What is the FUEL behind SUCCESS?

How often have you thought to yourself – “wow, how many hours a week do I spend working, thinking or focused on my business?” To many in your circle of friends or to your family – it may seem like it is always! And even to us – it may seem like we are working far more than if we had a regular job.

For a minute – let’s compare our businesses to a rocket. When NASA launches a rocket or the space shuttle – it uses most of its fuel just to get the rocket off the ground – to break it free from the gravitational pull of the earth. But when the rocket is free from the gravitational pull of the earth it takes very little energy to get it to where it needs to go. In fact, once it is free of gravity, a short burst of fuel can send it a long, long way.

The same holds true about business. In the beginning – and the beginning can be as long as 3 to 10 years depending on the type of business or the speed at which you build it – there is a tremendous amount of energy that we need to put behind the ‘launch’ until we are able to position the business and have enough clients to support us financially.

Unfortunately, many business owners and entrepreneurs never consider how much effort, energy or money is required until they are well into the launch of their business.

How do we become successful?

A recent study offered in the book “The Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell, shows that the difference between someone who experiences mediocre results (in any area) and someone who becomes the ‘expert’ and achieves high and seemingly lucky results has nothing to do with their talent or skill or station in life. It depends solely on how many hours one puts into the learning and practicing process. In essence this time invested is the amount of ‘fuel’ to get past the gravitational pull.

The study showed that if an entrepreneur, consultant or business owners dedicated 10,000 hours to their craft – they are generally considered the expert . Very often that is the time that business may come to them, seemingly without effort.

The 10,000 hours spent honing their craft is the fuel needed at first. This time invested gets them past the pull of the earth so to speak, and after that, an occasional spurt of energy (or fuel) keeps them moving forward effortlessly like the rocket traveling to outer space.

NASA would never consider sending a rocket up and at the same time reduce the fuel it takes to get past the gravitational pull of the earth. (The effect would mean mass destruction, to the spectators, the occupants of the rocket, the scientists, and anyone in the vicinity of the crash site.)

Why is it then, that entrepreneurs become impatient about success when they have not put enough hours in to get to the point where momentum is built and things come almost effortlessly? (Could that be you?)

“When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity” - Steve Pavlina

Building a business may take many, many hours. If you are committed to building ‘no matter what’ then at some point momentum will kick in. And then it seems almost effortless – and the money may seem to roll in easier that you ever thought possible.

But here’s the best part. Ten thousand hours divided by 24 hours a week – the number of hours people actually ‘work’ when at a job, is just over 8 years. I have never to this day met anyone who has worked for only 8 years at a job – who can come in when they want, work when they feel like it and still be making the same amount of money or more than they did the year before.

A business can bring great opportunities and income – if you are dedicated to putting the ‘time’ in. The fuel behind success is putting in the time. But too many people give up too early. And so their rocket (business) crashes. Consider this if you are still fighting the gravitational pull, and feeling depressed at what seems like your lack of progress or no momentum. It may only take a few hundred more hours to break through to success!

"One of the keys to effective communication and dispute resolution is understanding ourselves and how we think and also understanding how others are wired as well. Each of us has personality styles that are unique to ourselves - however there are also patterns as well. When you understand the differing personality styles and their blends - you begin to see people as they are with more understanding! For more information on understanding personality styles please contact Mandie at president@roaringwomen.com."

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