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29 May 2014

Strive for Better – Not Perfect

We all know it’s impossible to be perfect. Or it would be impossible if we could even agree on what perfect meant in the business world. And yet, even if it’s secretly, most of us want to be perfect and we want our businesses to be perfect too.

Here’s a Growth Coach challenge for your summer: stop trying to measure yourself and your business against the impossible measuring stick of being perfect. Stop facing the daily frustration of feeling less than perfect (especially since we’re ALL less than perfect) and instead create a path to improvement so you can celebrate your journey later.

Before the official start of summer on June 21, sit down and think about where you want your business to be by the end of the year. Don’t worry about being perfect – just focus on improving. Where do you want your sales to be? What do you want your team to accomplish? Is there a profit number you’d like to meet? Be reasonable about what you want to be able to do in the next six months and then write those goals down.

Once you’ve set those maybe challenging – but reachable – goals, think about what you need to do to meet each one. Maybe you need to look at rearranging your schedule or delegating tasks to find more time to get out and sell or meet with your best clients. Or maybe you need to have a company retreat to explain the goals company-wide and refocus each member of your team. Could it be that you need to find ways to cut costs to help reach that profit goal? If you find yourself struggling with how you can meet your goals, set up a free consultation with your local Growth Coach here: http://www.thegrowthcoach.com/talk-with-a-coach.aspx.

But wait – the challenge doesn’t end there. Once you’ve decided where you want to take the business, you need to take time to reflect on the progress you’ve already made. Whether you’ve been open for sixteen years or six months, you’ve made it through certain struggles, you’ve learned to adapt to changing needs and you’ve grown as a business owner. With that experience, evaluate what’s worked, what hasn’t worked and how far you’ve already come. Also be sure to take note of where you are today. If you stick to your improvement plan and meet those goals you’ve set, you’ll want a starting place for comparison.

As you’re facing the beginning of this challenge over the next few weeks, remember that part of being able to be successful in business is having balance in life. Don’t forget that being successful isn’t all about making money – it’s also about building a business that allows you to spend time with your friends and family doing the things you love. Once you’re able to meet those goals and find balance, you’ll see that perfect isn’t so important after all. Or maybe we just need a new definition for the word.

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