I love quotes…
And thanks to Facebook, I get my daily dose of inspirational, thought-provoking, sweet and powerful quotes each and every day.
On top of that I signed up for a few sites and have them sent right to my mailbox.
Each time I come across a new one that excites me it goes straight into my file and since I’ve been at it for a few years now, I’ve managed to amass quite a collection of ones that stand out above the rest.
Today I thought I’d share with you five from that collection.
The first is one that I included in my book, iSucceed, and one that took me a while to understand.
Henry Ford once said, “Thinking is the hardest job, which is why so few do it.”
Most people think they think, but as I found out only when we are forced to or when we focus on it do we really think.
Think about it. Most of out day is automatic.
We get up, brush our teeth, put on our clothes, head to work, put in 8 hours, come home, eat dinner, take a shower and head to bed.
Once people get familiar with their work, it’s rare, they spend much time in deep thought about it, instead choosing to get the job done quickly, with the least amount of effort.
I know because I used to be just like that.
I worked hard to learn the ropes at my first job and then coasted. Upward movement within the company was pretty much zero, so I did what I could to free up time for myself by becoming better.
Sadly, any ideas I had to improve the system were dismissed by the administration so I knew that my time there would be short.
Today, as you already know, I spend a lot of time studying which becomes my food for thought.
The more I study, the more I think. And the more I think, the more ideas I come up with. The more creativity seems to appear.
Yes, never underestimate the power of thought.
Benjamin Franklin said, “A small leak will sink a great ship.”
I have seen many a company fail due to poor leadership, often times due to one single person.
The problem is that one person, if they are the wrong person, can act almost like a virus; infecting those around him. Bad habits can become contagious.
And some mistakes are so big that they can sink the whole company. Just ask Nick Leeson.
His reckless trading brought down Barings Bank.
As the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Beware your weakest link.
The third quote that every entrepreneur should remember is by Larry Elder, who said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Lots of people have goals…or at least they think they do.
The problem I have found is that most people’s goals are merely hopes, dreams or wishes.
Goals need to be clear, achievable and well thought out.
We all would like to earn more money, have a better body and enjoy more free time. Regardless of what we want, the question we must constantly ask ourselves is, “HOW are we going to get them?”
Put your mind to work. THINK and brainstorm and come up as many ideas as you can.
Once you have one that really gets you excited, sit down and figure out how you’re going to make it a reality.
The fourth quote on my list of five today is “Begin with the end in mind,” by Steven Covey in his landmark classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Once you have your goal, work backwards from it to where you stand today.
Most people try to start today and work forward. It’s the path most people choose, but it often only ends in frustration and failure. As they haven’t plotted a course to follow, they are unsure of which way to move ahead.
Finally, we come to the 5th quote. You may all be familiar with the law of sowing and reaping. Simply put, if you plant in the spring, chances are high you will have a harvest come fall.
But when my mentor, Jim Rohn, put it another way, I was blow away. He said, “In order to reap, you must sow.”
We tell children to study hard so they can get a good job. Wouldn’t it be better to say, “If you want a good job, then you really need to study.”
It’s the same concept, but flipped around I believe it squarely lays the responsibility on us to take action if we want good results.
A good harvest, good grades, promotions, and pay raises don’t simply fall out of the sky.
They are the rewards given to those who put in the time and the effort.
From the moment I heard that quote, I realized that my better future relied specifically, not on just anything, but on me. 100%.
My actions will either make me rich or they won’t.
And I have complete control over my actions.
I want to reap. So I am sowing.
I know it might take time. I know it might not be easy. I know things can go wrong.
But 5 years will pass whether I choose to take action or not.
No matter what you’ve done up to today, you can begin to show yourself a better future right now.
There you have it – 5 quotes. In a nutshell – Think, choose your team wisely, plan, work backwards and take action.
5 simple ideas that when applied properly to a business are sure to increase your chances of success.
Adrian Shepherd