You ever find yourself frustrated by other people’s work ethics? Have you ever struggled even with your own at times?
Yesterday, I took my wife’s car in to the shop for some basic maintenance. She just needed an oil change, tire rotation, and look around the engine to ensure everything was running well.
I hate waiting at the mechanic (or anywhere really), so I called the day before to make an appointment and got assurance that I would be taken care of as soon as I came.
So, after arranging to take my son to a different bus stop, I drove the shop expecting an hour or so to get everything finished.
Upon entering the front door, I found the owner sitting behind the mess of a desk a little surprised I was right on time. Knowing I was the type who did not like to wait he asked, “Do you want a loaner, so you can come back to pick it up?”
Wait, I knew if I took the loaner, he would not have any incentive to get my car done as he had promised. It was his way of getting rid of me so he could eat his microwaved breakfast sandwich and watch more The Maury Povich Show (how many paternity tests has this guy done?) on his TV in the waiting room.
Now, I could have taken the loaner and been on my way and started being productive for my own business. However, I chose to decline the offer and sit in the waiting area, so he would be forced to get to my car as he had promised.
I would like to say it worked and I was swiftly on my way, but that is only partly true.
He got to work on the car, but he needed to call to an auto parts dealer to get a part delivered to complete the work.
Of course that part took over an hour to arrive…
At least I had prepared and brought my laptop and started using his only other chair as my desk. To be honest, I got more work done at his shop than he did that day:)
It made me think of all the entrepreneurs I have spoken to and coached over the past several years. I would estimate at least 70% struggle with motivation to get things done.
After all, we, like my ‘friendly’ mechanic, usually work alone out of sight of any boss or authority to force us to be productive.
But what if there was a method, a trick, a system, or something, that could ensure we were not wasting our time, while others were out being more productive?
This mechanic has been at the same location since 1982. He works alone, except for a retired friend who wanders in about 10 AM to gossip and watch reruns on the TV with him. Yes, the same guy comes everyday, I was told.
During that time since 1982, there have surely been countless other auto shop owners who have had to hire, expand, and probably even sold their shops and retired. But, here is the same guy, doing the same thing, by himself for over 30 years. If I could give him the same advice I can give to you, what would it be?
If just today I could speak to those 70% who I hear from who fight procrastination, feeling unmotivated, or even defeated, what would it be?
Well, let me take a shot…
The only thing keeping him at the same little shop and keeping your or me at the same level for decades is one word, Habits.
It has become his habit to work alone, come in a few minutes late, sit at his desk and read the paper, and eat the breakfast sandwich from the same convenience store. It is just what he has gotten used to doing. It is what he allowed himself to settle in for that defines his hours, his days, his weeks, his months, his years, his decades, his life…
If you want to move to being more productive, start by picking one habit of someone in business you admire.
Do you think I love to write daily blog posts? Not really. But I saw someone I admired was doing it. So, I decided to take it up as not a chore or task, but a habit. I get up at 4:30 AM, go to the gym, come home, get my son breakfast, and sit at the laptop do do an email for my list. It is now part of my habit.
This way it is not something I even think about. It is part of my day and like everybody, our lives are defined by what we do daily.
Maybe you want to gain four coaching students a month. How many calls do you have to be on to get that? How many webinars to give? How many networking events to attend? Define that and make it your habit. Every Day.
If you have chosen to be an entrepreneur, that means no one is likely to come and sit across from you and force you to change your habits. You are going to have to decide which results you want and then the habits that help you get there.
What is a goal you have in your business now? Who else has achieved that goal already? Can you find out their habits? Even if you can’t try to make up your own if you need to. But whatever you do, NEVER let your life be defined by decades of the same old thing that never gives you anything else but the same old thing. Remember, we create the lives we have from our habits today. Yes, we are the Fathers!
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