better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

How To Keep Going!

22 June 2020

It seems that lots of people have done the ‘couch to 5k’ thing. They start on the couch and end up being able to run a bit. Good for them.

In the UK we really should call it ‘sofa to some distance’ …given how we buy sofas and like a more relaxed approach to targets.

In my case, and I’m sure I’ve said this before, I’m still at the sofa stage. I’m doing really well at that too, my sofa app tells me I’m really making progress and have almost mastered the sedentary phase of the training. Stage two is advanced faffing. I have some experience here and am looking forward to learning more about procrastination. Maybe the day after tomorrow.

However, running for fitness is all well and good, but what of business?

I’m struck that we don’t seem to have a ‘recession to success’ app. One that sets clear milestones, allows us to share our daily achievements and be celebrated for keeping going.

We work largely in isolation and have no real idea of what other people are doing. We all reinvent the wheel for ourselves without being able to compare and contrast what others are doing.

Luckily, as I work as a business coach, I’m able to support my clients and share best practice. It amazes me how many people don’t hire a coach and instead tough it out on their own.

The race to survive is about creativity, clear thinking and application. Easy words to write and yet so difficult to make happen on our own.

We are bound by our own limitations and fears. We often don’t even know we have them, which is where a good coach can be invaluable.

A small expense on a coach could be the difference that enables us to stay in business. Doing it on our own is like doing couch to 5k without the app, without any guidance and without any form of new input.

Who would do that?

So, if you want to keep going here are three tips:

1. Work harder than you ever have before. Sustained effort will bring rewards, as competitors fall by the wayside.

2. Be creative. I’m realising now that I’m hired for my creativity. Without a solid creative input we are likely to miss opportunities and just tweak things, without ever changing much.

3. Get help. External views, ideas and encouragement bring energy into our business.

Whatever we do we need to change it up and do new things in new ways with new people.

We can all find our way, which in my case might be off the sofa and out for a run. Perhaps the day after tomorrow…

Keep well and keep going!

Next week: Productivity and mental health