Don't Think Just Do it! By Lisa H. Thomas
What you do repeatedly, you become good at. The late Basketball legend Kobe Bryant spoke about how much he practiced in his documentary, Muse. He said, he practiced and practiced when others were preoccupied with other things. He watched and studied the greatest of players looking for new ways to hone his craft, then he practiced even more. As a result of his constant drive, he became one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Why? Because he practiced!
Kobe exuded the kind of discipline that most other players didn’t have. Even when he dreaded going, he forced himself to do it, until it became habitual.
We all fall prey to a similar kind of unconscious practice. It may not be a go to the gym and dribble kind of practice; however, it is practicing all the same. From the things we do, the thoughts we think, who and what we follow, to the beliefs we adopt, they all become involuntary and habitual practice. And quite naturally, we become good at those things.
Winners embody a deliberate and intentional disciplined kind of practice. It isn’t by happenstance but rather intentional and on PURPOSE!
Small business enterprises are no exception. Any successful small business enterprise with longevity does what winners do; they intentionally follow a strategic plan and practice over and over again.
It will play out like this:
They devise the plan, execute the plan, innovate, if need be, shift where needed and find creative ways to move the needle in the direction of their vision, mission, core values and goals. They make strategic critical decisions and are deliberate in how they execute those decisions to mitigate risk. And they repeat the process as time passes and economic trends emerges, and client needs change.
They find reward and gratification in the challenge. The leaders of these companies embody a deliberate and intentional disciplined kind of practice. They know it isn’t by happenstance that they will win, but rather intentionally and on purpose. They become good at what they practice, and longevity is the blissful outcome.
On the contrary, small business enterprises; particularly those in the early growth stage that fail or become stagnant also have a method of unconscious involuntary practice in place.
It generally plays out like this.
There’s an experience an event/series of events or something that happens, i.e., an idea didn’t work, an ineffective recruitment strategy, insufficient sales strategy, lack of capital, and the list goes on, that jars the Owner/CEO emotionally. Owners/leaders then go from making strategic moves/executing the plan to making cautious fear-based decisions or no move at all leaving them stuck and the company in slow growth, stagnant or ultimately shutting down.
In both cases there were practices. So yes, practice is the key – but “what” is being practiced is paramount.
If the adopted practice is habitually thinking something can’t be done, it certainly cannot – even if it can. (this is worth an article in and of itself), because I’ll say it again, we become good at what we practice and as leaders, it transfers to others and ultimately results.
For small business enterprise owners stuck in the experience of something that didn’t work, here’s a new practice to overcome habitual thinking that stops business growth.
a. Follow the strategic plan.
b. Find a time management system.
c. Put every activity in the time management system.
d. Never miss an activity in the time management system.
e. Find a coach/consultant if needed to hold you accountable.
Remember, your thoughts are in your hands, but the results are in your practice. You must complete the list in the system without fail.
If you’re managing and operating a small business enterprise in advance growth, your thoughts got you where you are but a new well thought out practice can take you places you’ve never been. Winners get up and practice even when they don’t feel like it. The question is “will you”?
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