If you’ve ever thought of starting a business (but haven’t), it must be your birthday… cause this one’s specially for you!
I will always advice people to start their own businesses. The common resistance is usually founded on the statement ‘I can’t do it. I do not have “what” it takes’. While this is not the focus of this post, I must assert that that statement means absolutely nothing to me for 2 main reasons.
Firstly, you don’t need to be master of all. No accounting skills? Ever heard of freelance accountants? Pretty bad at writing? Copy writing is a profession. Whether you chose to collaborate, patronise a friend, hire, or outsource; all skills you would possibly need are available out there. Web 2.0. tools are also extremely handy.
The next thing is truly an underestimation of potential. Everyday, I realise how much more powerful the mind is than we realise and give it credit for. It can do anything we set it to, accomplish any task (obviously within logical reason, I don’t think there’s anything that would give you the ability to fly!). To prove this to yourself, set 3 goals which would not be “easily” accomplished e.g. running a certain distance (just above your comfort zone); reading, for example, 30 pages a day of a 180 page book (to finish it in under a week); memorizing and flawlessly reciting a relatively “long” script. Accomplish any set of such 3 tasks and reflect on the whole process. You will most certainly feel different about ability then.
Now it’s definitely not equal, but none the less just as potent. The differences in environment, experience, state of mind, available time, etc, will affect realisation, but the fact remains. You can do anything you set your mind to. You can learn Mandarin. You can memorize the entire script of The Devil Wears Prada. You can understand the principles of astrophysics.
The next phase is as just as important. What do you decide to set your mind to accomplish?
This brings me back nicely to my focus of this post :) Why and how you should start a business. This is one of my favourite quotes which always sparks uproar: "Business is Simple". I exchange a product or a service for more money than it cost me to acquire. The difference in figures is my profit. The more I exchange, the more profit I make and vice versa. This is not hard to understand. Yes there are all the other variables, but this is fundamentally the underlying principle of any business. Sometimes, the model may vary and you may get your profits from a third party for example - i.e. a blog which generates revenue from advertising; but still a very simple concept. So it’s not beyond any of us.
Another key thing missed out when people think of businesses is the type of business. Ideally your business should be based on or around your passion. This is fundamental because not only does is turn work into “doing your thing”, but your entire approach towards it cannot help but be positive and enjoyable. A lot of people doubt the ability to harness their passions in this fashion, but I promise you, it can be done a vast majority of times. The key thing is a detailed well defined plan and confirmation of the financial viability of that plan.
Lets take a random example - You love flowers, how can this work? First reflex would think open a flower shop, but then what is your competitive advantage there? How can you compete with Interflora or Flowers USA? How can you get enough customers to sustain a living? It probably won’t work, right? Wrong.
Back to the drawing board: so you love flowers. Loving them, you must appreciate their fragrances. How about studying flowers and their derivative fragrances? This knowledge opens you up to opportunities in the fragrance industry (perfumes, moisturizers, shower gels), gives you ample content to blog about to an attentive audience and more possibilities. Staying with your love for actual flowers, how about specialising as a wedding florist? Or even retailing flowers (yes, like earlier mentioned) but focusing on a niche of exotic, imported flowers, giving you a unique competitive edge. What about doing something extremely unique with the flowers (writing out the recipients name in special shaped vases)? Endless opportunities from the simple love of flowers
Now the key things to remember are
1. Have a clear and definite goal and a relatively realistic plan to attain that goal
2. Identify what gaps must filled to equip you with the weapons necessary for attaining this goal
3. Fill these gaps!
4. Attack you plan
5. Persist till your goal is attained.
Your love for you passion is the difference between doing this and trying to start a business based on sewer surfing (unless of course that is your passion…). Could you not do what you enjoyed forever? If you don’t know your passion, well that is another post topic, but in a nutshell, explore yourself, think of what you loved as a kid, ask people who REALLY know you. There’s many ways to go about discovering your passion.
Please raise some passions (as odd as they may be) and lets discuss them! Also I want to hear every reason why it won’t work and I would love to challenge any!
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Back to the Future: 10 Months
About 4 years ago, 3 friends and I got into one of those conversations where we spoke extensively about a range of topics and overturned a lot of shells to reveal true sentiments and emotions on EVERYTHING, no matter how personal it was. It lasted till about 7am, and of course by then, all had been said. Many "shots" came my way through the episode, but my resolve after leaving that conversation was to develop into the best person I could possibly be.
