Getting burnt out is temporary

"Successful people are successful because they form the habits of doing those things that failures don't like to do." - Albert Gray (one of those habits is perseverance)

Otherwise little Joey here is going to stomp you out like a used cigarette. Capish?

Anyone who works hard for a living will always experience the dreaded phrase we call "burn out" It is when you are always tired, hate what you're doing and wish you could just retreat to a tropical island and never have to worry about anything. There are those who keep persevering, and then there are those who simply give up.

The old belief is that "Quitting never gets you ahead in life." I don't mean to shock you, but that phrase can be WRONG. We've been programmed to automatically assume a negative connotation with the word "quit" Sometimes, you need to quit something to get ahead.

For example, to quit wasting time definitely gets you ahead. Quitting smoking saves you money. Quitting telling dumb jokes saves your reputation. It's not necessarily a question of WHEN to quit, it's a question of WHAT to quit. Once you know what to quit...then you know when to quit (which is usually between Right Now and Immediately)

To avoid burning out, or to recover from burn out, you need to define what to quit. A lot of times, it's the little things that break the camel's back. So...what are some things you can quit to improve your experience?

• Quit doing things that do not directly contribute to the completion of your primary task or make you any money. Activity does not necessarily equal productivity. Do NOT work for the sake of work.
  

• Quit getting distracted. This means constantly checking email, responding to unimportant messages, or taking social calls during times you should be productive. Productivity relies on momentum. Distractions only hamper your momentum.

• Quit sacrificing personal time to work. When you're tired, stressed and/or unhappy, you are less productive. Be resolute in making sure you get some time to spend for yourself (and your family...if applicable). This one of the biggest mistakes people do, and why they get burnt out quickly. As the old saying goes, "When something's important, you MAKE THE TIME."

And lets say you did all that, and you still feel burnt out...then you should reconsider what you're doing entirely. It may be as simple as your job/business just isn't fulfilling to you. In that case, you should move on to something else that's more fulfilling, even if it means earning less money. You don't need to be rich to be happy. You need to be fulfilled to be happy.

If any of you have read the book "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss, you will find that these concepts are quite similar. For those of you who haven't read the book, I HIGHLY recommend you buy it. It is extremely useful.

Get out of your comfort zone

Sorry, I found this picture to be too funny to not use, even though it's totally irrelevant.

On the subject of gold chains and mohawks, I pity the foo' who does the same things over and over and expecting different results.

If you look at any successful entrpreneur, they all have many things in common fundamentally. One of those things was the sheer determination to do things that most people would be uncomfortable or afraid to do. It is precisely because they do what most don't that leads to their inevitable success. Of course, that's not to say that these people never fail. In fact, all successful entrepreneurs will fail AT LEAST several times before finally succeeding.

Failure is uncomfortable. No one likes to fail. Many people will refer to the quote, "Play with fire and you get burned." Well...so what if you get burned a little? You become all the wiser. It is the fact that you made a mistake or failed that teaches you to appreciate not only what you have, but to appreciate what you're aspiring for.

When you can bring yourself to do things that most people won't (within reason of course...I'm not saying go walk naked out on the streets...) you will find that there's very little competition on the other side of the fence. If being an entrepreneur was easy, don't you think everyone would be one then?

I know I used this quote in a previous post, but it begs to be repeated. A successful entrepreneur once told me, "You know why people never get ahead in life? It's not because they set the bar too high. It's because they set the bar too low, and they keep jumping over it each and every time in a ritual of sheer habit."

As an entrepreneur, you will be faced with many unknowns. You will have to become something you've never been educated or trained to do. You will learn as you go, and you WILL make mistakes along the way. However, don't let it get to you, it's just part of the process of being successful. Starting something is always the hardest thing to do.

Take running for example. When you first start your run, your muscles burn and you're practically wheezing...because you've went from a state of comfort and low activity to a state of motion. However, you find that after the first 10-15 minutes, your body adapts to being in a state of motion...your breathing slows down and your muscles stop burning. It is a simple example, yes, but it is true of any endeavor in life. It will always be difficult at first to get out of your comfort zone...but when you do (and persevere), you will go far.

