I must confess something. It’s rare that I get annoyed at anything but I am really tired of reading adverts and books on how to get rich quick or how to work less and earn more. I am also tired of the mantra ‘work smarter, not harder’.
We are all working smart these days but there are not enough of us working hard. I believe that is what’s wrong with Western World economies. We do not lack intelligence. We lack a strong work ethic. We constantly focus on making money quickly.
I want to share with you THREE pieces of advice that I give to my business-coaching clients:
1. Build your business brick by brick, day-by-day. There is no easier way.
2. Stick to what you know best. Do NOT diversify into areas of no competence. And do not invest your money on the stock market. Re-invest it into your own business where you have control. That’s where you will make the most money. I knew a guy who was one of the top mortgage brokers in Sydney. He made a lot of money. Instead of opening more offices and hiring more staff and expanding he invested in a café. He lost $400,000 and even worse took his eye off his business. He lost it all and had to rebuild.
3. Stay focused on the micro. Ignore what is happening with the macro-economic picture. You cannot control that. Focus on what you can control. And don’t watch the business news. It is full of bad news and paralyses you into inaction. (nobody ever reports the good news) There are a lot of businesses that are quietly making a lot of money because they have a great brand, a great product, and they stay focused on adding value to their customers. Look at apple!
Anyway, that’s my rant for the week. Hope you wok harder, stay focused and run your own race. Oh and don’t forget to work just as hard on your health and family life 😉
Sam.