You Are Never Standing Still…

I enjoyed a lunch a few weeks ago with some successful entrepreneur and business owner friends of mine. These guys are all “movers and shakers”. The grass doesn’t grow under their feet and they have the track record to prove it. One is a serial entrepreneur with successes in multiple areas, the other has a vast financial background in NY and is now a real estate developer, and the third is a very highly educated individual who is also a real estate developer.

The luncheon made me ponder the subject of what makes these different types of entrepreneurs successful. I think part of the reason they are successful is because they share a common trait. They don’t sit still well, they make educated decisions quickly and they embrace the theory of risk = reward. I rarely hear people who will admit they hope that things stay the same for them forever. People always seem to aspire to be and do more. When was the last time your co-worker or partner said “hey, this is good right now – let’s just ride it out and stay where we are at”? Probably not too often. Most people talk about growing, achieving and building. Very few talk about settling, average and rigidity. Although few talk about it, many are secretly hoping that things stay as-is since their salary, sales, and/or profit margins seem to be enough for them to manage the life they like. I believe that most people have an inner goal that differs from their outward one. Most people are content and happy with a certain level of performance and if they achieve it, would be more than happy to stay at that level forever.

Unfortunately, the exact opposite happens to those that simply stand still and watch the world go by. You are either moving forward or backward. It may be inches, feet or miles, but you are moving in one direction or the other. The scariest movement is the smallest one. If we only move an inch backwards, it may be months or years before we realize just how far behind we have gotten. By then it may be too late. While I don’t suggest leaping off a cliff or running blindly through a dark forest, I do think that it is critical to react quickly and jump on good opportunities. Those that I know that have done this have found varying degrees of success – meaning they all are generally successful entrepreneurs. Some are better at assessing opportunity then others, thus the higher degree of success, but generally speaking those that act quickly, keep in motion, make educated decisions and are willing to take calculated risk are going to be in motion enough to keep ahead of the game.

Are you stuck in the mud doing the same-old, same-old? Is your salary and benefits enough? Or do you want more, do you keep moving – sometimes backward, but then further forward – so that you end up getting somewhere? You are never standing still – other entrepreneurs and businesses are going past you slowly, and in time, they will move across the horizon and out of sight. Choose to be the one who is moving away in the distance, not the one watching it. Trust me, the view is better out front.