On this date, 10 years ago, I did something that didn’t make any sense at all. It was illogical and several people tried to talk me out of it.
But I did it anyway.
Even more people were confused by what I was doing and thought, suggesting perhaps, that I wasn’t thinking clearly.
But I did it anyway.
10 years ago, I made the decision to quit my job as a lawyer and I filed documents to officially organize a pest control company.
It was the single, most important decision of my professional life. So, to honor that special day, I decided to create a list of the top ten things that have surprised me about my first 10 years in business.
Not that I can summarize ten years into a list of ten items-but I’m a list guy, and your attention span probably couldn’t handle much more than that.
#1-Mistakes are not that serious
When you start a business, the speed at which you make mistakes increases drastically. Enjoy the ride. Success is not what leads to success, mistakes are.
#2-The people around you are your greatest asset
Your partners, family, employees, vendors and others who are along for the ride will bring you the greatest happiness in your pursuit. Sure the money is nice, but without the people, chasing the money is a shallow endeavor. Make sure to bring someone along.
#3-There is a surprising amount of luck involved
I know, I know. This surprised me too. Especially given I’m the “you can accomplish anything guy.” The major control that we have in the process is just figuring out a way to stay in the game long enough so that some of that “luck” can shine down on us. If we can just hold on until we find that key partner, marketing strategy, employee or even pivot into a new line of business, we will be successful.
#4-Risk is less scary than regret
We all have different risk tolerances. We talk about risk frequently. But have you ever asked yourself what your “regret tolerance” is? At the end of your life, are you going to be ok not having gone for it? When you are making a decision, don’t just consider the potential risk. Consider the potential regret also.
#5-Sacrifice is required
I am writing a book about how entrepreneurs can sacrifice to achieve success without sacrificing what matters most. Over the years, I have come up short frequently in deciding which sacrifices to make. I have learned that if it is a sacrifice that will negatively impact your life in 5 or more years, it is a bad trade.
#6 Gratitude=happiness
I used to think that I would be happy once my business was successful. I wasn’t. Then I thought I would be happy once I didn’t have to work anymore. Wrong again. Over the years I learned that it is much more important to want what you have than to have what you want. If you want true happiness, count your blessings and name them one-by-one.
#7 Find those that have done what you want to do
There are people out there who know a lot more than you do. I know, shocking. Find them. Figure out how to add value to what they are wanting to accomplish. Find a way to help them on their journey. The way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.
#8 You are not limited by your abilities, you are limited by your thinking
This seems to fly in the face of number three (“There is a surprising amount of luck involved”). It doesn’t. Remember the part about needing to stay in the game as long as possible? Well, the way to do that is to “take the lid off” of what we think we can accomplish. That will keep us motivated.
#9 You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with
Cliche. I know. But for good reason. My guess is you spend time with people who don’t lift you up. I’m ok with that as long as it is not an excessive amount of time, you understand what the relationship ACTUALLY is, and you have others next to you whose level you can only see by looking up.
#10 No matter what you accomplish, YOU ARE ENOUGH
My “ten-years-ago self” would not have allowed this on the list. Too cheesy and “touchy-feely.” But things change (thankfully). No matter what you accomplish (or don’t), you are enough. And the reason why is specifically because whether you are enough has nothing to do with what you accomplish. Remind yourself of that regularly. I know I need to.
