Recently, I was discussing with a friend and she was crying woes as to why she wasn’t succeeding in the world of business. I sat back pondering on what could be the reason for her tears and loss. Could it be that she wasn’t zealous enough? However, I knew this wasn’t the case as I got to understand the fact that she was struggling hard but nothing to show for it.
Then it hit me, she didn’t really know what she wanted. She didn’t really know herself. How did I get to this conclusion? It was simple, she wasn’t able to answer the basic question “How much do you know about yourself?”. Though it may look like a simple question or a general one which you can easily answer, it isn’t. I’m not asking about your basic likes, dislikes, and so on.
I’m asking, how much do you know about yourself? How much can you handle? How far are you willing to stretch especially in the business world? What makes you happy? Little wonder why Socrates said, “to know yourself is the beginning of wisdom.”
To be successful in any business you lay your hands on, the first thing you must know is yourself. Knowing yourself is the key to whatever you are meant to do especially in a world where many are lost but don’t know it yet.
To succeed in the world of business, there are four basic things you must do. They are;
- You must identify your strengths and weaknesses: One primary reason why most people fail in business is that they always want to do what everyone is doing forgetting that whatever company they are trying to dabble into may not be their strong point.
Stop trying to spend hours, days and years trying to perfect your weaknesses whereas you may only need perhaps months or days to develop your strengths. One common thing that is trending now is the craze of youths trying to go into what everyone is doing.
This is a fallacy. You can’t succeed doing what you find yourself desperately struggling to do. In order words, if it doesn’t come easy for you, then it isn’t for you. Stop trying to do what others are good at and start doing what comes natural to you.
Not everyone is meant for a white collar job. Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur . I may be able to succeed and be happy doing a 9am-4pm job, whereas, staying in one place, having to be at the beck and call of your boss may piss you off. Once that idea is repulsive to you, stop and ask yourself “Is it really worth it?”
- Know what gives you inspirations:
It is good to generate lots of ideas and dream big. But, do you know what exactly inspires you? Do you know what spurs you to do more? You must know this: no one will ever understand you, until you understand yourself. If what you do doesn’t bring you joy and happiness, then it is time to quit it. Note that, many people who have succeeded didn’t succeed because they got it easy, but they succeeded because they continued pushing.
One reason they continued moving despite the stumbling blocks on their way is because for every step they failed, they knew that was a stepping stone to their desired goals.
One thing you must find out is what gives you a constant inspiration and joy. Want to know my advice: keep doing that. That is your secret to success.
- Know what energizes you:
While the stress of the business might be getting to everyone around you, just because what you are doing excites you, you will be exempted from that stress. Have you ever met someone who constantly has to be at the farm tilling all day and night but doesn’t get tired? The reason may not be because of the income but because he derives energy from the joy he derives doing it.
If it doesn’t give you the desired energy to push through even When you are exhausted, then drop that business idea or job as the case may be. When you begin a new business, job or research the amount of pressure you are expected to go through will be very high.
I hear many people complain about their jobs and I realise that when they had the chance to pick, they picked money over joy. Now, the going gets rough, but there is no more happiness to derive the desired energy to run that business anymore. The question then becomes, who is at fault? Your boss who enjoys what he is doing? Or you who threw away the opportunity to be happy at whatever you were to pick?
- Know when to relax and give yourself that space. Do whatever makes you relax during that period. This is an effective stress management technique.
Your results in business doesn’t exceed your self-concept. Knowing your true self is a significant rule you must understand. Remember your self-concept is a direct result of your self-image, self esteem, and your ideal self. Therefore, how much self-esteem do you place on yourself?, How do you view yourself?, What/who do you wish to be? Those are your self-esteem, self-image and your ideal self at a glance.