in my experience the most transformative habits for an entrepreneur are not the
ones you typically hear praised at conferences or on success panels.
One such habit is the practice of strategic under achievement.
It sounds counterproductive but hear me out.
The world romanticizing overperformers but they often miss opportunity because
they are too tunnel visioned on their current tasks.
Strategic under achievement involves intentionally deciding what you will be
bad at.
It's about focusing on areas of competency that truly move the needle for
your business while consciously neglecting areas that don't.
I've walked away from potential profits to keep my mental bandwidth clear for
the bigger plays. Most would balk at such a notion focusing on incremental gains,
but the brain has finite resources allocate them wisely.
Moreover, I'll tell you something seldom discussed.
Social capital can be detrimental.
Networking is touted as the sign Quan of business success,
yet I rarely attended those high profile gatherings.
Everyone scrambles to be seen that I focused instead on one-to-one
relationships, often with people outside,
my immediate industry cross pollination of ideas from different fields can lead
to innovative breakthroughs that simply following industry standards never would.
Now let's tap into systems. The world loves complexity,
but the brilliance is in simplicity.
I've watched many entrepreneurs crash under the weight of intricate systems
they've built. My approach was to keep systems lean and adaptable.
This is not about deficiencies in planning.
It's about leaving space for opportunity and pivot.
Most will advise you to stick to your guns,
but stubbornness can lead to obsolescence. Many will disagree,
but here's the truth about personal development.
Consistency and self-improvement does not require daily increments.
It requires reflection at intervallic junctures with room for substantial
change.
I've had months where I'm consuming knowledge voraciously and others where I'm
simply marinating in what I've learned. Letting insights emerge.
Progress is rhythmic, not linear,
many up and coming entrepreneurs make the mistake of relentless pursuit
without pause forsaking the value of contemplation. Lastly,
let's touch upon decision-making itself.
I often took paths viewed as unpopular.
Our cultural milieu venerates fail fast and move on,
but I propose a different view. Fail thoughtfully,
understand deeply why an endeavor did not yield the desired outcome.
This slow distillation of wisdom is more potent than the rapid abandonment of
efforts at the first sign of failure.
If what I've shared today strikes a chord with you,
consider this as merely a hint of the wisdom that has been pivotal for me.
Reflect upon it and apply these principles with discernment to your own
ventures.
For those seeking the unorthodox path that has guided me,
subscribe to this podcast and share it with your entrepreneurial peers who are
ready to look beyond the common playbook for their next leap forward.