And with that, I shall leave you with a wonderful quote by Mark Twain:

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."

The first step is always the hardest

Floid Factoid: A plane or shuttle burns the most fuel during take off.

If you ask any serious entrepreneur what were some of the most difficult times of his/her venture, it'll usually be "the start-up phase" It can also happen to be the most fun, but it all depends on your mindset and your determination.

From what I've garnered from personal experience and the experience of others, most people become intimidated by the often daunting task of starting a new business. As you may have read in my previous posts, it takes iron determination, a good deal of homework and a passion for what you do. If you were to survey salesmen or entrepreneurs, most of them fail/drop-out in the beginning stages (1st year usually) of their endeavors. Out of those who make it past the initial stages (after 1-2 years or so), very few end up dropping out in the mid to late term. That is why entrepreneurs are a minority. If it was easy, then everyone would be doing it, right? However, that is why the rewards are so great.

Newton's Law of Inertia applies to people too. Objects that are stationary remain stationary, and objects in motion stay in motion unless an external force interferes. When you first start a business, you're going from a stationary state to a state of motion. However, the greatest amount of force exerted is in the initial acceleration phase. As the factoid above mentions, a plane/shuttle burns the most fuel on take-off in order to overcome friction and gravity. If you're in a state of motion, momentum will keep you going. In fact, with momentum, things get a lot easier.

As a future or a current entrepreneur, don't let the daunting tasks in the beginning deter you. Yes, you will have to work hard. Yes, you will have to make sacrifices. Most importantly, you will have to venture into the unknown. However, keep in mind that for every day you work hard now, that is one more day you have earned for yourself in living the life you want in the future. You are making an investment in the present to generate a great return in the future.

Just keep pushing forward. Eventually, momentum will take over.

Whew, looks like I JUST made the post right before 12:00 AM ;) By the way, I'm changing my blog update days to every Sunday and Wednesday. The next blog post will be on Sunday, May 24th.

Business is nothing personal...

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate...leads to suffering!" -Yoda (no...not KERMIT!)

Emotions...most illogical...

Ok, nerd hour has officially ended. By the way, Star Trek was an awesome movie.

Emotion is a double edged sword. Emotions can be a great source of strength when they are used positively. Note that I didn't say "positive" emotions...because whether an emotion is positive or negative depends on the context of the situation. For example, a "negative" emotion like Anger can actually be very helpful in certain situations, especially when that energy is channeled into a positive thing. On the other hand, emotions can be a fatal weakness as well.

In business, the only room for emotion is when it is used in positive ways. Unfortunately, they are often used in negative ways. A great example is with some of my friends who are small business owners. EVERY business will always have a few clients that are complete divas. Even when there is no problem with your operation, they will find something to complain about.

There is a great quote to remember: "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, and then beat you with experience."

In business, there's a concept called "Cost of retaining a customer." There have been many debates on whether or not you should keep a difficult customer. The answer is No. The reason being is that your time and energy can be used to get new, better customers or strengthen the relationship with your good & loyal customers. However, if it comes down to showing the customer the door, do it professionally, and don't get emotional. Remember, business is nothing personal.

A great entrepreneur once told me, "Listen, business is a mix of sport and war. You'll fight many battles, but ultimately, it's just a competition." I advise you to take this to heart. No one is out to destroy you or kill you. People who are serious in business want to cross the finish line. Some play dirty, but those people usually don't last long. When you start taking business personally, you only cripple yourself.

Oh, and an update on that story with the senior staff jumping ship from that company I spoke about in "No One Can Provide For You Except Yourself" (April). Unfortunately, their office is now closing down. However, as a testament to their strength, they aren't taking it personally. In fact, they're having a yard sale next week, which should be pretty fun ;) They'll get far because they know how to channel their energy in positive ways. We can all learn from their admirable example.

Live long and prosper! Till Saturday!