| Rut -- a routine procedure, situation, or way of | | | | make sure it |
| life that | | | | still inspires me and that it is pointing me in the |
| has become uninteresting and tiresome... And not | | | | direction I want to go. Once sure, I put pen to |
| surprisingly, unprofitable.They say a rut is a | | | | paper and |
| shallow grave with two open ends. The | | | | rewrite it. Not just once, but over and over. And |
| good news (good news?!) is that the ends ARE | | | | I keep |
| still open, | | | | writing until I can't write it anymore because I'm |
| which means if you act fast, you just might out | | | | jumping |
| of it. How | | | | up and down with a new idea I must do |
| do we get into these ruts anyway? Who would | | | | something about right |
| voluntarily lie | | | | away.Conduct a Survey If you don't know what |
| down in that grave, shallow or otherwise?Dr. | | | | to do next, ask |
| Edward Debono suggests that thoughts are | | | | your clients. (They are clients, aren't they?) |
| pathways | | | | Conduct a |
| literally "etched" in our brain as electrical | | | | survey about anything that interests you. Ask |
| connections | | | | them what's |
| that get strengthened each time we think them | | | | bothering them. Ask them what they're stuck on. |
| -- thus | | | | Ask them |
| limiting our mental options. Just like cow paths. It | | | | what they like about your company and what |
| all | | | | they'd like you |
| begins when one of the cows wanders home | | | | to do next. Ask them about new features, or |
| from the field | | | | new products, or |
| along a new path. Being cows, others naturally | | | | new services.If you're not happy with your |
| follow, | | | | current customers, conduct a |
| nicely beating down the grass. The next evening | | | | survey among the kind of people you'd like to |
| our intrepid | | | | have as |
| cow is a bit less bold, and follows her own | | | | customers. And, if you can't do that, conduct a |
| freshly trampled | | | | survey |
| path, fellow cows in lockstep behind her. And so | | | | online. Write an attractive search engine ad, |
| on, night | | | | promise |
| after night, widening the path into a footpath, | | | | something of value, and drive people to a survey |
| which over | | | | page. Ask |
| time becomes hardened into a dirt road.More | | | | them anything you like - the answers will almost |
| time passes and the road is paved into a street, | | | | always |
| then | | | | provide you with a neat mind-shift.Focus on |
| an avenue, a two-lane highway, and ultimately an | | | | building your strengths and dump your |
| interstate. | | | | weaknesses. From the time we are little children |
| By the time you come roaring up the onramp in | | | | we are |
| your shiny | | | | taught to better ourselves by working on our |
| SUV, your direction is all mapped out in front of | | | | weaknesses. |
| you. | | | | This is often both frustrating and fruitless, and |
| There's no way to turn, and no where to go but | | | | certainly |
| towards the | | | | not as much fun as practicing our strengths.Try |
| next exit.If you want to chart a fresh direction | | | | this on: What if you focused 100 percent of your |
| you are going to have | | | | energy |
| to grab the steering wheel and give it a hard, | | | | on being world-class in those few things at which |
| gut-wrenching | | | | you are |
| yank to the right. And so it is with your thoughts | | | | already very good, and out-tasked or outsourced |
| and | | | | those things |
| actions. Repeating them a few times all but | | | | at which you were mediocre. Imagine if you |
| insures you will | | | | never had to face |
| comfortably repeat them indefinitely unless you | | | | any of those things again and could spend all |
| take | | | | your time |
| deliberate - possibly disruptive -- action to do | | | | doing the good stuff. Would that change the way |
| otherwise.Here are 7 rut busters I use with my | | | | you felt |
| business coaching | | | | about your business? Would that bust you out of |
| clients that you can apply immediately to get | | | | your rut?Not if, but how. Think of that wild and |
| yourself and | | | | crazy idea you |
| your business out of a rut.Shift your mindset | | | | had recently. The one where you said to |
| from self to customer. Most business | | | | yourself, "That |
| people think of themselves first. They craft | | | | would be great, but there's just no way." Well, I |
| product and | | | | know |
| service offers from their own perspective and | | | | there's no way - you just said so -- but if there |
| consider | | | | was a way, |
| themselves the beneficiaries of their actions.While | | | | what would it be? Answer that question as if |
| that's not wrong, to get out of your rut do this: | | | | you believed it |
| put | | | | was possible - probable even -- and then get |
| yourself into the mind of your customer. Who | | | | busy making it |
| are these | | | | real. That's power, you know -- turning your |
| people anyway? What are they concerned | | | | vision into |
| about? What are they | | | | reality. Talk about a breakthrough!What are you |
| trying to accomplish?If you were your customer, | | | | willing to sacrifice? Some important things |
| what would you think of that new | | | | are more important than other important things, |
| product, marketing campaign, or mail piece? Are | | | | and trying |
| you selling | | | | to keep all those plates spinning in the air saps |
| your wonderful "stuff", or are you providing | | | | your vigor |
| them tangible, | | | | for the ones that truly matter. Dissipated energy |
| meaningful benefits. Ask, "If I were the | | | | - lethargy |
| customer, would I | | | | -- is one of the reasons we lie down in that rut in |
| care?" And if not, consider, "What WOULD I get | | | | the |
| excited | | | | first place, and dropping a few of those plates |
| about?"Shift your mindset from customer to | | | | can really |
| client. A customer is someone who buys your | | | | help things break loose.So let go. Make the |
| goods or services. The original | | | | sacrifice. Clear your plate and give up |
| meaning of client is entirely different: someone | | | | some of those precious things you've been |
| who is | | | | holding on to. |
| under your care and protection.Now that's a | | | | Focus your vitality on plans which will really rock |
| switch, isn't it? If they're customers, your | | | | your |
| goal is to get them to buy something. But if you | | | | world. Ruts? Who needs 'em.© Paul |
| were to | | | | Lemberg. All rights reservedPaul Lemberg is the |
| think of them as under your care - would you | | | | president of Quantum Growth Coaching, the |
| approach your | | | | world's only fully systemized business coaching |
| business from another angle? How would you | | | | program guaranteed to help entrepreneurs rapidly |
| take care of | | | | create More Profits and More Life(tm). To get |
| them? How would you "protect" them? What | | | | your copy of our free special report with detailed |
| new programs would | | | | steps on how to grow your business at least |
| you want to implement immediately?Revisit your | | | | 40% faster, even when you aren't sure what to |
| vision. Whenever I feel like I'm in a rut I | | | | do next, go to Paul's business coaching website. |
| return to my vision and I do 2 things. First, I | | | | |