You’re an entrepreneur like me so I’m guessing you have tried somethings that didn’t work? Well, maybe it’s just me but when things work, they really, really work and when they don’t, they really, really don’t work! This means that when I fail I usually do it in some kind of spectacular fashion.
I have had at least two major failing times in my life.
- The first was in 2007 when I had 26 different real estate properties and I essentially lost them all, had to sell everything, put what I had left in storage and camp out for the summer. (My kids remember this as the best time ever! lol)
- The second time was even worse when it was my marriage of almost 20 years came to an end in 2016. This first failure was more of a financial failure due to the unforeseen events of the real estate world and economy in general. The second was a combination of personal failures that I could have and should have prevented. It was the most disappointing, discouraging, and depressing time in my life.
So…my spirit animal is the Phoenix.
Can you relate? Have you felt like the Phoenix rising from the ashes? Have you felt on fire again for all the right reasons and in all the right ways? Maybe you have burned to the ground and are looking to rise again? Nobody can really help you until you want it but I’m here for you if need it.
I find that in trying times, filled with tough troubles, getting back to the basics is what’s best. Ask yourself these three questions that are both personal and professional.
- What am I really GOOD at? Maybe ask a friend, business associate or even family member. Think about the compliments that people have given you over the years.
- What do I really LOVE doing? Maybe feel out in your heart of hearts what brings you the most joy, happiness and pleasure doing. Think about the times that you lost track of time, forgot to eat and were even willing to sleep less because you loved what you were doing so much.
- What will people PAY me the most for? Maybe think about the marketplace, how people are being compensated and what seems the most in demand. Think about what things you do that might have the highest perception of value that can lead to money.
It’s where these 3 things all overlap that you will find the fulfilling success. Sometimes you can’t afford how much you love something and sometimes you need to get good at something new. Even still, sometimes you find that you can afford to make less and enjoy life more all the same.
Sometimes getting back to basics means you should stay in the same industry with the same business but start thinking about some simple ideas like…
- Can I change who I focus on enrolling? Maybe you need to sell similar products and services but to a different group of people.
- Can I change how I enroll new customers and clients? Maybe you need to market your message in a different way and through different “outlets”.
- Can I change where I focus on enrolling people? Maybe you need to get more people on the phone or maybe you need to get them on a video call. Maybe you need to get better at social media, how you talk about your business, or working online events.
- How are other people like me in and out of my industry finding success? Maybe you want to mirror the super successful for a working business model.
There is a lot that goes into rebooting with the basics. Even engaging in the simple can be hard work and time consuming. Still, it’s worth doing!
Just remember that once you have a plan for plowing ahead it’s going to take consistently doing the right things day in and day out for a long period of time in order to see more predictable profits. It’s more likely to take weeks and months then hours and days.
Focus on something you can sell today. Figure out what you can offer, how you can make that offer special and irresistible. Then see how many people you can talk to right away to test your pricing and program for your product or service. Collapse times frames and get information fast. Force yourself to act today even if it means failure. The faster you find out what doesn’t work the faster you can find what does!