10 Business Commandments of a 90 Year Old Plain Dealer-Part 2

Posted by Hersh Bhardwaj in Start-Ups | 0 comments

Here is the promised follow-up to Regina Brett post I wrote earlier. The next five points. Enjoy.

• Over prepare, then go with the flow

When there is a really nervous event coming ahead and you can do nothing except to sweat and spend sleepless nights. There is one thing you can do- prepare, prepare and over prepare. That’s the only confidence booster in hard times. The Law of Karma/Actions says that we can’t influence results by merely worrying about them. Only way to ascertain a favorable outcome is by making sure the ‘action’ is performed right. Wouldn’t you do your homework well and prepare? Regina says, Over prepare and go with the flow.

• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back

This is an old one. Humans have a tendency to magnify their own problems and other people’s happiness. Should be the other way round for a happy life, shouldn’t it. We tend to think my probs are the biggest and most complicate. While my friends always seem to do great.  In business situations this hurts even more. This commandment has a lot in common with a previous one- ‘Don’t compare your life with others’. The simple fact is that we just CANNOT know what’s the deal with others, what’s their life like from inside? Using the theory of relativity we can always find someone with more problems than us. Then why we tend to look at those with lesser issues than us. Its de-motivating and induces negativity. I bet you will never trade your business problems with mine. At least you know your problems better.

• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up

The show must go on. Woody Allen has a great quote about,’ half the success is about showing up’. This also applies to having off-days or bad- days that an entrepreneur can have. Don’t let your feelings and mood dictate your business. The show must go on at all cost.

• Yield

Yield is a beautiful word. It can mean ‘to be productive’ and it can also mean ‘to give way’ or ‘to surrender’. The biggest mantra anyone can give to an entrepreneur is to be productive. To yield is to produce what it is that you are here to create. Is it money and fame for yourself, go do it. Is it a solution of an intricate problem of your clients, go provide it. The ROI of your efforts and must be produced.

The other meaning is also great. It teaches politeness and patience. The age-old dictum of let-go. Its not the rudest trees that withstand the vagaries of nature and hails, but the most polite and flexible. Conceding a small battle can often win you a major war.

• The Best is Yet To Come

Yes, the time can only improve. The ever-growing ever-improving life is the only life worth living. Every morning wake up with hope and ambitions for your business. Each day a bigger ambition and even better plans. Because, the best is yet to come. So prepare to embrace it.