Recently I posed a question to my Facebook group, Local, Social Good asking, “What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?” The answers were too good to keep to our group so I thought I’d expound on them a little and share the advice.
“Start with what you know.”
Sounds simple enough. I mean what else would you start with? But, if you tend to be an over thinker you could potentially fall into paralysis by analysis thinking about all the unknowns and stop before you ever get started.
“Just because I’m good at it doesn’t mean I have to do it.”
This is the plight of so many local businesses I consult with. Yes, I understand there is a time when you first start out that you may be doing everything. But there should be a plan in place to begin to hire or outsource the things you shouldn’t be doing so you can focus on what you are best at, not just good at.
“Just start doing it (whatever it is).”
An ancient proverb says, “If you wait for perfect conditions you’ll never get anything done.” Jump in. Start working on that idea and pretty soon you’ll find that momentum.
“Vision without implementation is only a hallucination.”
This one conjures up the old term “pipe dream”. I looked up the origin and it’s very fitting. Phrases.org says, “The phrase ‘pipe dream’ is an allusion to the dreams experienced by smokers of opium pipes.” You can have a brilliant mind and an amazing vision but without the grit to implement, it truly is just a hallucination.
“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.”
Isn’t that the truth! Some people seem to just be wired that way. Stay away as much as you can. But what if it’s a boss or a family member, someone that you can’t stay away from? Here is an opportunity to develop a thick skin and intentionally not allow yourself to receive their problems. Stay on your own track.
“If you fall down, get back up and try again!”
Learn from toddlers. It never even crosses their minds to not keeping trying to walk.
“Will this matter in five years? If it won’t, don’t worry about it.”
That is a good filter. Memorize it. Next time you find yourself losing sleep replaying something over and over again, interrupt those thoughts with this simple question. And get some sleep.
“My business, my rules.”
That is for sure one of the perks of being an entrepreneur. We have all worked for people or places that had some really silly or dysfunctional ways of doing things. The entrepreneurial has a knack for cutting through that.
“Pay attention to how people act, not what they say.”
How much drama could be avoided in relationships if we held fast to this one?
Just in time for those summer vacations- our last pearl of wisdom, “When traveling never pass up an opportunity to use the loo.”
Indeed.
