Over the last 48 hours I have talked to three business owners, all successful, with incredible stories, and all of them facing the end of their entrepreneurial dream. All of them have the same problem – they cannot see past the storm they are in.
Most entrepreneurs are used to walking deserts or climbing high mountains to get to their goals. Often in distress, the problem with solving problems as the issues vs goals become so large/heavy/complex that you are overwhelmed not just by the weight of the situation (and those that depend on you) but also the speed at which issues are coming at you. Almost like a hailstorm, where you die from a thousand cuts in a very short period of time.
How do you get out of this storm? Laser focus.
Most business leaders have too much on their list of actions, priorities and likely goals. How can you score enough goals to win when you have so many different goals you are shooting for. You run out of time; you run out of cash flow. Often, Newpoint finds owners in the storm clinging to ideals, self-images and goals that while noble, do not provide the right focus in the moment and only create drag.
Getting creative in a laser focused way is how successful entrepreneurs and business owners win. And often that win comes in unexpected ways. Sometimes this is referred to as the pivot or sometimes it is a matter of getting simple and clear with your goals. Whichever it is, it is a rearrangement of your goals to fit the reality of the hailstorm you are in. Looking at your resources, the time remaining (usually a version of the cash flow you have) and coming up with a way to move away from the hailstorm and into a new direction. We have referred to it as “entrepreneurship interrupted” where you take a moment to fix something foundational about your business so you can move forward with the right tools for the hailstorm and sometimes you are pivoting, finding what you thought was irreplaceable and invaluable to be the boat anchor that it is. Letting go to move forward is incredibly valuable. And you don’t always have to let go forever. In the entrepreneurship interrupted mode, you are just putting some priorities or “must haves” down your list to come back to when you have gotten out of the storm.
From experience, Newpoint knows that when faced with such do or die odds, many of us say “I can’t” or “I won’t” give up on these things or people or ideas. But remember, you are in this for the long haul. You are trying to help people, and you cannot do that if you lose all our employees and you lay under a mountain of debt.
Develop the courage to see tomorrow more clearly, get creative with your to do list, drop the weight that has you trapped in the storm and focus on the things you can change in this moment. Imagining a new route forward allows you to stop the hailstorm, come back stronger and even take on those issues you could not in the hailstorm or you recognize them as issues of the past and move on.
Fighting the truth only slows you down and speeds up your demise. Tomorrow will still come. The future still needs you. Will you find a way out of the storm, focus on the moment and be creative, to see your business to the other side.
If creative strength is something you are having trouble imaging or you know someone in that situation, give them a hand by sending them to Newpoint. We know the many ways out of a hailstorm. Let us introduce you to the ultimate hailstorm stopper – TAME™. Stop the stress and move forward.
Take control of your business performance.