Every day I see posts on the 8 things you must have to be successful, the 5 books you MUST read, the 3 keys to successful marketing, or 10 ways to make money online. Not that there is anything wrong with these…because, as you know, I have written a couple myself. But I wanted to do something new, and give you my list of things you DO NOT need. I’ve learned a few things thus far in my entrepreneurial journey, and one of the biggest is that you need to focus and avoid distractions. Here are the 3 most common distractions that keep people from starting, maintaining, or growing their business.
1. TV - When was the last time you were watching LOST and that one piece of the puzzle fell into place and you knew just what you have to do? I’ll tell you when, Never. But when was the last time 24 came on and you decided to watch it and forfeit an hour of productive time? It’s okay, we all do it from time to time. But…What if you cut your cable off? WHOA! you’re gettin’ a little bit crazy, Graham! But think of it this way…take the 6-10 hours a week you spend in front of the tube and put that into your business. Then, take the $80 a month you save and invest it in some sort of personal development program (books, cds, seminars, webinars). Give it a try, and you’ll be amazed at how things change.
2. Sleep - Now, come on. You can’t think sleep is a commodity to give up? Maybe not for the faint of heart, but the world was won by tired men! You’d be surprised how little sleep you can survive on, and that you actually grow accustomed to it. Plus, you won’t die from sleep deprivation…you’ll pass out first. So do what you need to do; Work your 9-5 if you have to so you can fund your business and still eat while building it.
3. Family - Yes, Family is something you have to make a priority, but that is if you have a wife and kids. Here, I’m talking about brothers, sisters, parents and in-laws. They can very easily be a distraction. “Well, you really should finish college so you can get a better job(with a soft “j”).” But I don’t want a job (with a soft “j”). They may tell you that your life is out of balance, but if I have learned one thing about balance it is that you don’t take advice on it from people living without purpose! If they are always tearing down your dreams, you don’t have to spend time with them anymore…anyway, 10 years from now you’ll be “the rich uncle.”
There are, or course, more things than this that can potentially distract you when you are trying to build a business, but these three are the biggies. The name of the game here is focus and delayed gratification. If you can stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish and delay the little things like sleep and TV, you’ll be well on your way to being a successful entrepreneur! Thanks!
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