The road less taken

Writers love the analogy of a path and a journey.  Everything in life, right down to life itself is a new experience that we live one step at a time, just like traveling down a new path.  But, as per any path, there are dips and turns that require us to decide which way to move next.

Robert Frost, in the infamous poem, The Road Not Taken said:

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Of course, Robert's comments assume that 1) you have a destination in mind (know where you want to get to ) and  2) The unknown is more rewarding then the path of least resistance.

To that end, building a business is the ultimate journey.  A lot of people have businesses and even more people  have tried to start businesses, but as most people will tell you, most businesses fail, and fail early.  Bloomberg Business cites that 8 out of 10 small businesses crash and burn within the first 18 months.  With that kind of track record, why would anyone start a new business?  I think Robert Frost would suggest, that finding the less travelled path (the one that 2 out of 10 took) may be the way to go - if you want to have any lasting impact.

Sales guru, MJ Durkin would argue that just choosing the path is not enough however. Being creative and different is not enough to be successful.  You also need persistence.  I guarantee that the path that the 20% are on is not littered with wayfinding signs, daisies, and pit stops to replenish your food and water supply.  It's a hard, rocky road with sharp rocks and dangerous animals. But somehow, you do have to stay the course.

I had a rough week last week.  I made my calls.  I scheduled my appointments.  I hosted awesome Open House events.  And still, my results were not what I wanted.  So, I complained.  I whined about how "I am so great", and "this isn't working", and "why aren't I successful yet?"  And then I listened to MJ talk about moving in the direction of your desires.  My little tantrum was not a scheduled stop on my path.  And my stopping to complain about where I was, was the equivalent of saying I want to travel from Connecticut to California and then being  upset 9 miles into the drive that I was only in Pennsylvania. And in the end, that pit stop, did not get me any closer to my destination.

Yes, choosing the path is a big step.  But staying the course and remembering that you are on a journey is the lesson that is often easily forgotten.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  And no one expected it to be.  So why would I put that kind of pressure on my own business development?

Day 15s reason my business is awesome: Trailblazing day after day after day . . .