When you look at your business, do you know what action you need to take to reach your goal?
To me, it’s the missing piece of so much of what we do. Taking action is at the core of making a difference in your business. I know that sounds pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised at the seemingly insignificant things people let slip through the cracks that are actually quite integral in building a solid foundation for success.
When I first came up with a tagline for my business, it was “Be In Charge, Get Results.” I truly believed that people need to be in charge of their business in order to get results, but when I started working with people it became clear to me that the big difference was in the actions people took.
So, I put together some key takeaways from what I’ve seen through the years as an entrepreneur and what I have found to be the “secret” to success. This is what helped me double my income year over year and how I’ve taken two businesses to over six figures in just over a year.
Action One
Do not confuse being busy with taking action. But, what action? That’s the first question people ask me. What action should I be taking? This is how you can figure that out.
One of the things that helps the most, especially when you are growing a new business or trying to get past a plateau, is to make a list of every single thing you do in your business. It can be anything from networking, confirming appointments, answering emails, posting on social media, etc.
Then, circle the things that make you money. That directly make you money, not things that are six steps away from making you money. Things that directly make you money usually have to do with keeping your sales pipeline filled; it’s you attempting to solve a potential client’s problems. If you want to be more profitable, prioritize and do more of the things you circled.
I know that sounds simple, but it’s a really eye-opening exercise that shows how much time you spend on things that aren’t leading you to grow your business.
Action Two
What got you here, won’t get you there. So, the question is, are you getting yourself ready to go out there and do the thing, or are you already out there doing the thing? And, is that thing something that will move your business forward to where you want to be?
When I have to make decisions about what action to take I look at it, not from where I’m at today, but what would a person who has already achieved what I want would do. I’ve already gotten myself to where I am now, I’ve taken that action. For example, I’ve done this around taking action to hire people. The owner of a million dollar business would just go make the hire – so I go do it! It’s possible they could hire a full-time person I can’t yet afford – but I can hire a part time person now to help propel me forward! It’s important to remember, if you want to reach your goals, you must take different actions to get there. Not the actions that got you here.
If you want to make a million dollars, what action would the CEO of a million dollar business take?
You might not be able to make the million dollar investment decision, but bring it back to where you are. What is your version of it? How close can you come to taking the optimal action? Then, do that.
Action Three
Accountability. We let ourselves off the hook entirely too often. It doesn’t feel like we are because we’re simultaneously beating ourselves up in our heads and being judgemental, but at the end of the day, we still let ourselves off using a multitude of excuses. We give ourselves legitimate reasons why we didn’t take the actions we said we desperately needed to take. We’re too close to our own stories to be able to see when we are lying to ourselves.
There are many entrepreneurs who have “accountability buddies” to help keep each other on track. This works only until they become friends unless they are both high achievers. Once you become close, you are more likely to let each other off the hook if you aren’t careful.
These are the reasons why I join programs, which I pay to be in, in order to be accountable for taking the right action. Part of what I look for in those groups, is that in the overall success of the group, I want to be somewhere in the middle. I don’t want to be at the top. I want to be in a group where I can be pulled forward by the people ahead of me, and help the people behind me. A simultaneous give and get.
Have a coach that you are a little bit intimidated by, so that you would never think to show up not having done the thing you said you were going to do. Like, how you are more likely to do better at the gym if you have a crush on your personal trainer. This is what will pull your business forward. If you need an accountability coach, I’m here for you.
Action Four
Measure everything you do and the results you get. I want you to trust your gut, but your feelings will lie to you. What gets measured, gets managed. It tells the universe that you are serious about what you want to do. This helps you overcome your fear.
I know that sounds weird, but too many times we’ve looked at what we’ve done and label them as a success or failure. If you just take your action just with the intention of getting feedback, you aren’t as overwhelmed with what the outcome might be. If you’re just looking for feedback, it isn’t as scary and helps you make the decision for the next step.
Remember, you don’t need to take all actions at once. If you just pick two actions and go deep with them, it’ll change your business. Prioritize your actions based on your natural skill set, your assets on hand, and your desired growth. Get good at that action and then add the next one. You will grow further faster doing it that way, than by trying to do everything at once.
So you see, it’s not that scary. Identify what makes you money, figure out the right method to reach that goal, keep yourself accountable for taking action, measure every little detail, and choose only a few actions that you are most confident in. That’s the secret to conquering your business!
