Lesson 4: Be Willing to Sacrifice Pleasure for Opportunity

"Every worthwhile accomplishment has a price tag attached to it.  The question is always whether you are willing to pay the price to attain it - in hard work, sacrifice, patience, faith, and endurance."
                                                                                               John C. Maxwell

If you examine the lives of successful people, you will find that they paid a price that is directly proportional to the amount of success that they've earned or attained. This is true regardless of the profession, vocation or undertaking.  More likely than not, this examination will also reveal years of study, preparation, learning and some failures along the way.

As you consider your own goal of entrepreneurship, also consider what you are willing to sacrifice for what you expect to receive.  Be prepared to give generously of your time and talents long before expecting a return on your investment.  Most "overnight successes" labored in obscurity before being recognized for their achievements.

Learning Activity

If you have prepared your Business Plan or an Executive Summary, take a close look at it and write out in numerical order what sacrifices you are required to make in order to bring your vision into reality.  If you don't have a Business Plan or Executive Summary, simply write out your goal and then write in numerical order what you will have to sacrifice in order to achieve your goal.  Most importantly, for this exercise you MUST be honest about the sacrifices (time, talent, money, family time, prestige, retirement etc.) and whether you are willing to make them.

Lesson 3: Don't Wait For Inspiration: The Eight P Plan for Achievement

"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten."
                                                                                              John Maxwelll
                  
It has been said that inspiration is what gets you started and habit is what keeps you going.  What if the inspiration never comes?  Waiting for inspiration, often indefinitely, will most likely lead to a life of inactivity, fruitlessness and missed opportunities.

The people who are successful in life and those who excel as leaders are those who say "let's do something rather than wait around to see what happens."  If you have definiteness of purpose or a clear vision of your goal and a plan that is flexible enough to deal with unexpected obstacles or unforeseen opportunities, you have all that you need to proceed.  Just starting an action will help focus your mind and channel your energies in the direction of your objective. 

Learning Activity: 

1.  Reflect on the "Eight P Plan for Achievement."

          Plan Purposefully.
          Prepare Prayerfully.
          Proceed Positively.
          Pursue Persistently.
                        - Author Unknown

2.  Answer the following questions and post your comments?

a. Have I actively engaged in at least two of the Eight Ps for my business, job or other endeavor?

b.  Do I routinely wait to become motivated or inspired to do things, small or big?

c.  Have I missed opportunities or had adverse consequences because I waited to act?

Lesson 2: Value the Process More than the Events

"Specific life events are good for making decisions but it is the process of change and growth that has lasting value. " 
                                                                                                   John C. Maxwell

The second step to success according to Maxwell is to "value the process more than the events."  Valuing the process can be difficult because this usually involves some form of change, challenge, trial or adversity.  Invariably, the process will also include experiencing some failures and making mistakes; therefore, your perspective on failure and mistakes can determine how you come out of the process and ultimately achieve success.  Maxwell distinguishes the perspectives as "failing forward" or "failing backward."  It is critical to determine how you view failure because some failure is inevitable; if you change your perspective, it will help you persevere. 

Learning Activities
1. Reflect on these Rules of Being Human

   Rule 1:  You will learn lessons
   Rule 2:  There are no mistakes - only lessons.
   Rule 3:  A lesson is repeated until it is learned.
   Rule 4:  If you don't learn the easy lessons, they get harder.
   Rule 5:  You'll know you've learned a lesson when your actions change.

2.   Review the Attitudes Toward Failure Worksheet; download and complete it to assess your attitudes toward failure and post your reflection.

3.  Read "Want to Become a Success?  Celebrate Failure"

Lesson 1: Make A Commitment to Grow Daily

"Success is achieved in inches, not miles."  John Maxwell

 Success requires discipline no matter what goal you are trying to achieve.  So you will be or become what you do daily, good or bad.  When you form good habits, the habits will then begin to form you.  However, forming good habits requires discipline.  Whatever your goal, you must commit to working towards it daily whether its losing weight, better grades, better health, a bigger raise, a better promotion, a better relationship, or building your business.  Make it your goal to grow a little every day and you will begin to see positive results. 

Remember, your daily goals can be goals of ommission or commission.  For example, something that you commit to actively doing might be to get up 15 minutes earlier to meditate or plan your daily to do list. Something you omit might be drinking one cola instead of three or not spending any money all together.  It's easier to begin with small goals and then tackle bigger ones because you'll gain confidence to tackle the big ones.  Once you begin to see results like better productivity, weight loss or more spare change, you'll become inspired to take on bigger habits. 

Action Steps for Lesson 1.
1.  Do something you hate everyday so you begin to control your "feelings."
2.  Download the Daily Discipline Recorder Worksheet and record your daily commitments

Series One: Success One Day At A Time

Most of us desire to be successful but have no real concrete idea of what achieving success means to us individually or what it will look like when it happens.  Do you believe there is one culminating moment or event when you'll realize "I'm successful" or do you see success a process?  Whether your goal is a happy family, a wholesome and godly child, a successful relationship, a closer relationship with God or a successful business, success won't just happen.  To achieve success at anything requires intention, awareness and commitment every day, one day at a time.  Likewise, if you are striving to become an entrepreneur, full time or part time, your succes will be achieved one day at a time as well.   Whatever your ultimate goal, there are some fundamental life lessons and principles about personal growth, leadership, failure and success that will make your journey on the road to success more enjoyable and memorable. 

In the book, "Success One Day At A Time," Dr. John C. Maxwell outlines the following seven steps to success:

1.  Make a  commitment to grow daily;
2.  Value the process more than the events;
3.  Don't wait for inspiration;
4.  Be willing to sacrifice pleasure for opportunity;
5.  Dream big;
6.  Plan your priorities; and
7.  Give up to go up.

Take a minute and reflect on the seven steps and what you think each of these might mean. Answer the following  questions:  1. Is there one step that resonates more with you than the others? 2.  Is there one of the steps that has been particularly helpful or troublesome to you in your quest for success with your business enterprise?

References:  Maxwell, John C. Success One Day At A Time.  Nashville:  J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson Books (2000).