Successfully running your own business is kind of like running a marathon – both require planning, patience, a peer group and pain. If you can understand and work with these 4 P’s, you are on the way to achieving success in both.
1. Planning
As marathon runners, we understand the importance of planning – having a training plan and sticking to it!
The best runners don’t just wake up one day, decide to get off the couch and run their first marathon. They decide that running a marathon is something they’d like to do. They pick a date that’s a few months away. They choose a race and implement a training plan.
Similarly, when setting out to launch a new business, most successful entrepreneurs don’t wake up one day and start their business the next. Many start with a concept, begin scrutinizing it and then develop a clear and detailed business plan to give themselves the best chances of success. Developing the right structure and the right support can make the difference between success and failure, and that takes time. But also like deciding to run a marathon, you don’t want to take too much time in the planning stage because it’s easy to get stuck there and put off taking the plunge.
2. Patience
I remember the first time I attempted to run 5 kilometers, I pushed myself too fast, too soon and was out of breath and stopped after 2 km! I kept running and stopping to walk. I was discouraged and felt it almost impossible that I would ever run a marathon but I kept going out for a daily run. Now I run 10-15 km every morning, barely raising a sweat.
What I didn’t understand when I first started was that, like all good things in life, skills take time to develop and at first small steps are required to achieve any goal. Similarly, building a business from the ground up requires many small steps that can take time. So be patient and have confidence in your hard work.
3. Peer Group
In order to become great at marathon running, entrepreneurship or really anything, you need to surround yourself with people who have been there before. You need to be able to have enough humility to take advice from those who have done it.
Running is an individual sport for which many train alone. However, without fellow runners by my side, it can sometimes be difficult to get up early on those weekend mornings, stay motivated or run that extra mile.
The same holds true for building a business. Collaborating with a group of like-minded people can give you valuable input, as well as access to ideas and methods you may not have known or considered. Especially when running with those who may be “fitter” and more “athletic” than you when it comes to business.
Start networking, get a peer group and meet other founders and business owners. Learn from them and take their feedback.
4. Persevere through the pain
There is a saying that marathon running is 90 percent mental and the rest is physical. When running a marathon we are all warned of the 20 mile wall. Parts of our bodies start to burn and signals from our body tell us to stop running.
As an entrepreneur you will often face such walls. You can experience a number of ups and downs in a very short time period. It takes a great deal of mental strength to stay positive while going through the downs; but, the successful entrepreneur will find a way to push through these walls.
In business as in running, it’s not about how many races you win, it’s about accomplishing something you’ve worked so hard for.
No comments:
Post a Comment