Talking to clients and living out my own existence has helped me tune in to how reality works over the years. My suspicion is that many people walk around with a paradigm in their minds about success that is linear in nature, whether they articulate this or not. Work, work, work and your effort eventually translates into a proportional response from the universe.
When I listen to the stories of successful entrepreneurs in addition to my own experiences, work and effort are typically flatlined in their returns for a long while. This is unless they are well-placed in a bubbling market.
There is a persistence and perseverance that takes place and is rooted in a strong belief. They work for what is unseen. They are not working for proportional returns. Instead, there is an inflection point that is typically part of the story. Some connection, some event or some serendipity occurs that changes everything. It could be that one well-timed relationship or a turn of the market.
The inflection point only matters if you are positioned well to engage the demand. Being ready with a strong brand or having systems that cater to the cadence and timing of the ideal customer are all parts of the inflection point. Some call it getting lucky. I think lucky is happening all the time, but few are prepared to leverage the opportunities that come by because of lack of preparedness or recognition.
So as the New Year has you thinking broader, get specific. Here’s some questions to stir the mind:
- What systems do I need to have in place?
- Who can change the trajectory of my business?
- Where do I need to be to take advantage of luck?
- How is my brand and message positioned?
- What is the noise that I need to shed?
These questions matter only if you are clear about your goal. More customers, more awareness or even a breakthrough opportunity can be achieved if you can get clear on concrete and specific efforts that prepare you for the inflection point.
What do you think? Feel free to comment.
