In business, like in life in general, there are two types of people: proactive and reactive. While one group is not necessarily better than the other, you need to quickly find out what kind of businessperson you are because this influences how you are inspired.
Proactive people are inspired by things they desire. They work towards things. They are attracted to certain goals and outcomes. In other words, proactive people are aspirational people-they aspire to things. They turn ideas that you can’t see into things you can touch, see, hear, smell, and taste.
On the other end of the spectrum are reactive people. These people aren’t inspired by things they like or aspire to. Instead, they are motivated by fear. They are inspired to produce solutions because they fear losing something. They work best when their backs are against the wall. They produce solutions when all other easier options are gone. These are the types of businesspeople that nail a three-point shot just in time for the game-ending buzzer. Know which type of businessperson you are so you can put together a strategy that will give you the right kind of inspiration.
Finding your inspiration if you are the proactive type
If you need new ideas to take your business further and higher and you’re stuck, do the following. List the things you like about your business. What are the qualities of your products and services that truly excite you? Once you have a list of the things that you are passionate about, make a list of possible new solutions you can offer based on these qualities. Rank them based on how closely these solutions match your current offerings. Next, rank these new solutions or possible new products or services based on how easily your current systems can produce or provide them. Seriously consider developing the top two or three items.
Finding your inspiration if you are the reactive type
If it takes you a long time to come up with new products or services or it takes you a while to make changes to your business systems, you might want to find your inspiration for new solutions through the following method. Look at the income and revenue growth rate of your business. Look at the rate your competitors are growing. Look at the rate of growth of your industry as a whole.
Now, ask yourself: what will happen to my business if I let it get stuck at its current rate of growth and/or profitability? If you’re honest with yourself, if you ask yourself these questions, the answers will not be positive. Not by a longshot. You know full well that your industry, like most other industries, is changing quickly whatever advantages your business enjoys today might not be there tomorrow. Your business’ future would be grim indeed unless you make some much-needed changes that can future proof your business. Think about the lack of control, anxiety, and frustration you’ll feel when you let things slide and let things take their course. Focus on this sense of urgency when making plans for what you need to do to make your business survive in the future.
Focus on your current frustration and fears regarding your business and realize that whatever you’re feeling now will be a million times worse if you let your business continue to slide. Zero in on these feelings to get the inspiration you need to put together a winning plan for the future. You’re not shooting for success because success would be a nice thing to have. You’re playing for keeps because you need to. It is a matter of life or death.
By clearly identifying how you process feedback and stimuli, you go a long way in effectively finding your inspiration. All people aren’t inspired by hope. Not all people are inspired by fear and potential disaster. Finding your inspiration is all about figuring out your emotional trigger and planning your business initiatives accordingly.
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