Which of these scenarios is more likely:
- A small business gets a call out of the blue and is offered a huge distribution deal – instantly growing their top line (assuming they can deliver) by 10X what it was before.
- A small business focuses on getting the little things right, gets a little better every day, and over the course of 3-5 years grows by 10X.
We’ve all heard stories about the lucky strike, the cool business that gets profiled on Oprah and takes off like crazy – but unfortunately it’s the equivalent of winning the lottery. Yes it can happen, but it’s not something you seriously plan on and if that’s the extent of your long term strategy, you’re in trouble.
Overnight successes almost never actually happen overnight, regardless of how they’re portrayed in the news.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell shared his theory of the 10,000 hour rule – that is, it takes at least 10,000 hours of focused practice for someone to truly excel and become a master at whatever it is they do. To put that into context, it’s about 5 years of a FULL TIME job worth of effort in order to reach that threshold. Most overnight successes have put in at least this much time before they’re discovered.
But we’d all like to succeed now! We ignore the 10,000 hour rule and attempt to jump directly to mastery. We try to run too fast and end up running out of gas instead – because change, especially meaningful improvements, are hard and don’t happen overnight.
A Better Way to Success
The good news is there is a better way. It is a technique that, if followed with discipline, helps ensure that you achieve great things.
A few caveats before we get to the secret:
- You have to really want the change that will lead to your success
- You must take responsibility for yourself and the outcome. It’s up to you and no one else
- There are no shortcuts or silver bullets – change requires time and effort, there is no way around it
What’s the secret? Don’t be disappointed, but the best way to achieve success is to get a little better every day. You’ve heard it before – slow and steady wins the race. It may be a cliché, but it’s still true.
Start Small
The first step to getting a little better every day is to figure out what you want to change – because you’re starting small, you need to be focused and intentional. Identify one area that you feel is really holding you back in your business. There’s not one right answer, so pick the area that most often comes to mind as holding you back…or pick the area that you think you have the most control over.
Once you’ve identified the area of your business that you want to change, identify a small change that you can implement immediately and consistently. Select something easy to do, but still meaningful. Imagine sticking with your new change for a full year.
Remember – slow and steady wins the race.
Want some more insight into these ideas? Check out The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson or The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.
What small change could you make this week? We’re here to help you with your business success. Call for a confidential business coaching appointment.
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