It Takes Time.... #26
- Adrian Dionisio - business737 owner
- Jul 30, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 19, 2024
A quick word to any business owner who may be feeling tired, exhausted and frustrated. As a business coach I know many can feel disillusioned with their business. Don't believe the hype and the false narrative that is all over social media. IT TAKES TIME. I speak from my own personal experience, and my experience of working with countless other business owners.
Mastery of anything takes time. It's a long journey and many would say never ending. Every moment of life offers the opportunity to learn, experience and grow. Those who understand the necessity of constant effort, self testing and learning are the ones who often reach the stage where they are labelled, by others, as a master or expert.
These people will be the first to tell you, their confidence, self assurance and belief comes from experience. Their mastery is the result of constant and consistent practice through many days, weeks, months years. A whole lifetime.
Business owners
Owning your own business is in many ways a similar process of constant learning, experience and growth. Your business and the associated highs, lows, wins and losses mirror everyday life. The same principles apply. You learn and experience and get better. The more you apply yourself the better you will get. There are no shortcuts. Experience is the best teacher. Your business success will rarely succeed your level of personal development (read more).
Business Strategy 101
How is it possible to stay on track during this almost endless journey?
Four concepts are important for growth, both personal and business. This is applicable to all of us, without exception.
What is our goal and destination? Each of us must have a focused vision of what we want to be achieved. It should not be something as superficial as a number. Generate $1 million. That is lame. The more complex the vision the better. Paint a picture with your vison. Be intricate with the details and write it down because some form of commitment is needed. This is so crucial for each and every one of us. Obviously we need to know where we are going so we can develop a strategy how to get there.
Where are you at this very moment? Starting from now, and throughout your journey, self assessment and self reflections is very important. How can you get to your destination if you do not assess where you are right now? Assess the strengths you can enhance and the weaknesses you need to develop. Be honest and truthful with yourself. Only when you know where you are, and knowing where you want to get to, can you map out a route how to get there. It is so obvious, so simple, but how many people actually do this with their business and in their personal life.
The third concept is consistency. Consistency is key. It is the ultimate equaliser and is what separates the best from the rest. One step after the next, day after day, month after month and year after year is the only way to achieve long term goals. You have the goal and vison in mind but it seems so far away. All you can do is fight another day, put on foot ahead of the other and strive forward. These small, tiny steps seem insignificant. It is only after being consistent, over a long period of time, that they compound and prove how vital they really are.
Consistency is required in each and every area of business and life. Consistency in improvement, delivery , learning, practicing, training, developing. It is applicable to success in anything and everything. What is the use of exercising if it is not done regularly? Eating healthily and correct living has to be consistent and your norm. Consistency with respect to saving money and eliminating waste. Consistency in delivering and fulfilling what you promised your customer. Consistency in developing your business, consistency in studying your numbers and analysing them. Consistency in developing your staff, and recognising and rewarding them. Only with consistency do you improve. This is proved by the masters, the best, in each and every field of life. They are the best because they are the most experienced, and they are the most experienced because they are consistent. Consistencies in everything that brings value to you and your business (read more).
Finally is about correct investment. Invest into things that help you reach your gaols and get you to where you wan to be. It is extremely important to invest correctly. Investment with respect to things that will make your tomorrow better, that is going to help you on your journey. Not to get lured in to bullshit by making emotional and impulsive choices. Not to get seduced by quick fixes and short cuts but to make informed and calculated choices that will benefit you on your journey. This is so important. To grow your business you must invest in the business. Not only invest, but invest wisely. Not in logos or social media, but in knowledge that will last you a lifetime.
Martial arts is a great way to learn important life lessons. It's one of the best and most applicable was to learn about mastery and fulfilling goals. It is also a great hobby, with tremendous physical and mental benefits, for anyone of any age. It is especially advisable for children and teens to practice martial arts because of the countless life lessons provided. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is my personal recommendation however there are many other choices of discipline.
When you start your martial arts journey you immediately, from the first days, know about the end goal. The black belt. This is your aim, however it seems an impossible feat. It is so far away that the possibility exists only as a tiny figment in your imagination. Nevertheless from the very start you are clear, beyond doubt, on the end goal.
When you first start you are clueless. You know next to nothing. You are aware of your destination but you can hardly envisage how you will get there. This feeling lasts most of your journey and path to mastery. The more that you learn the more you realise you don't know. It is very humbling. The more skills you acquire the more you respect danger and become aware of the fine lines between success and defeat.
Consistency is key. All you know for sure is that the only way to get better is to train and practice. Today you have to train. The same thing tomorrow. You will always have many excuses not to train today, but training today will get you one step nearer. It's not much nearer but it is progress. The journey requires discipline, dedication and determination. The are so many obstacles and set backs. Life gets in the way. Injuries, other commitments unexpected occurrences. The easiest thing to do is to quit. It takes such a long time why bother? You always question and doubt yourself, and that is part of the process. This is the path. The journey.
Failure is part of the game in martial arts. You will have defeats. Defeats are how you sharpen your tools. It is how you get better. You solidify your defence and make your attack more potent and effective. You invest in what will make you better. How good do you really want to be? Well, this will determine how much you will invest in your own improvement. Study, diet, extra training, learning. Your decisions on how your will invest your time, money and energies will determine your rate of improvement and proficiency.
Once you reach the end goal you in many ways realise that this is only the beginning. However much you have learned there is always more. Along the journey you realise it is never ending, and it is up to you to account for where you are and where you want to get to. Things change, maybe your goals have shifted, they will adjust over time with experience. What will never change is that consistency and your decisions will guide where you are going.
Your business journey follows a similar path where the same principles are applicable. When you start out you lack the knowledge, insight and practical experience. It's hard work involving blood, sweat and tears. You have to be dedicated, committed and always learning and investing to improve. The end goal can often seem too far away and many times you feel like throwing in the towel and packing it all in. Many times your feel overwhelmed because there are only so many blows you can withstand. But you keep going. You learn from mistakes and experience. You embrace the journey and keep going because you love what you do. You motivation and dedication defeats that negative voice inside and you keep striving. Mastery is about consistency though the long plateaus. The not so frequent peaks will fill you with positivity and during the troughs you fight the inner battle. If it is a fight worth fighting, and only you will decide that, you will be victorious.
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