EVOLUTION, RESOLUTION, OR REVOLUTION?
How will you lead your business in
Successful business leaders understand the value and importance of setting specific goals and then charting the best course possible to move towards them. In essence, true leaders take responsibility for both the path and the destination for their business. There are three distinct and different paths that we can choose from as we move into 2019.
As you’ll see below there is no wrong path. The key is to be clear as to which path you are on and make sure that it will lead you to your intended destination or goal.
Will you lead your business down the Evolution, Resolution, or Revolution path? Here’s a short description of each and why you need to be conscious of which one you are choosing as your path for 2017:
The Evolution Path
First up is “evolution” and it tends to be the “fall back” position most of us take regardless of what our true intentions are for ourselves and our businesses moving forward.
From a business perspective choosing “evolution” (my own definition here) simply means allowing what will happen in your business to happen, naturally and on its own.
Think of it as deciding to take each day one at a time and just let your business chart its own course forward.
You may even hear friends or business associates say “we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing and see what “evolves” over time.
Choosing “evolution” as a course of action for the year is a pretty safe choice. It doesn’t require a lot of new planning, actions, or risk-taking. It’s sort of like saying “whatever will be, will be and I’ll deal with things as they come”.
“Evolution” tends to be the “fall back” position for most business people. It’s not typically a decision we make consciously – heck, most of us start the year with a plan or a mindset that we’re going to at least do a few things differently than the year before or make this “the year” that we really focus and do some of the things that we promised ourselves that we would get done.
But, it’s easy to let the best-laid plans fall to the wayside as reality sets in and the typical day-to-day issues and challenges we face in our businesses relentlessly push us back until ultimately we just conclude that “it is what is”.
Then, we allow “evolution” to take over as the driving (or debilitating) force behind our business – that’s what I mean by evolution becoming the “fall back” position.
It’s not so much that we set out to let our business dictate our activities and our lifestyle – it just sort of happens. The outcome of this “evolution” thing is that we end up in about the same place we were in the year before.
Choosing an “evolution” path (consciously or not) for our business tends to turn into a “lather, rinse, repeat” cycle and is a big reason most businesses (emphasis on “most”) wind up generating average at best results or in many cases just cease to exist.
The Resolution Path
But, hey – it’s a new year and there is a second choice and you already know what it is. In fact, there’s a good chance that you have already decided to choose “resolution” as your path for growing your business in the New Year.
Have you already made a “resolution” to do something different in your business this year? Maybe, you have even made a few new “resolutions” or decisions that you intend to follow through on this year “for sure!” I know I have…
There is nothing wrong with making “resolutions” to accomplish certain things or reach certain goals for the year. The key is making your resolution or resolution(s) very specific, time-sensitive (deadlines rule) and move forward with determination to not allow anything (or anyone…) to stop you from keeping the resolution(s) you made…but it’s hard work to stay focused when other people (employees, friends, family members, customers, clients, business associates) distract you from your “resolutions” with their own set of issues, opinions, challenges, and opportunities.
When it comes to making and keeping business “resolutions” the “one thing done is better than five things undone” mindset becomes really important.
It’s too easy to start the year with a set of “resolutions” and then wind up endlessly spinning plates in the air all year long and finding ourselves right back where we started at the beginning of the year.
That’s why in so many cases, even if we had great intentions and were resolute in our decisions we still end up in that “evolution” mindset whether that was our original choice or not – it just sort of happens…
If you do make some business resolutions for the New Year be sure to write them down, build some simple action plans (write them down too), and then erect a “Teflon” shield around yourself and your resolutions to stop anyone or anything from causing you to break them. In other words, be “resolute” on your resolutions.
Making and keeping just one or two of your business resolutions can be the difference between having a mediocre year and a really good year. But, there’s always a “but”…making and keeping a few resolutions will not (in most cases) lead to a “breakout” or “breakthrough” year for you.
To engineer a truly amazing and “earth-shattering” year for yourself, it takes more…and the final “mindset” choice is not for the faint of heart or those people that prefer to stay in their comfort zone and settle for little business growth or even incremental business growth.
The third choice (and it is a choice that anyone can make) is…
The Revolution Path
…and it’s a big decision followed by relentless and unwavering action, some risk-taking, and complete clarity and focus on the “end game” or goal. Choosing “revolution” will likely scare some of the folks around you, cause some people to “keep their distance” and others to potentially ridicule you, talk behind your back or even try to “sabotage” your efforts…sound like fun so far?
Most of us are familiar with the Beatles song – Revolution…
“You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s the evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know you can count me out”
Choosing to create a “revolution” in your business is a big decision. You really must want and need to “change your world”.
Creating a revolution only takes place when the goal or outcome is so compelling, clear, and attractive that we’ll allow nothing to get in the way of continuously doing the things that move us closer and closer to the “victory”…and the definition of our business victory has to be rock solid and defined with complete specificity – we must be able to visualize with perfect clarity in our mind exactly what it looks like.
Creating a “revolution” requires total determination, unwavering commitment, and focus, hard and consistent effort and work, persistent learning, relentless action taking, and yes, it even requires some destruction.
The destruction part is where most of us decide to “count me out”.
You see when it comes to destroying old mindsets, work habits, and industry norms we have to “burn the sails” and remove any options to “go back” to our old comfort zone that has been a safe haven for so long.
To create a “revolution” we have to surround ourselves with like-minded people that are on a similar path. We have to become leaders instead of followers and proclaim our “independence” from the status quo.
Finally, once you decide to create a revolution in your business and “change your world” you’ll be subject to an unending stream of reasons, objections, and excuses as to why you can’t or won’t reach or achieve your stated goal…some of these distractions will come from the “outside” but the really dangerous ones will come from inside of yourself.
Thought processes and mindsets including but hardly limited to self-doubt, lack of will and fear of failure will rear their ugly heads regularly.
Retreating to previous habits of procrastination, incessant planning with no action, lack of follow-up, low-risk tolerance, allowing distractions, and settling for mediocrity will persistently appear to be attractive positions due to their familiarity and level of comfort.
But, if you are determined to create a revolution in your business the rewards can be measured in huge sales increases, doubling, tripling, or more of your profits, complete control of your business, your income, and your lifestyle, and most importantly the freedom to live your life on your own terms and the ability to create your personal version of your future… not someone else’s version of how you should run your business or live your life.
