What ever happened to good old hard work? We live in an immediate gratification, microwave, fast food society. If we want a cup of coffee, we drive through a Starbucks. So why would the idea of being successful be any different? We attempt the path of least resistance when it comes to achieving success. We look for the latest weight loss scheme and call ourselves fitness pros or pray and hope for somebody to run our business for us and then call ourselves entrepreneurs. So, I ask you, “What did you put into it?”
One of my business mentors introduced me to a fellow female entrepreneur who was asking questions about an organization (Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Project – “WEOP”) we both joined this past June. She purchased the $99 package and I purchased the $299 package for the year. After my first meeting with the WEOP team I left with a ton of homework, excited and a little overwhelmed. I knew I had to step up to the plate, step outside of my comfort zone and implement some things I had not been aware of to take my business to the next level. The young lady I mentioned, stated she was not getting anything out of the organization meanwhile I listed the number of ways they helped me. I detailed how they helped me get my business certified as a small business and a women owned business which in some cases can take months to achieve and cost up to $600. They taught me what a capability statement was and how to create one. I not only created one but presented it during my final presentation for a business course I was taking, my instructors and fellow classmates were so impressed. There were many things and people that this organization was able to connect me to, however the biggest connection was for my business loan. For the last 10 years I have tried to get a loan and for one reason or another I was shot down every time. WEOP connected me with the right person and I was awarded a SBA loan to help expand my business. Now the same organization is available for any and every one, however if you are not ready to put the work in, you will feel like the young lady who says she is getting nothing out of the organization. So, I ask you, “What did you put into it?”
This holds true for many people trying to lose weight, come off medication or trying to get in the best shape of their lives. I see it bootcamp after bootcamp, class after class. How can one person lose 32.8 LBs in one 6-week bootcamp and another gain 4 lbs.? How can someone’s cholesterol be 304 and in just 6 weeks of the bootcamp it drops to 187 yet another person’s cholesterol continues to increase? How can someone lose 6.8% bodyfat in just 6 weeks and another person gain body fat? We offer the same exercise and nutritional program for everyone. I tell all my clients in the bootcamp or in classes that I am in their life as much as they want or as little as they want. Some people call, text me from supermarkets asking about purchases, go on grocery shopping tours, or take suggested supplements. However, many never bring in their meal plan booklet for review, to see if they are on the right track for reaching their goals. When I hear complaints that a client is not losing the weight or achieving their goals it usually doesn’t come from the people who are showing up, working hard or following the meal plan. So, I ask you, “What did you put into it?”
What makes one person float and another person drown in their own fate? There are people who really do have a spark. They get a great idea and decide to go for it. But they ultimately fail, usually because they do not stick with it long enough for their endeavors to succeed, they want it fast without a lot of work, and just do not see it through to the end. Growing up we were encouraged to study hard and if you played a sport to play hard, but what course teaches a person how to work hard. This missing ingredient is what separates successful entrepreneurs from others or people who lose weight and others, in the same program, who don’t. Hard work requires another set of attributes and habits that many are not willing to tap into. Bottom line… successful results do not come for slackers or those who give up as soon as the going gets difficult. It takes good work habits, the desire to keep learning from others and our own mistakes and good hard work to persevere.
Here is what I’ve learned:
What you PUT in is what you get out!
You pay for what you get.
You can gain all the tools to get the job done however if you don’t use them they are useless.
Everyone has the same number of hours in a day, it’s up to you to use them wisely.
People/organizations/mentors/coaches will only put in as much time and effort that you do for yourself.
People complain often or make excuses trying to distract you from their real issues.
Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.
No Mess!
