Adventures in Business

Man, oh, man! Why do business owners get so serious about each action step they take?

Nothing in business is set in stone. There are no guarantees that if you do something well once, that it will keep on working. You could have the best product or service and you may not make enough profits.

I'm not trying to discourage you from getting excited about business. Actually, it's the opposite.

I want you to be freakin' out-of-your-mind excited! But you have to see the business as a game — an ongoing adventure.

Have you ever taken a vacation to a really cool place where you slid into it unattached and you ended up having the best time ever?

That's the healthiest (and most prosperous) way of approaching big projects, hiring new people, and taking leaps that stretch you into new territory in your business, too.

When you are about to expand into any new areas of your business, prepare for a wild ride.

Here's how it usually looks:

1. Fear about stepping into this new arena is overwhelming.
2. Talk yourself off the ledge and decide to go for expansion.
3. Set your goals with specific outcomes.
4. Brainstorm ideas and strategies to support those outcomes.
5. Get stuck in 'how' to pull it off.
6. Feel anxiety that it may not work.
7. Give up or push through with fear nipping at your heels.
8. A stress filled ride to crappy results.

I suggest that Step 5 be: Infuse adventure and fun into every step.

Which means the rest of the steps would look like this:

9. Request help from those that have expertise in your desired outcome.
10.Test your strategies and adjust based on results.
11. Check in: How is this feeling? Adjust based on your answer.
12. Move forward as if this will be your best adventure ever.
13. Appreciate your outcome ... good or bad. (When you learn from the experience then nothing is actually bad.)

This thing called business is an adventure. You never know how it's going to unfold but you can count on getting whatever you expect.

Your perspective dictates your results. If you move into a new idea expecting to learn, stretch, adjust and fully experience the thrill of the ride, your business will thrive.

Thrive on!