Feeling Sidetracked? 10 Biggest
Time-Wasters
If you want to be a successful
entrepreneur, you've got to have a laser-like focus, something that's harder to
do now than ever before.
If you want to be a successful
entrepreneur, then you only need to do one thing: Invent, develop, and market a
product or service that customers really need or want. There are, however, a
few caveats:
It has to be an innovative solution
to an important problem and far better, cheaper, or easier to use than competitive
solutions.
You must be able to make enough
money doing it to justify the investment in time and capital.
You have to have a laser-like focus
on making all that happen.
That's all way easier said than
done, I know. One of the reasons for that, and a big issue that holds most
people back, is that last part, the need to have a "laser-like
focus." The good news is it also happens to be the easiest hurdle to
overcome because it's entirely within your control.
To that end, here are 10 things you
absolutely need to quit doing right now if you want to make it as an
entrepreneur:
You live online. Wasting time on Facebook. Playing with apps. Emailing and
texting. Buying every stupid little gadget ever imagined. You quit doing all
that, you'll have more time to actually get things done than you know what to
do with.
You look for a lottery ticket. If you're after an easy way out, a quick fix, a silver
bullet, an overnight viral success, I can tell you one thing for sure. You
won't find it. Ever. That's just not how this sort of thing works.
You're building your "personal
brand." If you're in the self-help genre
and you want to be the next Tony Robbins or Tim Ferris, then promote yourself.
Be my guest. Unless you are the product, focus on the product and its customers,
not you.
You play small ball. Successful entrepreneurs don't do things halfway or
half-assed. Focus on one thing, go all in, get it done, and do it right. What
about serial entrepreneurs? Most people who call themselves that aren't. Also,
the key word is serial, not parallel.
You network randomly. Relationships are critical to business success.
Networking and schmoozing are key to forming relationships. But randomly
connecting with thousands of strangers online won't help one bit. Be focused
about it. And remember: one real, reliable relationship in the real world is
worth a thousand online connections.
You troll for Twitter followers. If you're Ashton Kutcher or Kim Kardashian, that's great.
Otherwise, it's nothing but a distraction--a complete and total waste of time.
You want stuff. Hopes and dreams are great, but one thing that successful
entrepreneurs have in common is that they're lean and mean. They're willing to
sacrifice. That's what helps to keep them focused. Necessity is the mother of
invention. Wanting and owning lots of stuff is not.
You ask people how they can help you. Instead, ask them how you can help them. Believe it or not,
that's the door opener for opportunity. WIIFM (What's In It For Me) isn't
really about you, it's about understanding the motivation of the other person.
You have useless ideas. Yes, I know the story of 3M's Post-It Notes. It was an
accident. Whatever. If you're paid to do pure research, that's great.
Otherwise, start with a problem or a need, not a solution or an invention. Mark
Zuckerberg wanted to rate the looks of female classmates. Shallow as that may
be, it had a purpose.
You search for inspiration and
positive reinforcement. If you're
lost, that's fine. That's a very good way to find something. When you do, just
make sure you're passionate about it. If not, keep looking. But if you have a
low tolerance for obstacles and challenges, that's not a good sign. It helps if
you're a self-driven problem solver, as opposed to a whiner who needs a lot of
handholding.
One more thing. Stop trying to be
more productive. Our obsession with personal productivity is, ironically, one
of the biggest timewasters ever. The only productivity tips you need are on
this page. If doing away with any of that stuff amounts to a big sacrifice, join
the club. That's just how being an entrepreneur works
Steve Tobakhttp://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/10-things-you-need-to-quit-doing-right-now.html?cid=em01020week03a&nav=su
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