building a business – Page 2

The Easy Mode

When I need to quiet
my brain,
I often play
a solitaire-type game online.

I have it set
on the easiest mode.

Why?

Because the rest of my life
can be extremely challenging.

I’m building businesses
and trying to make the world
a better world.

I don’t need challenge
in my entertainment.

There are quite a few
‘easy modes’
in life.

We can do things like
pre-authorize bill payments
or outsource snow removal
or rideshare
instead of driving ourselves.

Every aspect
of your life
doesn’t have to challenge you.

Pick the easy mode
on some activities.

The Hype And The Reality

I have an elderly loved one
who REALLY loves Christmas.

For at least a month
leading up to Christmas,
she hypes it up in her mind.

Then, on Christmas Day,
she cries
because the reality
never matches the vision
she has created for it.

It CAN’T do that.

Reality is imperfect.
Things go wrong.
People say not-ideal things.
Emergencies happen.

This is true of almost everything.

The business you create,
for example,
won’t be the business
you dreamed of creating.

You’ll have grumpy customers.
There will be lean sales times.
Not everyone will understand
or appreciate
what you’re trying to accomplish.

Your reality won’t live up
to the hype.

But there will still be
awesome moments.

Enjoy those awesome moments.

And remember that
great stories
come from things that go wrong.

Not Everyone Will Like Your Idea

I will post a cute photo
of kittens
on social media
and receive comments
complaining that
I didn’t post
a photo of puppies.

Not everyone will like
what you post
or do
or build.

This especially applies
to your new business idea.

Some people won’t like it.
Heck, some people
will hate it.

And the more details you share
about the idea,
the more things people
will find wrong with it.

Hopefully enough people
will like it
to build a viable business
around them.

But some people won’t like it.
And a few people will hate it
with a fiery passion.

Expect that to happen.
Don’t let it stop you.

We Can’t Afford To Be Ill

I can’t afford to be ill.

I live in Canada.
My stance doesn’t have
anything to do
with the financial costs
of medical care.

It has to do with time.
I don’t have the spare time
to be ill.
I don’t WANT to spend
time being ill.

I have books to write
(products to produce),
businesses to run,
other things I’d prefer
to do.

So I take precautions.
I wear a mask.
I wash my hands.
I improve ventilation
in spaces I occupy
(I have a personal air purifier
I hang on an lanyard
and wear around my neck.)

All of this
takes mere seconds.

I can then focus on other things.

And I save countless days
not being ill.

You and I can’t afford to be ill.

Preventing illness
has a huge return on investment.

Make that investment.

If You’re Arguing On Social Media…

Yesterday,
I was a heartbeat away
from arguing with a stranger
on social media
about something non-business related.

I caught myself
in time.
And I realized…

I should be funneling
that energy
into my business.

Arguing with a stranger
wouldn’t accomplish
anything.

I was unlikely
to change his mind.
He was unlikely
to educate me
in any way.

All it would be
was a time suck
and an energy drain.

I closed social media
for the day
and I worked on my business.

When you find yourself
arguing
with strangers
on social media,
that’s a sign.

It is time
to get back to work.

Go Outside If You Can

If the weather
and air quality allows it,
go outside
for a few minutes.

Find a patch of green.
Look at a plant.
And the sky.
And the ground.

Focus.
Pay attention.
Notice details
like the veins on a leaf
or the shape of the clouds
or the moistness of the soil
under your shoes.

Forget everything else
for a moment.
And absorb your surroundings.

Once you’re relaxed,
go back inside
and get back to work.

You NEED this break.
You don’t think you do
right now
but you need it.

Take it for yourself
and for the business
you’re building.

Working With Our Flaws

Yesterday, I talked about
how humans are flawed.

We’re humans.
That means
we’re flawed also.

And that’s okay.
Flaws make us special.

But we should recognize
what our flaws are
and we should work WITH them,
not against them.

I don’t like
doing the same tasks
over and over,
for example.

I went to university for accounting.

Yes, ouch.
The expected accounting role
consists of doing the same tasks
over and over.

We complete month end
in June
and there is another month end
in July
and
in August
and…

I hated that typical accounting role.
And because I hated it,
I didn’t excel in it.

I was fighting one of my ‘flaws’
and f*ck, it WAS a battle.

Then I discovered project management
and wow,
that role was easy for me.

Projects end!
I can complete them.

And each project is usually different.

My ‘flaws’ became strengths.
I’m now working WITH my nature,
not against it.
And I’ve found great success
in project management.

Accept your flaws
and your differences.
Success will come
much easier
when you work WITH your unique nature.

Plan For Losses

When I garden,
I know that a portion
of the harvest
will go to the squirrels
and other wildlife
and
another portion
of the harvest
will go to slugs
and other insect life.

I plan for this.
I sow extra seeds.
I grow extra plants.

Losses are to be expected
in business also.
Some of your products
will be damaged
or defective.
Some of your customers
won’t pay their bills.

Plan for this.
Sell or produce extra.

Constantly Ill

A dear friend caught COVID
two weeks ago.
It took her a week
to semi-recover.

Now, she’s caught COVID
AGAIN.

Some of the newest variants
can be caught
every two weeks.

Think about that.
We might be infected
every two weeks.
It takes a week
to semi-recover.

Even without considering
long term impacts,
that means being ill
50% or half the time.

That would REALLY
f*ck with our productivity
and our value of life.

While we’re waiting
for society
to take action
on cleaning the air
in indoor spaces,
we should wear
masks.

We have businesses
to build.
We can’t afford
to be ill 50% of the time.

F*ck that agent.
I hope everyone she represents
looks for someone else
to partner with.

Because, of course, writers
need to make money.
Writing might be a great job
but it is still a job.
And writers need to eat also.

Also…
no one works with an agent
for fun.
That is purely a business relationship.

Make certain
the people and businesses
you partner with
have the same view
of your future
as you do.

If they don’t,
look for someone else
to partner with.

Tag: building a business