Break On Through
This story appears in the August 2005 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
As your business and financial success grows, there is often a corresponding increase in the complexity of operating your business. Your time is spent developing and establishing management procedures, servicing customers and motivating employees. As you focus on the day-to-day maintenance of your business, securing even a moment to define, plan and achieve a new goal may seem out of reach.
Fortunately, as entrepreneurs, we love discovering new ways to achieve what others deem impossible. Our entrepreneurial spirits ignite when we take on goals that seem larger than life. To achieve creative breakthroughs, remember that your passion for new ideas and your ability to take calculated risks made you the success you are today. To continually move forward:
1. Reopen your heart to the possibilities. Your mind-set affects your happiness, productivity and ability to accomplish innovative goals. Kick-start your subconscious into nurturing your big dreams by succinctly defining your goal and three simple steps you can take to gain momentum. If you haven't taken any action on your new idea within a week, then it's most likely not part of your big dream--simply move on to your next business idea or opportunity.
2. Develop momentum by gaining knowledge. Don't immediately critique the viability of any new goal. Instead, create the building blocks necessary for achievement by investigating the different paths you can take to succeed. Interview other business owners, talk to colleagues, and research solutions on the internet. Knowledge cultivates your confidence and personal power, which, in turn, keep your heart open to all possibilities.
3. State your next action as an incremental, achievable step. Just as an artist paints a masterpiece one brush stroke at a time, accomplishing a huge goal is nothing more than linking a series of actions together. Do not make excuses. There is never a good enough reason why things have to remain as they are. Pick your number-one obstacle, and then list four things you can do to overcome this barrier. The self-motivation you develop by taking action establishes a solid foundation for victory.
4. Involve and celebrate with other people. The people around you are directly connected to the success of your business and the achievement of your objectives. Keep them informed about your new pursuits, and discuss the challenge of achieving new goals while simultaneously managing your business. Let them know they are part of your success--they can be wonderful sounding boards and provide inspirational reinforcement. If someone volunteers to help you, let them. Including trusted colleagues, family members and friends is a remarkable way to create accountability and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit it takes to achieve goals of any size.
Great discoveries and inventions are the offspring of entrepreneurial souls who dare to venture into new worlds. You've demonstrated your ability to establish and achieve bigger and more compelling goals for yourself and your business. Endeavor to reinvent your environment of success, and become your own dream-maker once again.
Speaker and consultant Romanus Wolter, aka "The Kick Start Guy," is author of Kick Start Your Dream Business.
