Business planning – the need for a strong mind

In my last business planning post, I shared my belief (born out of my own professional experiences) that even though all people dream and the majority of them have the entrepreneurial streak, most everyday entrepreneurs lack the mind skills to steer their business and wealth dreams through to successful implementation.

This is because implementation requires more than just doing.  Firstly it means having a strong will to act.  But activity alone is not enough.  People at work all over the world spend a lot of time every day at work generating activity that is totally unrelated to any profitable purpose.

Business implementation requires focused and productive activity; and that usually means stepping out of your comfort zone and doing the hard stuff that drives directly towards achieving your goal.

Essentially, that means deliberately steering yourself away from the familiar and making decisions in areas that you don’t fully understand.  Often those decisions can prove to be wrong and you must stay positive and optimistic while trying to find the right path.  So implementation can be a long, difficult and frustrating journey.

It is one thing to solve technical problems, but starting a business invariably relies on other people saying YES.  Think about it!  You are not in business until at least one customer says YES to you.

Depending on the type of new business and the start up proposal you are trying to implement, there are several other stakeholders who may need to say YES also.  These include key employees, suppliers, financiers and collaborators.

The process of winning support can be a very frustrating, particularly when people say NO.  It can undermine self confidence and stretch out the anticipated period of implementation.

It may also be the case that you forego income through this period so that you can remain 100% focused and committed to the task.  So it is not hard to imagine how the pressure can quickly build.

There comes a time when decisions need to be made whether to keep going or quit.  This is where determination and tenacity enter the mix.  Only a strong mind can keep going in the face of excruciating pressure to quit.

I will tell you why it is all in the mind in my next business planning blog. Check out my other blog at http://www.aikido-secrets–to-calm-success.com

Until next time!

Gary