While we were too young to see clearly over the hedges made up of ego, hidden intentions and blatant inexperience; that commitment nonetheless affected my life immensely. It was the start of my ability to see things objectively (my personal sentiment aside) and accept truths about my flaws and shortcomings. From that day on I made an uphill climb towards being a better person to myself and others. Don't get me wrong, of course I still fell to weaknesses and while I might not have admitted it, ignored certain weak points and vices. But all in all, I was actively trying to progress.
When I planned to put up this post, I was convinced about the content and precise delivery. However, I just read a post by uncle, a true OG, who I would be doing injustice if I called him anything less than a devout mentor; and it just brought to the conscious, concepts which were merely starting to brew in my mind. WE DON'T KNOW JACK S**T ABOUT THIS LIFE!
Sure there are your basic truths and facts, but beyond these, there is a lot more going on around us than we can fathom. I cannot claim to have expertise in this, department, perhaps with time, experience will reveal more. At 20, I was convinced that by the time I was 27, I would be "balling". Now, in the second half of that prediction, the shape of this upward climb doesn't seem to tally up with projections. I worked hard, I took chances, I followed up on opportunities. Some just didn't play out, while others had detrimental effects on the bigger picture. Ultimately, I felt I had a decent prediction of my future, but I was very incorrect. How my views on such have changed.
But the ultimate thing I have learnt [note: lessons which encompass elements of theory are always subject to modification from actual experience and improved theory] is as follows: Money is great. It lets you do fantastic things and enjoy the finer side of life. It eases a lot of pressures and upgrades "status" in the eyes of the world. But there is so much more to life than Euro Euro Bill. I find this, this, this and this very interesting concepts and must say I have pondered over them extensively.
I have decisively concluded though, that I will chase financial liberation as stated in earlier posts. After attainment, I may reconsider my standpoint, so that is closed till then.
In the light of chasing financial liberation, I have renewed my resolve to live my life to full potential. I am currently developing habits which will facilitate these goals. This development processes will take an estimated 10 months. My guidelines are supplied courtesy of Leo's Zen Do Done.
While this is an extremely personal mission, Leo encourages making one's commitment as public as possible, simply because public positive pressure is an excellent "keep me in check" tool.
Why live life any way other than to the best of your ability?
While we were too young to see clearly over the hedges made up of ego, hidden intentions and blatant inexperience; that commitment nonetheless affected my life immensely. It was the start of my ability to see things objectively (my personal sentiment aside) and accept truths about my flaws and shortcomings. From that day on I made an uphill climb towards being a better person to myself and others. Don't get me wrong, of course I still fell to weaknesses and while I might not have admitted it, ignored certain weak points and vices. But all in all, I was actively trying to progress.
When I planned to put up this post, I was convinced about the content and precise delivery. However, I just read a post by uncle, a true OG, who I would be doing injustice if I called him anything less than a devout mentor; and it just brought to the conscious, concepts which were merely starting to brew in my mind. WE DON'T KNOW JACK S**T ABOUT THIS LIFE!
Sure there are your basic truths and facts, but beyond these, there is a lot more going on around us than we can fathom. I cannot claim to have expertise in this, department, perhaps with time, experience will reveal more. At 20, I was convinced that by the time I was 27, I would be "balling". Now, in the second half of that prediction, the shape of this upward climb doesn't seem to tally up with projections. I worked hard, I took chances, I followed up on opportunities. Some just didn't play out, while others had detrimental effects on the bigger picture. Ultimately, I felt I had a decent prediction of my future, but I was very incorrect. How my views on such have changed.
But the ultimate thing I have learnt [note: lessons which encompass elements of theory are always subject to modification from actual experience and improved theory] is as follows: Money is great. It lets you do fantastic things and enjoy the finer side of life. It eases a lot of pressures and upgrades "status" in the eyes of the world. But there is so much more to life than Euro Euro Bill. I find this, this, this and this very interesting concepts and must say I have pondered over them extensively.
I have decisively concluded though, that I will chase financial liberation as stated in earlier posts. After attainment, I may reconsider my standpoint, so that is closed till then.
In the light of chasing financial liberation, I have renewed my resolve to live my life to full potential. I am currently developing habits which will facilitate these goals. This development processes will take an estimated 10 months. My guidelines are supplied courtesy of Leo's Zen Do Done.
While this is an extremely personal mission, Leo encourages making one's commitment as public as possible, simply because public positive pressure is an excellent "keep me in check" tool.
