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Have You Befriended These 8 Enemies of Small Business Success?

Scott Ginsberg NametagTV.com Recent Posts

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October 15, 2009

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1. Later. It never comes. Ever. Your ego just convinces you that it does. That way you don’t have to take any personal responsibility, nor feel guilty for procrastinating. So, my suggestion is simple: Write the word “later” on a sticky note. Then draw a big X through it. Look at it every day. That should help eliminate that word from your vocabulary. How much money is procrastination costing you?

2. Maybe. This word is a total lie. Just a flimsy, cop-out term people use when they don’t feel like committing to something. My suggestion: Scrap this word from your vocab. Replace it with “I will,” “I commit to,” and “I give you my word that…” People might actually start believing you. What’s more, you might actually accomplish something! Which of your maybes are holding you back from achieving greatness?

3. Passion. No, this isn’t all you need. Passion (only) works to the extent that it’s supported by purpose. Passion without purpose burns you AND everyone you touch Plus you end up annoying the bejesus out of people with your misguided inconsequentiality. Are you passionately incompetent?

4. Patience. As a virtue, this is a beautiful thing. But there IS some validity to experiencing healthy instances of impatience. For example, check out the following definitions of the word impatient: Restless expectation. Eagerly desirous. Changeable, hot and passionate. Not accepting delay or opposition. Intolerant of interruptions. Raring to go. Eager for change. Eager for something expected. Dislike of anything that causes delay. A constant desire for change and excitement. I wonder what would happen to YOUR business if you were a little more impatient?

5. Planning. Unnecessary. Total waste of time. Not to mention, if you set a plan, you might actually hit it. Yikes. That doesn’t leave much room for your creativity to blossom. That doesn’t leave much time to get lost. Man, could you imagine a world where people couldn’t get lost anymore? Creepy. So instead, try this: plunge forward planless into the vortex of action. Stay in love with WHY without being stopped by not knowing HOW. Are you willing to turn off the GPS and just go?

6. Rational. The problem with this word is that it’s too safe. And safe is a very dangerous and expensive place to be. I suggest you be totally unreasonable, completely irrational and utterly insane. I suggest you stop waiting for overwhelming evidence to trust yourself. And I suggest you become the exception to as many rules as you possibly. Sure, it’s scary to stick yourself out there. But there is a direct correlation between how uncomfortable you’re willing to be and how successful you ultimately become. What’s the most irrational thing you could be doing in this situation?

7. Ready. Don’t wait until you are. Just go. TODAY. Who cares if you’re not ready anyway? Nobody is ever really ready. After all, failure doesn’t come from poor planning – but from the timidity to proceed. What are you waiting for?

8. Well-roundedness. Totally overrated. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be amazing at one thing then average at three things. Think about it: Would you rather have your double lung transplant performed by the most renowned lung transplant specialist in the world; or by some general surgeon who read a few books on lung transplants so he could perform them with a modicum of confidence? Don’t be well rounded. Specialize, specialize, specialize! What are you the world heavyweight champion of?

Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the author of eight books, a professional speaker, an award-winning blogger and the creator of NametagTV.com. For more info or for his list of “24 Ways to Out BRAND Your Competitors, e-mail scott@hellomynameisscott.com.