Want a single sentence, a single piece of advice, that if embraced, owned and acted on, will transform your entire life, income, business, health and relationships? Here ya go: You get what you tolerate.
It’s that time of year again when millions of people ring in the New Year in a drunken stupor, making empty resolutions to themselves about how THIS year is going to be different. THIS year they’ll wake up earlier to get more done. THIS is the year they’ll start exercising and taking better care of themselves. THIS year they’ll finally get organized. THIS is the year they’ll finally start implementing marketing. (A common excuse we hear in November and December from MSP prospects who don’t buy our program: “I’ll start in January.” Sure you will.)
We all know how this ends. “Well, maybe not right now. Maybe I’ll wait until spring…until I have more time…until I have more money…until I have fewer problems to deal with…”
At some point, these same people just stop making resolutions altogether. Why bother? The word “resolve” has two meanings. The first, to decide firmly on a course of action. The second, to settle (accept) a contentious matter. Everyone makes resolutions – question is, which one are you making, the first definition or the second?
When interviewing Jocko Willink at one of my events, we talked about the necessity of HATING your enemy. In war, hating your enemy is necessary to be able to perform the deeds you’re called to do and put your life on the line. For everyday people, your enemy must be sloth, laziness and dysfunction. If you don’t HATE these things, you’ll tolerate them in yourself and others.
If you don’t HATE mistakes made, you’ll tolerate them in your organization. If you don’t HATE your lack of progress toward a goal – escaping poverty, improving ill health, stopping bad habits, etc. – you’ll drag it forward into the New Year and every year thereafter.
Most people tolerate a LOT of bad behavior in themselves and in others. My rule is simple, taken from my mentor Dan Kennedy: If I find myself waking up at night thinking about you and we’re not having sex, you gotta go. Applies to anyone and everyone. Clients, employees, vendors and family members. Some get the swift sword. Others take a little more to untangle – but I get OUT. Fast.
I recently said no to a VERY big opportunity with a prospective client because of a single meeting I had with one of the executives. Before I took the check, they were already showing me how dysfunctional they could be. I don’t need to be tied to someone like that for any length of time, so I bowed out, knowing my marketing will bring me another opportunity just like it. This is one of the greatest benefits of great marketing and having the ability to produce – it stiffens your spine.
Another thing I HATE: lack of urgency and things that should have been done but hang around for days, weeks or months. I HATE the undone because I know the longer it takes from when a good idea forms in my head to when it’s implemented determines how much profit I make. While others are “thinking it over,” pondering how to move forward, consensus building or “working on it,” I’m getting it DONE. The more things you can get DONE, the more progress and money you make; but if you don’t HATE lack of progress and you’re merrily strolling through your day at a comfortable pace, you’re already dead. General Schwarzkopf said it’s better to make decisions and get moving than be stalled on a decision about which direction to go. If you START, you’ll quickly discover if you’re on the wrong path, so you can course-correct. You can’t do that standing still, waiting. My favorite quote on this: You can’t steer a parked car.
No matter what your intention was at the beginning of 2021, that year is DONE, in the books, behind us. There are no do-overs and no going back. If you don’t like how last year ended, then RESOLVE to not tolerate it again this New Year.
Do you want more leads, more clients, more profits in 2022 but don’t know where to start? Click here and watch a quick video about the three biggest problems IT Service Businesses face and how to solve them.
