I think as business owners we are generally optimistic people. We have high hopes that things will work out as we wish and that the results we get will justify the sacrifice and effort we put in.
The problem with being optimistic is that sometimes you end up buying into wishful thinking because you’re optimistic there is an easier way to accomplish what you are aiming to do.
The other part of this is I think a lot of us are also impatient. So when something looks like a faster way to get where we want to go we’re tempted to try it out.
So, between being optimistic and being impatient we are often susceptible to the temptations of the shortcut.
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Of course, we all know how well the shortcut usually works out.
But that doesn’t stop us from thinking the next one will be different (because of the optimism!).
I can and have fallen victim to it myself. Putting together a plan or aiming for a goal that isn’t realistic because I’m hoping that I’ve got a new approach that is going to get me there faster.
I know better. The shortcuts rarely work. The most frequent outcome is disappointment. They sure look good though and they are awfully tempting.
What does work is the simple stuff. The basics. The slow and steady approach. The same stuff that got you here, even though it feels like it took forever and that’s the old school way of doing things.
Alex Hormozi, who I’ve referenced before, is someone who also tends to bring this up. Entrepreneurs are notorious for falling for the shiny object syndrome. But those shiny objects rarely ever live up to expectations.
Instead, they waste time, money and attention and pull us away from the boring but reliable path that does work.
So here is my suggestion for this week. Think back however far it is to what you did back in the beginning when you were getting things going. What got you your first customers? What helped you get where you are today?
Are you still doing those same things? Or are you “too big” to do them any more? Why?
Ask yourself if you could in fact still do the same basic things you used to do when you started and if that would still work. If the answer is yes (it probably is!) then why aren’t you still doing that?
And is there any reason you can’t keep doing it now? Probably not. So instead of chasing off after the next new thing that might get you there any faster and smarter, but probably won’t at all, go do some of what you used to do that did work and got you where you are now.
It’s what I’m doing and remind myself not to stop doing in the future! Tried and true is tried and true for a reason. There really aren’t any magic bullets. The “new” things that work well tend to be the old things with just an updated coat of paint!
Try going old school for a few weeks, whatever that means for your business and for the things you’re currently struggling with or wanting to improve, and see how it works out. My guess is you’ll be pleasantly surprised!