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Small Business Articles from Make-it-Fly®
 The
Dangers of Avoiding Change
Three Keys to Help Make Change Easy
By Victoria Munro
Printable version
Many business owners today are faced
with the challenge of too much to do and seemingly insufficient
time in which to do it. It is easy to become overwhelmed—there
is always a lot to do and it all seems to need to
be done NOW!
As an entrepreneur you may need to
wear the many hats of CEO, receptionist, sales manager,
marketing director and janitor all rolled into one,
so you can quickly lose focus and become snowed under.
It’s easy to get caught up with the busyness and
just do what we’ve always done. But in order to
maintain our sanity, increase our efficiency and live
balanced lives while growing our businesses we need
to step back, take an objective look at our situation,
and make some needed changes.
To stay competitive
and grow requires innovation and that inevitably means
change. As Charles Darwin said, “It is
not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the
most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Change is vital for our survival and growth, but often
presents our greatest challenge. Developing new habits
isn’t easy—old habits, however unproductive,
are comfortable and usually demand little thought or
effort. Staying in the status quo may be easy, but it
probably won’t get you where you want to go.
Easy Keys
to Makie Positive Changes
Below are three keys that have helped me to make needed
changes.
| 1.
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Keep
Your Eyes on the Prize
Take some time to clearly define where you ultimately
want to take your life and your business and why.
Ask yourself what you want your life and your business
to look like in the future. Conceptualize it—see
it, feel it, smell it. Think about what you want
to be remembered for.
In order to achieve this, note down the changes
you’ll need to make. |
| 2. |
Consider
the Price
Weigh the costs and the rewards. Reflect on what
these needed changes will cost you personally. You
may have to reach beyond your comfort zone—perhaps
learn new technology, work in unfamiliar markets,
brush up on skills you haven’t used lately
or do things you don’t especially enjoy. Be
realistic and understand the price you’ll
have to pay to change. Also consider the possible
consequences of failing to make these changes. |
| 3. |
Commit
to the Process
Write a step-by-step plan to reach your goal. It
needn’t be complicated, but it needs to be
documented. Now, commit to work your plan.
It helps to share your plan with someone else
and ask him or her to hold you accountable to
make the changes and do what you’ve committed
to do. It’s also encouraging to celebrate
your successes, even the small ones, together. |
Keep your eyes on the prize. Recognizing
and remembering the potential payback to you and your
business of making these changes is key—the What’s
in it for me? factor. Focusing
on these benefits often provides the motivation and
self-discipline we need to make the effort and stick
with our new habits. I encourage you to take
your time, your business and your life seriously—take
responsibility for your own success by making necessary
changes.
(629 words)
© 2005-2008 Victoria Munro.
Click here
for printable version.
About the Author: Victoria Munro is
co-founder (along with husband Dave Block) of Make-it-Fly®
LLC, a company dedicated to creating success for
small-business owners through creatively designed programs
and tools. Victoria has started and run nine different
businesses. To receive FREE business success articles
with tips to help you with your business, sign up for
their award-winning ezine, “In-Flight Refueling,”
at: www.Make-it-Fly.com,
and receive a free copy of the eBook, Get
More Done in Less Time: 101 Quick and Easy Time Tactics
& Tips.
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