The Doing Dilemma

“Hoping and wishing are excuses for not doing.” – Dr. Robert Anthony

I heard this recently and felt confused. I can see the wisdom behind it, but I still wondered about it. In my view, hoping and wishing are important aspects of a confidence mindset. I don’t see them as excuses – because I’m always doing!

In fact, I think women business owners have the opposite problem. We spend less time hoping and wishing (and planning), and lots more time doing. The question becomes: are we doing the things that actually build real business value?

The first step to any change is to become aware. For years, I fell into the same trap time and again. I listened to the self-styled business gurus teaching formulas and ended up blaming myself when their methods didn’t work for me.

I spent a fortune in time and money, but I still felt alone and frustrated, wondering why I couldn’t figure out a better, easier way to run my business.

We live in an age filled with so-called gurus who keep telling us we’re doing it “wrong.” We fall victim to their big promises and “proven success formulas.”

This is a common trap for many business owners but is compounded for Good Girls, who long for a “right” answer to achieve success.

Today’s Question:

Where can you start figuring out if you’re building real business value – or just ‘doing’ all the things?

But Here’s the Twist . . .

As a Good Girl, I follow the rules – “rules” like working until the job is done, going above and beyond, coloring inside the lines, and never writing in a book.

I also believe we learn by doing – and doing is the watchword of a Good Girl. We’re all about achieving and getting the “right” answer.

I can share a great example:

Janice has been practicing law for fifteen years, first in a large law firm and now on her own. She is a business attorney who helps small-business owners handle employment issues.

While she likes to help owners avoid trouble, most of her work involves helping them deal with problems. She has two employees and three contractors but still believes: “I need to do all the work myself if I want it done right.”

If you’re at all like my clients or me, you believe no one can do your job as well as you can or achieve the same stellar results with your clients.

It’s probably the reason you started your business: You’re accomplished, you’re a high achiever, and you have a strong work ethic.

While this belief may be valid, it keeps us isolated, because we don’t have time to build a team or network with colleagues. Even though Janice had already built her team, she was almost single-handedly doing the work. The antidote to this is to standardize your work.

For Janice, we reframed her belief like this: “I have learned how to be an excellent ‘technician,’ and I get great results for my clients. I am a lifelong learner and can learn how to standardize my service delivery, which will reduce my stress and help my clients understand what to expect. I can improve my leadership skills and train my staff on how to get great results. I’ll maintain oversight and careful review of their work, but I can let go of handling every detail. I’ll be a better leader and can focus on building my client base.”

With this approach, you’ll see your client relationships improve, and you won’t feel that quiet panic of needing to create a new and different product or process for each new client.

People struggle when things are inconsistent or unpredictable and typically thrive when there’s more structure, consistency, and predictability. Standardizing your processes and service delivery provides that structure – for you, your staff, and your clients.

-- Excerpt from Patty’s book, Your Hidden Advantage:  Unlock the Power to Attract Right-fit Clients and Boost Your Revenue

Now What?

Have you built a profitable and valuable business but instead of feeling like there's something missing, you’re feeling like there's something more?

I specialize in helping women founders transition to their Third Act – when you’re ready to do the work you’ve always longed to do.

Work that lights you up. Work that is your purpose instead of just a paycheck.

In my experience, women don't retire; they transition into a new stage of purpose and impact. Whether you are 40 or 60, the idea of retirement may not appeal to you. Just because you can retire doesn’t mean you’ll want to.

We can redefine ‘retirement’ and think of your eventual business exit as a ‘purposeful transition’.

Are you ready to leap into your Third Act and grab the whole cookie?

That requires a new way of thinking, new skills, a simple and elegant design, and an advocate by your side. Contact me to learn more. 

Discover your Exit Readiness Index™ with this assessment: http://she-exits.com/