Why live life any way other than to the best of your ability?
Friday, 7 March 2008
The Secret of Success
Should anyone dare to claim that an answer exists to this question? Even more bold would be to assert that one knows that answer. Because of the nature of the world we live in, perhaps one who has succeeded can rightfully say so and in such saying, be taken seriously by the "general public". Saying that, surely success varies from individual to individual. As Earl Nightingale rightly said "Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal." That is surely definitive enough.
To state my case on the secret of success, I am going to start from the end.
For myself, I have defined success as:
1. Having complete financial freedom (i.e. not to be restrained from certain activity because of financial limitations)
2. Realising my full potential physically, mentally and spiritually.
3. Positively contributing to the lives of as many people as possible.
4. Having a few good and true friends.
5. Finding love in a good woman.
6. Raising a family.
I remember once asking an ex-girlfriend what she wanted most in life. She said "...to be happy". At the time, I didnt have the knowledge or experience to convince her that that statement was too vague to produce any tangible results. If you dont have a clearly defined list as the one above, please retire somewhere quietly, with a pen and paper; think about it really hard and compile that list. Take your time and remember, it's what YOU want. Not ANYONE else. This is so important because not only does it establish your end goal and quantify your aims; but writing it down has an effect of bringing it into being and making it physical. It is easier to respond to visual or auditory cues (for some it may be worth recording this if it would work better for you this way). Being able to perceive this stimulation helps to remind your mind, where you are going.
So after one's personal state of success has been defined, what next?
Many times the message has been regurgitated and remixed but it is highly as accurate as it is in as many versions: "We become what we think about". Stop. Dont rush it. Read it again. "We become what we think about". This statement is at the very foundation of success.
When I first came across it, I didn't understand the meaning straight away. It was not until i randomly came across another quote, from a BBC show on the self help industry, which goes: "Your emotions follow your thoughts". That, I could relate to directly as well as confirm logically. Think about it for a second and reflect on your own experiences of thoughts and feelings. Unquestionably correct. From that, I truly appreciated the power of the mind; and on going back to the statement "we become what we think about", I finally understood it.
So keeping it simple, we are a sum total of our feelings. The way we feel changes the way we take action. When you feel excited you act in a certain way, when you feel suspicious, you likewise act accordingly. And so forth. Success starts in one's conscious mind, with one's conscious thought. Other factors such as goals, persistence, determination, controlling negativity and one's company also play important roles (and will be duely addressed in the future). But remember the fundamental principle on which they all run: Success starts in one's mind with, one's conscious thought.
To give this statement more validation, imagine this - when you think of sad things: war, poverty in the world, natural disasters; you cant feel happy. If that is true, then I believe by we can rightfully affirm the reverse. When you think happy thoughts, you cant feel sad. For the more skeptical I will even rephrase: When you think happy thoughts, you are much less likely to feel sad.
Imagine the logic below:
If
sad thought is opposite to happy thought
and
sad thought is not equal to happy feeling
therefore
happy thought is not equal to sad feeling
and
happy thought must therefore be equal to happy feeling
If you are good in that department, you can even work this out into a set of logical, conditional equations.
So the line goes through conscious thought into feeling then action. You could go take it further into the subconscious, but I'm not the person to tell you much about that. I like it simple and will work from our conscious thought.
So building on the above, thinking of yourself as successful must equal feeling successful. And feeling successful must make you act differently. While there are no guarantees in life, surely that difference in action must be in the right direction. Definitely beats going the other way!
Truly understanding this will revolutionise your approach and attitude toward life. You will view your thoughts in a different way and most likely realise soon that you must therefore control your thought to control your actions. Your actions are a heavy determinant in the outcome of your life. If you do not honestly believe you are in control of your thoughts, I am sorry to say, but you are seriously evading responsibility.
Now all the above has been pretty high level. Taking it down a notch, I want you to imagine a pillar being held up by a framework. This pillar is your thoughts. The framework is everything that can affect you thought. From friends, global location, alcohol, current financial situation, your kids etc. By being aware of what you are thinking about, you can monitor which of these "frames" negatively affects your positive, affirmative thinking. When you identify anything, make a conscious, persistent and active effort to deal with it. Stop it from affective your thinking in a negative way, thus putting your emotions in check and governing your action. Do not complicate it, simply do what you must do!
There are numerous ways each of us will deal with this control. Personally, I love Haiku Productivity, but however you deal with your control, remember to be persistent. Dont expect an overnight turnaround.
