This too Shall Pass but….
Cover of Anthony Robbins
While this too shall pass, its what happens after it passes that matters.
As a Baby Boomer, one thing I see in life, fashion and business is that things change but in changing they often come back to what used to be. To me that means that while technology advances and there are new ways of doing things, people really still want and need the same things that we have needed since we were first created.
Anthony Robbins in Personal Power II introduces these basic needs that every person has in their life. These are:
- We want certainty/ comfort – freedom from pain while enjoying pleasure, security and survival
- But we also want uncertainty/variety – the sense of surprise, diversity, difference, challenge and most importantly excitement
- We need to be significant. We want to be unique and special.
- But we also need connection and love. This includes personal connection as well as with others.
- We all want to grow because we all know that there are only two states in nature – green and growing or rip and rotten.
- We all want to contribute. We know that when we give we experience joy and fulfilment.
What does this mean in starting a business?
It means that no matter what our age or station in life, we all want to make a difference without being ridiculed or bullied.
We want to keep growing and experiencing things but we want to give back.
And we all want to be all that we can be.
And that means that opportunity abounds for business owners who have learned the balance of these six needs.
It means that the experience of dealing with different people is valuable.
It means that tomorrow is another day and today is for enjoying and being fulfilled because it too will pass.
What would you do today if you knew absolutely that you could not fail?
Please share your activity in the comments box below.
To your growth
Overcome FEAR First
From the Motivation and emotion/Tutorials/Emotion#Emotion Q-sort activity (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
FEAR has many ways of being interpreted.
Fear can be an emotion that paralyzes or an emotion that propels you forward.
False Expectations Appearing Real or
Facing Emotions, Acting Regardless
Many people will tell you that the reason why they fail to start a business, leave a job, take a chance is FEAR.
But what are we really afraid of?
We are afraid of other people’s opinions of us if we fail
We are afraid that we will lose what we have but is what we have really what we want?
We are afraid that we will look foolish
We are afraid to commit the time and energy because if what we want fails to work out then we have lost the time.
We are afraid that we will miss out on another opportunity because we are busy working on the current opportunity.
How do you overcome FEAR
Recognize that it is ALL in your head. Today is the only time you have and the only opportunity that exists is this one. And if you put in the effort, you might just gain instead of lose.
Also recognize that what you believe to be true always is true.
If you think or worry that you will look foolish then you will.
If you think you will fail, then you will.
If you think that it will take too much time and you are time poor, then you will always find yourself time poor.
James Allen once wrote a book called “As a man thinketh“. Some people consider this the start of your personal development journey. And personal development is the ONLY way to overcome fear.
In the comment section tell me what you fear. And if you know how to overcome fear, then share your greatest tip.
To your overcoming fear
7 Keys to Monetize your Business Idea
Taking a business idea and monetizing it is the number one challenge for most business people.
Coming up with the ideas is easy but making money from the idea is the real challenge.
Here are 7 keys you need to answer.
- Who are the end users?
- What does meeting the need look like?
- When do they need it?
- Where do they use it?
- Why do they need it?
- How will they use it?
- What is it worth to them?
Once you have the answer to these questions you will be able to take your ideas and make money from them.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Steve Jobs and the iphone. He knew who the end users were. He understood what meeting their need looked like and he created the when and where. As for the why – well when you can rig a demonstration to convince people that without the product they will miss out on something, then getting them to buy is easy but he still kept the price at a reasonable level.
Lets look at V or any of the energy drinks. They went through the same process. Who wanted them – think of all those people who just want to go from work to play to work again. Then follow the trail.
Look at fashion related items and you see the similar pattern.
If you want to introduce your idea to the market and truly earn money, you need to work through these steps PLUS you need just a smidgeon of luck (labor under correct know-how) to reach the market in the right time given your promotional budget.
In the comments please let me know if you would be interested in a webinar series to learn more about this concept.
To Your future success
What are you willing to do to change your life?
Kathleen Gage asked me “What are you willing to do to change your life” on a webinar the other night.
And it made me realize that change is one of the greatest challenges many baby boomers seem to face.
CHANGE is tiresome!
Over the last 30 to 40 years we have seen so many changes. The internet, the rise in terrorism, global warming, overcrowding, lower standards, increased rudeness, bullying, abuse and so on.
For many baby boomers, there has been great loss – family, friends, financial and emotional. Our expectations of life and retirement just seem unrealistic.
How the World will Change – with Global Warming (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
But let’s put aside the depression and the whining and realize that the world keeps changing and we need to change to keep pace. And it’s not just us, our children and their children need to change too.
Since you are reading this, you have gotten online. But how are you improving your technology skills? What else are you doing online?
To change your life here are a few suggestions of areas where you can consider making those changes
- Where are you living? The family home is lovely but if your children have left home, is it you or them that need the family home? Moving is a great change.
- Do you still have boxes of memories? Depending on where you live, you need to check them. Paper rots over time unless properly stored. Some clothing can rot or go moldy too. Oh and what was in fashion years ago has come back into fashion and gone out again so why are you holding on to it? Recycle as much as possible or after you are gone, your children might curse you for the junk they need to clean up. Write your memoirs to keep your memories alive. Your children may appreciate that even more.
- What do you do with your days? Are you keeping fit and healthy? One of the greatest concerns world wide is that baby boomers will be a drain on the medical system (which is already under strain) because they are not healthy. It is never too late to get fit, eat right and dump all the emotional baggage and hurt that you feel.
- How do you spend your days? If you love what you are doing, then keep doing it but if you drag yourself out of bed and dread each day, then look for ways to feel well, passionate and joyful. What are you looking forward to?
How to Commit
In business, in life, in marriage and in relationships the key to success is COMMITMENT!
But what do you commit to when you go into business? And more importantly how do you
commit in a way that moves you forward instead of backwards.
What commitment does business require?
The first commitment is TIME.
- Time to do the research.
- Time to make contacts
- Time to develop product, service and offerings including brochures, web page, social presence, press releases and all the other marketing collateral that potential clients need to think about in using you.
- Time to meet potential clients and build a relationship to convert them into clients
- Time for the market to find you, trust you and buy from you repeatedly or at least refer others to you.
The second is MONEY
- Money to invest in your living expenses until the business earns money
- Money to invest in promotion
Wealth Generating businesses
- Money for mentors, support people and information
- Money to learn more about what you are doing
- Money to network
- Business is about people and people buy from people and that means relationships
- You need to commit to building relationships with potential clients, suppliers and supporters
- Your family and colleagues want to know that you are committed to them so that they continue to support you and your ideas
Roberta Budvietas, Mentor for start up businesses
