You see them hosting beautiful retreats overseas, getting tons of attention for their latest video series, and selling info products to thousands of excited students.
Meanwhile, maybe you tried to launch a group program and just a small handful of people (or perhaps no one) signed up. Or you posted an article you poured your heart and soul into, and no one seemed to notice.
In the back of your mind, you wonder: Were they born with a special “entrepreneur gene” that makes everything they launch turn to gold?
It’s not that they all have a special gene. The powerful and often overlooked trait I’ve discovered among successful 6-figure and 7-figure entrepreneurs is commitment.
Being an entrepreneur is not easy. It demands long hours, continual self-promotion, and major financial investments. For those who make it to the top, it’s because they are committed to doing whatever it takes to get there.
They’re willing to take extraordinary actions to reach their goals — no matter how uncomfortable, scary, or inconvenient they are.
That’s what makes them successful.
For example, one of my star students, Julie Parker, is one of the top coaches in Australia. She runs a popular coaching school called Beautiful You Academy and an online magazine called inspired COACH. To say that she’s busy would be an understatement!
Julie was in my Publicity Mastermind a few years ago and had to take 20+ hour flights (each way) to make the retreats in New York. She was always the first one online for our group coaching calls, even though they were at 3am her local time in Australia. When I gave her the schedule, her response was, “Great! I have marked them in my calendar!”
I was so touched and moved by her commitment. Most people wouldn’t consider waking up in the middle of the night for a call. However, Julie told me she wouldn’t miss these calls for the world. This is just one example of why she is so successful.
Today, I have a question for you… how committed have you been to your success?
Have you been taking extraordinary actions — even the uncomfortable, scary and inconvenient ones?
If you haven’t, don’t worry. Now is the perfect time to recommit to your business goals.
Here are five tips to help you recommit to your success and take powerful action:
1) Start with your “why”
Do you remember why you started your business?
Were you tired of being chained to your day job? Did you fantasize about helping thousands of people have better lives? Did you dream of jumping out of bed every morning to start your day?
It can be easy to forget why we are working so hard. Reconnecting to why you want a successful business can help you stay focused and take massive action.
2) Determine your top 3 priorities for this fall
The goal of “growing my business” or even “reaching six figures” won’t get you very far. You need to be clear on specific actions that would move the needle in your business.
For example:
- Enroll 5 new private clients
- Generate an additional $1,500 per month
- Get 100 more email subscribers
Once you have determined the specific goals that will move the needle in your business, you can break them up into smaller steps. For example, if you’d like to get 5 more private clients, your smaller steps could be:
- Research relevant networking events
- Purchase tickets in advance and book the event on my calendar
- Schedule strategy sessions with 5-10 potential clients I meet at events
- Follow up with other potential leads via emails and phone calls every Monday and Tuesday
If you aren’t sure what steps to take, that’s a sign that you might need to work with a coach or enroll in a program to get the right strategy towards your goals.
3) Add a Commitment Hour to your daily schedule
I view my business as a baby. It relies on me to be fed every day. (You would never feed your baby just once a week!) If I need to get up at 6am to take care of it, I’ll do so. It’s up to me to nurture it so it can be a healthy, thriving business.
The Commitment Hour is a great way for you to “feed” your business. This could be developing a new offering, getting on the phone with a prospective client, or planning your goals for the next quarter.
Try adding in this focused hour of quality time with your business every day — when you are focused on the right things, magic happens!
4) Take time every night to plan the next day’s most important tasks
Take 10 minutes at night to make a list of the top three things you want to accomplish the next day. These three things should relate to your top priorities. Leave this list on a post-it on your computer so it’s ready for you in the morning. Make sure to get started on at least one of these tasks within the first hour of your day.
As entrepreneurs, we have to constantly make decisions. By having the task list waiting for you in the morning, you’re less likely to procrastinate, because the decision is already made for you. When you cross those items off your list, you feel a huge sense of accomplishment!
5) Say no to invitations that distract you from your priorities
Saying “no” is one of the most important practices you can have as an entrepreneur. When you say no, you are honoring your time — your most valuable asset.
Each time someone invites you for a coffee date, phone date, or event, ask yourself: Will this move my top priorities forward? If the answer is no, have the courage to say no.
So get ready to commit to your goals, and to take extraordinary actions to reach them.
Selena, I recently read “The Power of No”, a book by James Altucher. I think it fairly adds to your #5 point. Time is our most important and precious asset and we have to protect it.
We could engage in meaningless conversations, meetings, and gossip throughout the entire day. Many people do so. Yet, we’d go nowhere.
I am glad I found you via The Art of Charm :D. That podcast episode is a reference from me and I’ll re-listen it every now and then.
Keep up the good work.