Episode 33 Are you too busy to be successful?
Rejection is part of every entrepreneur’s life. The proposal that is not accepted, the call that is not returned, the blog does not instantly go viral, the client who terminates a contract. But if you believe social media, stories in the press, courses that offer instant income, you could feel that everyone else has the secret to success figured out and only you are struggling to gain traction.
Maybe you tell yourself that you need to work harder, put in longer hours, expand your social media presence, start podcasting, writing a blog. These take time, as it is likely you are hustling as hard and as fast as you possibly can. You do not have time to breathe let alone think. Even though you know it's not right you focus on execution and the short term.
What can you do about it? Dorie Clark suggests you adopt strategic patience. Strategic patience is the ability to do the work without any guarantee of success, to toil without accolades, or recognition. To accept that things will take longer than you expect. It is writing that blog when no one reads it, to test your ideas and eventually develop a following. You will not be able to see progress on a weekly, monthly, or maybe even on a yearly basis. Big goals are not achievable in the short term. But most things can be achieved in the long term and your efforts will not be incremental, eventually they will be exponential.
The first step is clear the decks and create White Space for yourself.
Ask yourself
Why am I doing this task at all? Can someone else do it? Or should it be done at all?Where should I focus my effort to get the greatest return?If I was starting fresh today, would I choose to continue to invest my time in this project?David Allen, author of the well-recognized productivity guide, “Getting Things Done” says “You do not need time to have a good idea, you need space. And you cannot think appropriately if you do not have space in your head”
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