We easily laugh at the well-known definition of insanity, without applying the truth to our own circumstances: “Insanity is doing the same things over and over, expecting a different result.”
TIME and lack of it is the perennial challenge. Be honest with yourself. You are currently allocating your time with survival at the back of your mind. Growth – personal growth but also growing your business – has become a luxury you do not even think of.
One way of challenging this mindset, is to take the next month to observe your actions and use of time. Write down in your diary every day, exactly what you do each hour of the day. Try to identify repeat jobs that are time consuming but need doing on a regular basis. It might be that you like doing these jobs and spend more time on them than your day allows. This results in neglecting important tasks that would make your business grow or take you a step forward.
Try to spot patterns in your day and ask yourself which jobs could be delegated to free you for “growth” tasks. This is no easy mind shift because it might require that you stop doing what you are good at.
Reformulating the Insanity definition could result in honestly asking yourself the following questions:
- Did my business grow in the past year or did I merely survive?
- What have I done differently in the last year or what did I neglect to do?
- If I do everything in the same way, can I expect to have a different result at the end of this year?
Researchers have found that when a person raises his standards, his brain finds a way to climb the mountain. It all boils down to an inner game of reframing your mind. If last year was just another survival year – don’t allow this year to be the same. Raise your standards, challenge your commitment and change your habits through tiny actions to move forward.
