Business checkpoints – In autumn we count our ducklings!

“Even though you are on the right track – you will get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

Every now and then a moment of reflection and analysis is not only required but also decisive if you want to figure out where you are and where you are heading. Starting on a road and never checking on the way if that road is still the right one could not be such a good idea sometimes. And out of the blue you could find yourself missing a corner. This is why we need autumn, to count our ducklings and get them in a row if necessary. Most important, eliminate those obstacles that make us detour from time to time.

Be honest now, first to yourself and then to others. Do you take the time to check on yourself and see if you are where you are supposed to be or do you just go with the flow and be surprised when you reach the waterfall? Do you have the tools and awareness to identify the signs that clearly show you are going in the wrong direction? And what are those signs you should be watching for?

1.       Your decisions are not actually yours. Whenever you have to make a decision you tend to ask for someone’s help and forget what your idea was in the first place. The risk is that after a while you will be where your advisor wants and not where you want. Remember it is your business and if you fail you cannot blame someone else.
2.        You only play it safe. When facing a tough call, do you take chances and assume risks or take the safe road? Playing safe will help you contain all perils and minimize losses, but in the long run your business will not be a profitable one. No pain no gain, and if after some time you don’t register the successes you desire, you have to change something.
3.        You never follow through. If you find yourself in the situation when you are juggling with three or four projects, work for all of them and never see them finished you have a problem with your organizational skills. You are definitely on the wrong path because none of them are exactly what you should be doing. You don’t seem to find the motivation to follow through and you have to choose and focus.
4.        You only see obstacles. When you walk down the road and it never feels like sunshine will never come out on your street but still go on, you should really check your bearings and admit you took a wrong turn somewhere down the road. You are not always a strong character if you fight all of the obstacles, sometimes you need to play smart, change the direction.

But there are also those good times when you are where you should be, all the signs point that the road is right. In this situation is as important to see the signs and carry on. Don’t be afraid that it is just a passing moment; it is up to you to make it a permanent situation. How do you know it is the right scenario?

1.        You wake up in the morning eager to start working.  These are the moments everyone hopes to find. After only four hours of sleep you get up and while brewing your morning coffee you already plan your day, think about your meetings and you are fresh and focused. That is how being in the right place feels like.
2.        Failure only motivates you to try harder. You have a winner attitude, you know exactly what you want and you have a clear path drawn in front of you. There is nothing that can stop you from fulfilling your dream. And as long as you don’t make any compromises you should reach your goal.
3.        People around you hope you will fail. It might be your best friend, or just a business partner, but when people start envying you, you know you are on the road to success. Envy is a natural feeling and it confirms you are doing something so good everyone wants that too. Sometimes is hard to maintain the company of those people but they are worth keeping around to confirm from time to time that you are doing really good.
4.        The majority of people disagree with you.  Do you know how many people fought Da Vinci’s ideas, or Tesla and the list can go on and on? If something is different and never before tried it doesn’t mean you should stop or change. Sometimes it is a clear sign you are actually right and should keep doing it. Believe in yourself, fight for the right of being right.

If you are on the right or wrong path, doing something good or just struggling to find your road you always need to check on your progress and identify correctly where you are. You owe it to yourself to analyze your business progress, count your ducklings and straighten up all loose ends. In the end, no matter how many partners, friends or family you have with you on that journey, you are going to finish it alone. And you are the only one that has to be happy with the end result.

When in doubt, take a knee, breathe deeply and take a good objective look. Do you like what you see?