Easy and Simple are NOT Synonymous

The road to success is simple…it’s the journey that can be uncomfortable.

This morning I had my weekly administrative meeting with my supervisor, Business Coach Jim Munro.  These meetings are not only where I get my feet held to the fire it’s where my mini-epiphanies blossom into new ideas, self-discoveries, and you guessed it….blog topics. 

Because a productive, happy, confident, creative Joy makes for an innovative, reliable, proactive Team Support Specialist Joy, Coach Jim graciously gives me the opportunity to utilize his coaching expertise in numerous areas in my life; a good portion of which probably could use more “couch” time than “coach” time.  A common theme in our discussions is choice.  Success is a choice.  Doing something that works is a choice.  Not doing anything, also is a choice. 

 

So, how do you CHOOSE success? 

Here you go. Are you ready? 

You don’t quit doing the stuff that works. 

There you go. That’s it. 

Don’t believe me? 

Let me tell you about the conversation Coach Jim recently had with an owner of a local maintenance business.  

Coach Jim, excitedly asked this gentleman about his maintenance business, eager and optimistic to hear about their business culture. 

“Well, we’re surviving.” The man answered, sounding slightly defeated and unsure.

Coach Jim paused for a moment, and then asked the owner, “Tell me about your three biggest accounts who have signed up with your company over the last 30 days.” 

After the gentleman answered, Coach Jim then asked him how he acquired those clients.  The owner explained that his company approached these businesses because it was apparent their maintenance needs were not met. 

I’ll stop here for a second. Do you know what Coach Jim said to the man next? Ready….are you sure?

“Keep doing that! Don’t quit doing the stuff that works.” Coach Jim exclaimed. “The solution is to keep doing the stuff that works. What would it mean to your business, if EVERY SINGLE DAY, on your lunch break you approached JUST ONE businesses whose curb appeal was lackluster and hurting their business? What would it mean to those businesses if they had the premier property on the block?” 

The owner stood there silently as Coach Jim momentously continued to provide the man with both strategy and solution. “What if you held yourself accountable, and after doing this every single day for a week, you decided to also approach a prospective business in the afternoon.  What if you and your team member BOTH approached two businesses a day?

“Do you think you’d still be surviving or thriving?” 

The owner, stunned into silence, simply replied “I guess we’d be thriving.”

Coach Jim wrapped up the conversation with the gentleman, “the ones who fail are the ones who don’t go out and do what works because it’s raining, or they are tired because they just had six clients that day and decide to just go get a beer instead.  The ones who succeed don’t quit doing the stuff that works…even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable. Successful people do things consistently and persistently.”

And there you have it folks; the key to unlocking success in all facets of your life.  Unfortunately success is not easy.  Simple, yes, easy no. 

Simply, it takes working hard when you’d rather take a nap. It takes clawing your way back up the cliff when life throws you a round-house to the gut. It’s about sucking it up and doing it anyway.   

It’s that simple.