Rohn. He calls these quotes “Vitamins for the Mind.”
- You must learn to translate wisdom and strong feelings into labor.
- The miracle of the seed and the soil is not available by affirmation; it is only available by labor.
- Make rest a necessity, not an objective. Only rest long enough to gather strength.
- Without constant activity, the threats of life will soon overwhelm the values.
- The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch.
- For every promise, there is a price to pay.
Thanks Jim!
