The entrepreneur’s path is rarely a straight line: we go off on detours, get sidetracked, bump into obstacles, and sometimes even back up a little as we move towards the goals for our businesses. But it’s really important not to get “stuck in the weeds.”
Because of the traits we have that enable us to be entrepreneurs in the first place — a high degree of creativity, the ability to take risks, chutzpah, and the sheer number of ideas we generate — it’s so easy to follow every bright shiny object that crosses our path.
We love to do this — we even go out of our way to do this! How many times have you left a project unfinished to follow some delicious new idea, even if it takes you entirely off track and opens up a can of worms? You know you need to finish the project at hand, but the new idea is so enticing, so interesting, you can’t resist — so off you go, sometimes at great expense in terms of dollars and/or time, putting yourself way behind schedule and getting caught up in a new set of twists and turns that may have very little to do with moving your business forward. (Ouch, sounds like me.)
And before long, you’re stuck in the weeds. Off the path. And you may not even recognize it.
It’s okay. We all do it! The important thing is to get in the habit of checking yourself every so often to find out if you’re on your path moving towards your business objectives, or if you’re off on a tangent and stuck in the weeds — and you know the difference.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Marcia–
Sounds like you’re living in my head! I get so many things 1/2 or 3/4 done and then flit off to the next thing I can’t believe it sometimes. I read somewhere (and agree) that this is one of the biggest reasons businesses fail. We quit to early. We often charge off to the next thing before we give our current project a real chance at getting off the ground.
Thanks for your post…you encouraged me today!
On a side note, it might help your opt-in rates if you put a picture of the report and a CD in the opt-in boxes…it’ll give people something visual to draw their attention.
Thanks Todd — if I’m living in your head, it’s only because I’ve been living in my OWN head, and talking to lots and lots of business owners ! Birds of a feather and all that. Glad I could help.
AND, you helped me. I’ll add the visuals to my sidebar — great idea!
M
Marcia,
Stuck in the weeds? That’s nothing. There have been times when I’ve wandered off into the bramble bushes! (You know, the ones with all the nasty sharp thorns)
I actually have to talk to myself out loud sometimes to keep myself from straying off into “bright shiny object” land. Darn those copywriters! They know exactly how to rope me in. :-)
Melanie, Melanie, I know, I know! If only everything wasn’t so interesting!
M
I hear ya knockin’ and ya can come in!
You’re so right, Marcia. There’s just too many interesting, intriguing, scrumpdiddlyitious things that grab my attention … and pull me into those doggone weeds again.
I’m starting to build up my defenses, though, with some pretty strong armor. The second I see something interesting that might pull me away from important tasks, I stop in my tracks. Then I ask myself if this “thing” is going to do anything at all to help me build my business. If the answer is clearly “no”, I’m learning to instantly hit the delete button!
Mmm, yes… delicious new things! That describes it perfectly. The bright shiny object syndrome. I have it, too.
Okay, okay… I’ll get back to work now.
;-)