I have been teaching my son to drive recently. If you remember back when you were learning, you may recall that it’s hard to watch the road and look around at anything else at the same time.
If you look at something to the right of the road, your steering wheel turns in that direction. If you look at an oncoming car, your steering wheel turns in that direction. My driving instructor told me that’s normal, that whatever you look at you will drive towards. That’s true. And she also said that with practice that you get used to separating the action of looking and moving. And you do.
The same can be said for your business.
When you first get started, you get pulled in many directions. It can be very difficult to figure out where to look with so much going on around you.
But the truth is, running your business is very much like driving a car.
You need to focus on the one path that you are driving on, while managing the distractions around you, so they don’t disrupt your path.
You need to plan your path to get your from point A to point B.
And then you need to watch for and manage the distractions along the way to keep you moving forward.
Sometimes there is a tiny distraction, like someone walking alongside the road.
Sometimes there is a huge distraction, like a detour or an accident.
But they are all manageable. Perhaps you just need to acknowledge some of the distractions and move along. Perhaps you need to swerve to get out of the way, but you still continue moving forward.
And what about a traffic jam? When anything slows you down, you should be looking for that alternate route that can move you closer to your point B.
There are a lot of ways that your business is like your life. Stopping to make a comparison that helps to explain things can really be a good way to put perspective in to what seems like a long road or an impossible problem.
Learning to do anything takes time and practice, and your business is no exception.
None of us come into business knowing everything, and yet so many people think we should know it all.
Worse, some people don’t realize that getting training to learn how to run a business properly and profitably is necessary. Imagine never having taken a driving lesson! Figuring things out as you go along can only get you so far.
It is so much easier to invest in a bit of training so that you know WHY you are doing certain things, and so that you can learn techniques and tools to lead you to success more quickly.
Learn from someone who can teach you the important parts, and then, just like driving – once you learn it you are on your own. There are so many moving parts in your business, and learning to use them all properly is essential to your success.
And I don’t know about you, but I love the idea of getting in the car, and deciding where I want to go, and when. I’m independent, and I don’t need anyone else to tell me which way to go.
And that’s why I love running my own business too. I make my own decisions, I plot my own path. And I manage my own distractions. And I love it!
So let’s recap:
- Plan your path
- Manage distractions and detours
- Learn from an expert
- Get in your car and go!
Remember that you are your own boss, but you still need to learn how to do it. Don’t shortchange yourself by thinking you can learn it as you go. By doing so, you will slow down your path to success. Learn it, and get moving in the right direction, with the right tools, right now!
Get the skills you need and then off you go! Start here …. I’ll see you on the road!