I admit it. It’s very easy to look at what others are doing and question whether or not you’re on the right track toward building the business you crave.
I’ve been there. But you know what, I’ve also never been more clear that for every minute I spent focused on what others were doing, I was losing a minute to make the impact I was born to make.
Sadly, every day new business owners burst onto the scene and get caught up in looking at what others are doing and trying to piece business building strategy out of what they THINK is the ticket to a 7 figure business.
That’s what happened to Addison, who I am excited to feature in this week’s episode of Incredible Factor TV. Check out her question:
“Hi Darnyelle. I’ve been in business for quite a few years and I have to admit, I keep getting caught up by the green monster. I see others who, according to social media, are doing “big” things, and because I am not where I want to be I start the comparison game. Help me stop, please!”
See my response to her confession in this week’s episode here:
As I share in the episode, don’t believe the hype. Instead, focus on creating your own results. It’s very easy to look what I like to call “Facebook Famous”, but those who are doing big things aren’t using social media to broadcast them to the world. Now, if you’ve heard of the “impression of increase,” you may believe that by broadcasting your success, you’ll attract clients. If you’ve ever heard the expression, “the one who screams the loudest has nothing to say,” you’ll know where I am going with this.
There’s no one who can do it better than you when you do it. So rather than watch others who may or may not be doing what they post, I recommend the following tips to stop comparing yourself to others so you can focus on moving the needle in your business:
- Get clear about who you are and what you bring to the table. If you are operating in your core gifts and talents, you can’t be touched by (or compared to) others. So instead of watching the statuses of your competitors, focus on what makes you, uniquely you. Focus on the results that you get each and every time for those that you serve. And most importantly, focus on showing your current clients how to refer new clients to you.
- Remove the obstacles that cause the comparison. Trust me, I know that the distractions are plentiful in today’s marketplace. So, it’s very important that you think things through and position yourself for success by removing the obstacles. Here’s what I mean: if you know that you like to peruse statuses on Facebook, and when you do, it makes you green with envy and causes negative feelings and emotions to rise up, STOP. While I don’t disagree that a social media presence is essential today, no one said you had to spend hours on social media, right?
- Decide to be the best version of yourself. These days, I am constantly reminded of the Emerson quote, “Once you decide, all of the Universe conspires to give you what you want.” So rather than lament in watching others, why not decide to grow your business. You’ll be amazed at what will happen when you just decide.
- Run YOUR race. It’s easy to compare yourself to others when you don’t have to walk a mile in their shoes. Trust me, the grass is seldom greener and if you started to water your own lawn, you’d suddenly have greener grass too. (By water your lawn, I mean focus on business-building activity by leveraging my 80/20 rule of business building. Never spend more than 20% of your time on those activities, like social media, that don’t directly connect you to revenue.) If you’re a business owner, you’re smart and you created a plan to build a business. Do what you know to do. Run YOUR race. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. With a sound plan, you’ll generate revenue, not likes.
- Keep moving in the direction of your goals. By leveraging the plan you created when you started your business and working it with consistency, you will move toward your goals. Keep moving. Stop looking left and right. FOCUS – Follow One Course Until Successful.
Now, I want to hear from you: What’s your two cents? How else can Addison stop comparing herself to others?
©2015 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Business Optimization Coach and Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises®, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program so you experience financial and spiritual abundance in your life because of your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Even Smart Entrepreneurs Must Avoid for Clients, Connection and Cash Flow!” just fill out the form below.
