The balance between income and expenses

You’ve heard it before – a company with tons of sales goes bankrupt.

No matter how much income your company has, you must spend less in its operation.

The difference is called net profit.

Are you spending less than you collect?

Earn Time

Time is far more valuable than money.  The reason we want to earn money is to earn time.

When we are young, we trade our time for money.  When we are successful, we can trade our money for time.

What do people think of you?

As a leader, your reputation matters.  If not today, one day when it counts.

People have a sense about your character and your contribution to them. 

What can you do (or stop doing) to strengthen your character?

What do you do that moves the needle for them?

The right kind of friends

We have old friends.  I love old friends – so much history and understanding.

We have fun friends.  I love fun friends – good time!

Then we have growth friends.  We need growth friends.  They intrigue us, challenge us, and make us a little uncomfortable.  They don’t sugar coat it.  They are wise in areas where we are not.  Often when we leave them we feel we have work to do.  Without growth friends, we may be the most successful or knowledgable in our social circle, but growth friends keep us humble.

Who are your “growth friends”?

Do you need to hang out with them more?  Do you need to find some new ones?

Now is the time

You know how you’ve been saying that when the time is right you’d…

How you have been suspending joy until you finally…

How you have been holding back on…until…

How you would tell them…when….

What if today was the day, (again) and you miss it, (again)?

Something to fight for

Being an entrepreneur is not easy.  The easy thing to do would be to get a cushy job, or just retire if you can.

So why do it?  Most entrepreneurs will tell you that it is in them, and they wanted to see what they can do and how far they can go – a personal challenge.  This is healthy because the motivation comes from within.

Some people need something else.  They won’t fight as hard for themselves, but they will work harder and hang in there longer if they feel they are fighting for their family or another cause they hold dear.  This is extra motivation each day, and can be a helpful addition to their inherent motivation.  But when other people are a big factor in your motivation, you need to be aware of it.

What if they aren’t there one day?  What if they graduate and move out?  What if they betray you, or die?  Does your will to go on collapse into the void?

If the center of your motivation is outside you and they go away, you have to find a new reason.  Set a new goal, get a new vision, find someone else to help or share it with.

If not this, then that.  Find something to fight for; and get up every day, and give it all you’ve got.

Which is winning in you – doubt or faith?

From the inner – the outer.

As a leader of an enterprise or team, you are the thermostat.

Doubt is the enemy, and if it is winning, forward motion has stopped.

Have a great dream and a lofty well thought out vision; have clarity and a plan. 

Then communicate it and act with faith each day.

Which is winning in you?

Why people pay you

If you help your customers get what they want, you can get what you want. 

Help them in a small way, get a little of what you want. 

Help them in a big way, or help lots of them, get lots of what you want.

Growth thrives in conducive environments

In March, April and May – not so much….but would you say that the environment your business is operating in is conducive to growth for offering the product for service you do?

Stoicism and Entrepreneurship

Business and life can both be dramatic and emotionally draining if we react to everything wildly.

Practicing Stoicism can reduce drama and smooth out our days and lives.  I find it very helpful.

A stoic will maintain an even manner in adversity and not meltdown and lose it – something that has been very helpful to me these last 6 years.

Read or listen to books by or about Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.

“There are more things likely to frighten us, than there are to crush us.” – Seneca

Let me know how you liked them, or if you already have read some of these, with the orange button.