The year is closing and I hope it has been a prosperous and fulfilling one for you. I have been catching up on a lot of reading. And one of the topics I have been thinking a lot about is all the forces that work against us in this life.
I have seen a lot of businesses and have not witnessed anything that has been on cruise control with ease. I have seen business owners that let up after some initial successes and invariably find their situations decline financially.
There is a vigilance that never ends in this life. I think Michael Masterson said it well in The Reluctant Entrepreneur,
Profits are not natural. They are the result of unnatural pressure. They are the something extra that is produced when one person stirs up so much energy that he affects the energy production of those around him.
It is an unnatural thing to gain and preserve profits. It takes daily leadership and intensity to make it happen.
And in a world of so many choices and options profits have a way of diminishing. You’re up against the world when it comes to gaining new customers and keeping them.
With the down time, it is both wise and profitable to reflect on the past year. Did you hit your goals? Did you win?
What about the upcoming year? What is your strategy to get your next million?
I’m in game planning mode for the next several weeks. I think it’s critical to get clear about what you want and how you are going to get there. Otherwise, the natural course of inertia will be your story. It’s unnatural to drive profits, especially that next million.
Send me a note if you want a few ideas to drive your next million. There’s always a way and the world is not going to just hand it to you.
Cheers. Do the unnatural.