What Have Your Sacrificed For Your Business Lately?

A business is a living and flowing entity. In order to grow and thrive it needs to be nurtured, loved, structured, and supported. The hardest part about owning a business, and being an entrepreneur, is to understand the gentle balance of these things.  

Successful business owners understand this balance.

They support their business by thinking about it a lot. They plan for events. They structure their business by creating scenarios and setting milestones. They nurture and love their business by giving it what it needs as soon as the business owner realizes it’s needed. They start planning sessions with what if... And, they think about their business and prepare for unexpected outcomes.

With planning comes sacrifice. Why?
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Because not all activities are created equal. And, because timing is everything. As business owners our goal is to create the best outcome for our business and that means making hard decisions. Sometimes sacrificing what we want for what we really need NOW.

The kiss of death for a business owner is becoming too emotionally connected to being right, doing things a certain way, or wanting to save time or money.

In order to look at our business objectively, we are always balancing the nurturing and structuring because it’s in these tools that get clear and focused on what our next best steps really are.

So, what does that sacrifice look like?

In our culture sacrifice has a negative connotation, but the definition is literally to “Give up (something valued) for the sake of other considerations.”  

What do we actually need to sacrifice for our business success?

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1. Time. Time invested now for time saved later. Time invested over time in little steps that reflect consistent, frequent and intentional action so that eventually we get where we want to go. We’re always playing the long game. There are very few instant wonders that endure, most people take years to become that overnight success we think happens overnight to everyone else but us.
   
   
   
2. Ego. Most successful business owners have learned to leave their ego at the door because they are focused on solutions that serve the greater good of their business. Ego is a heady place where the ideas of nurturing and loving and support and structure are heart based. Letting go of being right is a game changer for a lot of business owners. Learning to embrace a sense of awe and wonder will enable you to think beyond the current problem to offer a better, more long-term solution.
   
   
   
3. Ideas. Many business owners take a “little steps everyday” approach versus the big idea that translates to a big action. Huge steps are great saboteurs because they often require unimaginable leaps, while small steps are possible for almost any type of business owner.
   
   Remember, while people may remember home run kings, most baseball games are won by the small ball players. They’re more adept at moving the ball. Being able to focus on getting on base versus hitting a home run can prevent overwhelm and the feeling of having to do or die. While ideas are great for blue sky thinking, and every business owner should schedule time for brainstorming, ideas can get in the way of action. Beware.
   
   Sometimes we have to let an idea go to bring the right idea to completion now.
   
   It’s okay. If you believe that ideas come to us, then that idea will circle back if it’s really meant for you and the success of your business.
   
   
   
4. Money. Most businesses require some upfront and/or ongoing investment. Not knowing how and what to invest in can cost a business a lot of money. However, sacrificing money to make money becomes an investment worth doing. Learning how to use money to create wealth is critical. From this mindset you can determine the best way to invest funds. And, the money pitfalls to avoid. Money creates money so remember that the next time you’re evaluating a financial issue.
   
   
   
5. Being the martyr. We are not designed to have an answer to every question. Knowing when to ask for help is a key strength of successful business owners. They do not do everything for their business. They outsource and build advisory groups. They invest in self-development and coaching. They learn to not only love and nurture their business, they learn to love and nurture themselves. Maybe not at the beginning, but in order to create a thriving business the business owner must accept and use their limitations to their benefit.

Change one thing and your change everything. Commit to thinking about your business at least 30 minutes a week.

Commit to being more open the next time a challenge comes your way.

Think about something you dislike doing that you can outsource. Before you know it, sacrificing simply becomes trading one set of expectations for a different set.
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When you consider sacrifice a good thing you’ll find it’s the first step in creating that business of your dreams.

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