Doing The Work Every Day

There’s a part of us that craves relief. We want to take our foot off the gas pedal and find comfort. It’s the primitive part of us that seeks security and ease.

It’s a slippery slope. I can recall when growing my business years ago how the days could be ambiguous. Deciding what was important and what to do can be overwhelming. On the one hand, there is excitement around having a white sheet of paper. On the other hand, there is a daunting feeling. Noone is telling me what had to be done. I had to decide. It’s the core part of what it means to be an owner.

Doing the work which will push your business forward needs to have a few disciplines, habits and mindsets in order to avoid being derailed:

• Disciplines. You have to make a decision of what you are committed to on a daily basis. Days turn into weeks. Weeks into months and months into years. The daily work you do builds what you see in the year. Decide before you start on what is important. Write them down. When you don’t know what to do, focus on these things.
• Habits. We truly are creatures of habit. Train yourself to start the important work first. The world will have plenty of urgencies, temptations and distractions to pull you in other directions. You can give yourself permission to be pulled, but first do the hard work and the important work. For me, it is writing and relationship building. For you, it might be something entirely different. Get concrete about it and bend your habit to this.
• Mindsets. We are in a different era and time. We all have to think like owners. Noone is looking out for you. Embrace the owner mindset. This means realizing there are problems every day. Don’t pass the buck. Be known for solving problems and kick your fear in the face. It’s the trademark of leadership. If you lead well, people will want to follow.

These are some frameworks I have found that are foundational. Find your groove and don’t compromise. The world is waiting for your work to make a difference. Persistence and daily commitment pay off. At some point you cannot help but do the work every day. It becomes who you are.

Where are your challenges today for doing the work that matters consistently?