How many times have we read an article about a successful entrepreneur and their "key" to success was . . .

Working Hard!

The problem with that statement is that they have not told you the entire story and this simple phrase can lead the budding newbie astray. Yes if you want anything in life you will probably have to apply yourself and do the work to be successful. But, that’s only one part of the equation!

Who works harder . . . a ditch digger or a a successful hedge fund manager?

Most would immediately say "The ditch digger" because our natural instinct is to relate "hard work" with physical effort. But, do you really think the successful hedge fund manager just gets "lucky" every year? Sure, it could happen occasionally but they work "hard" too however their effort is mental and not necessarily physical.

So, if you want to be the best at something then you will need to work at it. But, if you want to be remarkably successful you need to . . .

Work Hard At The RIGHT Opportunity!

 

The good news is that if you own your business then you can try many different opportunities!

The BAD news is that if you own your business you can try many different opportunities!

 

I call this "shiny object syndrome" and the entrepreneurial spirit that got us into these businesses can quickly derail us into oblivion. So, the key to overcoming this is to do the following:

Step One:

Choose a single opportunity you want to invest your time in for the next six months at a minimum. Ignore the other "opportunities" that come your way (and there will be many I promise!)

Step Two:

Decide if this opportunity is worth the effort. If you are going to devote a disproportionate amount of time to this new opportunity what is the payoff?

Could it increase sales 10%, 20% or more?

Could it add another zero to your paycheck this year?

Remember, you are going to give maximum effort to this ONE opportunity for six months minimum. Make sure the payoff is worth the "hard work" you are going to apply.

Step Three:

Take action!

You know the end result you want to achieve, now turn that into a monthly plan which should be broken up into a weekly plan and finally a daily plan. Now forget the six month "end goal" and just focus on what you are going to do today and that’s it!

Wake up, apply action to your DAILY plan and move on knowing that when those days accumulate over the next six months good things will happen.

Does "hard work" really matter? Of course it does! But, if you want to achieve greatness you need to be very selective with the opportunities you allow into your life. In fact, I would argue that you will become more successful by saying "no" to more opportunities than you say "yes" to!