Winning in business is like racing a bicycle against 100 other superstars, while it’s storming & the ground underneath you keeps shaking — then every once in a while the ground just disappears.
Don’t worry, the ground will reappear later on, in a different spot — you just have to be there, in that spot, when the ground forms — and avoid standing on it right before it disappears. This is extreme, but if your goal is WINNING, it’s best to set expectations ahead of time.
Being average is easier… temporarily.
You can get away with an average business. It won’t require as much effort. But it will ultimately fail you. In a memo I sent to one of the teams in March, I wrote the following:
For us to reach our goals - we must no longer rely on “good enough.”
A long time ago I listened to a Tony Robbins tape about the differences between people / organizations at the top and at the bottom. There is a big gap between “Good” and “Excellent.”
Good people are seldom rewarded for being good. They are a commodity in many cases.
Excellence is rewarded for a time but is easy to compete against. It’s crowded at both of these levels. There are, frankly, many organizations that do what we do and do it well and at times with “excellence.” The market will not reward us for being excellent.
The level above excellence, Tony says, is “OUTSTANDING.”
The distinctions between good and excellent are small. They are “small hinges” that swing “big doors.” The distinctions between excellent and outstanding are even smaller.
But the “runway” between these levels is MASSIVELY different.
Outstanding is exponentially higher (and exponentially more difficult) than Excellent. Here’s an image to show you what I mean:
There are three things you need to achieve “FLOW” state:
A clear target
Immediate feedback
Slight overwhelm
They say #3 happens when your target is slightly beyond your skill set. This induces overwhelm. You’re over your skis… you will recognize this feeling when you’ve bit off a bit more than you can chew (figure of speech).
This is why not everyone should be an entrepreneur.
If you want to compete with other entrepreneurs while operating like a civilian, best not to get into a competitive market. They’ll walk over you on accident and leave you begging for food.
You must get comfortable being slightly “over your skis.” At all times… this will eventually become normal and it will not bother you.
To the “I just got into business to have freedom” crowd — there’s nothing wrong with you. You can achieve freedom and it won’t take you forever. Even you, however, need a solid sprint of blood & guts to make it happen.
To the “I was born for more and want to change the world” crowd — doing so will be the hardest thing you ever do. It will also be the most rewarding.
Great post. My take away.. The nervous feeling in my stomach when I agree to something that is , In my mind slightly out of reach, is good and I want to keep myself in that state. Only then will I keep leveling up.
Great post. My take away.. The nervous feeling in my stomach when I agree to something that is , In my mind slightly out of reach, is good and I want to keep myself in that state. Only then will I keep leveling up.