To give ample credit where it is due, I owe the chief source of inspiration for this post to Earl Nightingale's The Strangest Secret. There is ample matetial to go away with and listen to time after time. This is really just my interpretation: The Secret of Success.
To state my case on the secret of success, I am going to start from the end.
For myself, I have defined success as:
1. Having complete financial freedom (i.e. not to be restrained from certain activity because of financial limitations)
2. Realising my full potential physically, mentally and spiritually.
3. Positively contributing to the lives of as many people as possible.
4. Having a few good and true friends.
5. Finding love in a good woman.
6. Raising a family.
I remember once asking an ex-girlfriend what she wanted most in life. She said "...to be happy". At the time, I didnt have the knowledge or experience to convince her that that statement was too vague to produce any tangible results. If you dont have a clearly defined list as the one above, please retire somewhere quietly, with a pen and paper; think about it really hard and compile that list. Take your time and remember, it's what YOU want. Not ANYONE else. This is so important because not only does it establish your end goal and quantify your aims; but writing it down has an effect of bringing it into being and making it physical. It is easier to respond to visual or auditory cues (for some it may be worth recording this if it would work better for you this way). Being able to perceive this stimulation helps to remind your mind, where you are going.
So after one's personal state of success has been defined, what next?
Many times the message has been regurgitated and remixed but it is highly as accurate as it is in as many versions: "We become what we think about". Stop. Dont rush it. Read it again. "We become what we think about". This statement is at the very foundation of success.
When I first came across it, I didn't understand the meaning straight away. It was not until i randomly came across another quote, from a BBC show on the self help industry, which goes: "Your emotions follow your thoughts". That, I could relate to directly as well as confirm logically. Think about it for a second and reflect on your own experiences of thoughts and feelings. Unquestionably correct. From that, I truly appreciated the power of the mind; and on going back to the statement "we become what we think about", I finally understood it.
So keeping it simple, we are a sum total of our feelings. The way we feel changes the way we take action. When you feel excited you act in a certain way, when you feel suspicious, you likewise act accordingly. And so forth. Success starts in one's conscious mind, with one's conscious thought. Other factors such as goals, persistence, determination, controlling negativity and one's company also play important roles (and will be duely addressed in the future). But remember the fundamental principle on which they all run: Success starts in one's mind with, one's conscious thought.
To give this statement more validation, imagine this - when you think of sad things: war, poverty in the world, natural disasters; you cant feel happy. If that is true, then I believe by we can rightfully affirm the reverse. When you think happy thoughts, you cant feel sad. For the more skeptical I will even rephrase: When you think happy thoughts, you are much less likely to feel sad.
Imagine the logic below:
If
sad thought is opposite to happy thought
and
sad thought is not equal to happy feeling
therefore
happy thought is not equal to sad feeling
and
happy thought must therefore be equal to happy feeling
If you are good in that department, you can even work this out into a set of logical, conditional equations.
So the line goes through conscious thought into feeling then action. You could go take it further into the subconscious, but I'm not the person to tell you much about that. I like it simple and will work from our conscious thought.
So building on the above, thinking of yourself as successful must equal feeling successful. And feeling successful must make you act differently. While there are no guarantees in life, surely that difference in action must be in the right direction. Definitely beats going the other way!
Truly understanding this will revolutionise your approach and attitude toward life. You will view your thoughts in a different way and most likely realise soon that you must therefore control your thought to control your actions. Your actions are a heavy determinant in the outcome of your life. If you do not honestly believe you are in control of your thoughts, I am sorry to say, but you are seriously evading responsibility.
Now all the above has been pretty high level. Taking it down a notch, I want you to imagine a pillar being held up by a framework. This pillar is your thoughts. The framework is everything that can affect you thought. From friends, global location, alcohol, current financial situation, your kids etc. By being aware of what you are thinking about, you can monitor which of these "frames" negatively affects your positive, affirmative thinking. When you identify anything, make a conscious, persistent and active effort to deal with it. Stop it from affective your thinking in a negative way, thus putting your emotions in check and governing your action. Do not complicate it, simply do what you must do!
There are numerous ways each of us will deal with this control. Personally, I love Haiku Productivity, but however you deal with your control, remember to be persistent. Dont expect an overnight turnaround.
To give ample credit where it is due, I owe the chief source of inspiration for this post to Earl Nightingale's The Strangest Secret. There is ample matetial to go away with and listen to time after time. This is really just my interpretation: The Secret of Success.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
