Yeah, that phrase ‘Goal-Getter’ might be a little corny. Okay, maybe a lot corny…but it’s descriptive.
Do you meet your goals? Achieve them? ‘Get’ them? Tuck them in your pocket when you’re done? I hope so.
But chances are, if you’re reading this right now, you don’t. Get them, that is. They’re still floating out there in the ether somewhere. And there’s one big reason why this happens to businesswomen.
They don’t MYOB.
In the acronym speak, that’s ‘Mind Your Own Business’. They’re too busy paying attention to what everyone else is doing to take care of their own shop – or, as I like to put it – mind their own business.
Do you remember that old saying your Mom used all the time? The one about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’? She said that about all the women on the block who were so concerned about what their neighbors had and what their neighbors did they didn’t see all the good things they did have, even though they were right in front of them.
Entrepreneurs, and especially women entrepreneurs, do the exact same thing. They compare everything about their business to their ‘neighbors’; in this case, other female entrepreneurs. I used to do it too, so I know it happens. And that’s when second-guessing yourself becomes part of the game. You ask yourself:
How is it that we’re doing almost exactly the same thing and she’s making more money than I am? (And let’s be honest here…is she telling you the truth when she tells you how much she’s making? Just sayin’…)
- You get ‘shiny object syndrome’ and start focusing on someone else’s cool business and don’t fuss enough over yours.
- You copy marketing strategies that work for others, instead of staying true to the plan that best represents your company – and the fantastic woman that’s behind it.
So, now that we know how we go about sabotaging ourselves, let’s figure out how to fix it. It took me a lot of time and a lot of soul-searching to do this on my own, but the last thing I want to do is subject you to the same torture, so I’m going to give you a leg up here.
1. Keep it real.
2. Make a plan, and stick to it.
Even if it doesn’t work the first time. Or the second. Here are some more goofy sayings from your parent’s generation…remember ‘third time’s the charm’ and ‘three strikes and you’re out’? They apply here. Give your plan three tries before you scrap it.
3. No one else can MYOB like you do.
Period. You’re the CEO. It’s kind of like having a child. Or another child. Nobody can take care of it like you do.
4. You can be inspired by others, but YOU have to be YOU.
To get the success you want and deserve, you have to earn it your way, on your own terms. It won’t come to you if you hide beneath someone else’s brand.
