Get an Accountability Partner
Let’s talk about the healthy lifestyle again. You’ve taken the first step and joined a local gym. You’re actually really excited because you even went to the grocery store and filled your refrigerator with healthy food. Now what? While you’ve taken a few good steps in the right direction it doesn’t mean that you’ll actually go to the gym on a regular basis and work out while you’re there. It doesn’t mean that you will make good food choices throughout the day while you’re not home. This is why personal trainers are in such demand. It’s all about the accountability.
If you want to become the most successful you can become, find someone to hold you accountable. Schedule a weekly or bi-weekly meeting with that person. Let them know that you will become the expert on your new learning, how you will do it, and by what date; your accountability partner must know how you will get there. You must know how you will get there. It’s not enough to merely say, “I’m going to be the best golfer”—you’ll need to define what ‘being the best’ means to you. Plan what tools you will use, what milestones you will set, and how you will be held accountable. Setting a date is also extremely important. Otherwise, you could take twenty years to become the expert. By that time, the knowledge may be irrelevant. Set the expectation with your accountability partner. Meet regularly and allow them to give you constructive criticism.
Get a Mentor
Even top performing athletes have coaches. So should you. If you truly want to be the best of the best, hire a business coach or consultant. They will mentor you, guide you, direct you, give you much sought after advice, and push you outside of your comfort zone. Because that’s when real learning happens—outside of your comfort zone.
All too often I hear business owners say, “You don’t understand. My business is different.” However, the truth is that business is business. All businesses have the same interests and needs—to have a great product or service, to have customers who buy over and over again, strong profit margins, systems and tools that allow the company to operate efficiently and effectively, and teams of people to grow the business. The one difference you can make in your learning and growing as a business owner that will set you apart is hiring or working with a mentor. Working with a mentor every week will keep you on track to reach your goals, allow you to explore avenues you had not previously thought of, and give you insight to what it takes to become a true entrepreneur. I recommend hiring a professional. It’s one of the most important investments you will make as a business owner and it should provide the largest return on your investment.
However, if hiring a professional isn’t in your budget right now, there are other options. Look at your connections within your community. Who would you consider to be the expert at what you want to learn? Reach out to those who already seem to have mastered the craft or skill that you want to obtain. Most people genuinely like to give. And I would guess that if you ask, they will share their knowledge with you. The key is to ask them to share on a regular basis. Remember, there’s no one-and-done when it comes to learning.