**Cardinal Sin No.1 – Death by Becoming Predictable In order to succeed, the downside needs to be protected f i r s t.
If you know me, you’ll know it’s not my style to start with ‘negatives,’ positivity is essential. But delusion is death. Lets protect the downside of your Entrepreneurial exploits and set up success on a solid foundation. 7 business deaths defied coming up…
Death by Becoming Predictable –
Being predictable and samey is slow decaying death in the Entrepreneurial revolution we’re in.
Disrupt or die. Shake things up and encourage change or wither as the early adopters and fast movers leave the rest for dead in a trail of money.
The only constant is (R)evolution.
People crave variety, interaction, entertainment and performance. Their attention spans are shortening. Rudely interrupt the boring with the engaging. Be first to find the new way, even if its the same.
Invent & re-invent. Adapt, grow, change, evolve, test, improve, fail [safely].
“If you’re green you grow, if you’re ripe you rot” – Ray Croc
**Cardinal Sin No.2 – Death by Accepting No
A no is only a no to them. If you believe it, they’re right.
A no is only a no today. Don’t believe it tomorrow. Ask again.
Collect more ‘No’s’ and you’ll collect more ‘Yes.’’ Those who believe ‘No’ the most, accept it first. If you believe more than them, every No becomes a Yes in the end, my friend.
A No is a step closer to a Yes.
A no is information you didn’t yet have to get the decision you’re looking for. A No is a new opportunity to grow, get better and become who you weren’t ready to be.
Reject me, be-yatch, I love it. What doesn’t no you makes you stronger.
**Cardinal Sin No. 3 – Death by Letting Yourself off the Hook
So what if you’re the boss? The buck stops with you. Kidding yourself like an junkie is insanity – you can’t hide from you.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Take pleasure in the pain of responsibility and embrace it, it’s character and wealth building. The rewards are less [long term] pain. You hold your own self to account, so don’t get lazy and NEVER excuse yourself for failure.
You create it, you destroy it, you live with it.
Expect more from yourself than anyone else does and inspire by example. Perfection is in the search for perfection.
You are responsible. You cause and you accept. You are in control, and others will step up to your example
**Cardinal Sin No.4 – Death by Not taking [calculated] risks
If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything. It might cost you to do something, but it costs way more to do nothing. No one succeeded big in a safety net. Buffett, Gates & Jobs would have paid £100,000,000,000’s for not taking continued, calculated risks.
How much can you risk leaving on the table by not taking any?
Everyone first jumped without a parachute, or at least it was the first time they tested it.
Calculation: What’s the worst that could happen?
Revelation: Nothing. Since nothing is worse than something.
Question: What have you got to lose?
Answer: Your ideal life if you never take [calculated] risks.
**Cardinal Sin No.5 – Death by DIY [Destroy it Yourself]
My Dad called DIY Destroy it Yourself. Many a bank holiday ruined by wonky shelves, bruised thumbs and furniture with one important missing part.
Doing everything yourself will achieve nothing, and take a very long time [to turn bad]. Do what you love and what you’re great at, and outsource the rest. Bask in the sun and glory of the free time whilst watching through the window.
Let go. Accept your faults and focus on your passions. Let people shine doing what you can’t – surround yourself with technical experts, let them be experts, and lead them.
Give away the glory and take the money.
**Cardinal Sin No.6 – Death by Time Distortion
It takes time to be successful, but not a lifetime. Work hard enough not to have to work hard. Front load your mistakes early, while it’s safe.
You can do it faster than you think, once you’ve earned the right. And then it becomes easy. But do you have the patience, faith and belief to sweat out the start?
Work so hard that the hard start flies by, and the time taken to get to your goal is distorted short.
“Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a week, but underestimate what they can achieve in a year”
“Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year, but underestimate what they can achieve in a lifetime”
**Cardinal Sin No.7 – Death by Not Listening
The answers to everything are in everyone. Listen with your eyes and hear with your ears. Search for answers and you find them in everything, everyday, everywhere. Take the time to think.
Test ideas on people. Ask them what they’d do in that situation. Treat them like the expert. Don’t judge, interrupt or disagree; you’re about to get a new way you didn’t think of.
Be genuinely interested in them, wait for the answers long enough and they’ll solve your problems for free.
And probably buy you a coffee.
