Do you hide behind your genes, use it as reason/s for your challenges?
As posted about before, I have a particular interest in why some Business Owners “get it” and others don’t. One commonality amongst those that get it is they have rules – personal and business. Another commonality is they know what they want, and why. If you don’t know why you want what you want, you won’t get what you want.
Amongst the rules of those that get it, is challenging themselves everyday and this leads to the ever-important lifelong learning. But this post is not about lifelong learning. This post is about not hiding behind your genes. We are all familiar with people saying something like, “My dad was like that, and so am I”, and “That’s my profile”. They have settled for what and who they are.
They have convinced themselves they cannot grow/evolve into a better version. As a result, neither can their businesses. You hear them say things like, “We tried it before, and it didn’t work”, “My industry is unique”, “You don’t understand my business”, and many more. They settle for what is “good”. They are also the people that believe in “hard work” – doing the same things more, longer, by more people, in more places, etc. Einstein had something to say about this…
Growing and evolving is tough. It is not for everyone. It requires a reason, a desire for something else. Not because the current is not working or delivering, but because they know there is and desire more.
Continents were discovered because people believed in more. Computers were developed because people believed in more. Cars, trains, planes, medicine, agriculture, literature, schools, and much more are because of people that believed in more.
Those that settle for “good” benefit from this, and there is nothing wrong with that.
What is not good for anyone, is when Business Owners & Leaders hide behind their genes. I include the want for knowledge in the term genes. So many people study things that they will never use, and far worse and even dangerous, won’t update. They will update their computer software, and the apps on their mobile phones to the latest versions, but what they learned 5, 10, 15 years ago, no. Learning things is useless if not used. Knowledge is useless if not used.
According to my genes, I should not have what I have and be the person that I am. I should be a “settler”, even a “failure”.
Some of my rules –
Be asleep by 22h00;
Get out of bed within 10 minutes of waking up;
Shower cold every morning;
I own my time, absolutely;
Don’t look at my mobile phone before 08h00;
Don’t look at emails before 08h00;
Learn – read, podcasts, videos, between 07h00 and 08h00;
Eat twice a day;
Breathing discipline;
Direct sunlight as early as possible;
Focus on the journey, not the goal.
There is nothing wrong with “good”. But don’t “settle” for “good”. Let it be a conscious decision.