What to do When You Feel Like giving Up (Part 4)

This week, I don’t have a video to link to.  Here’s why…

This week’s theme is to “play like Vanderbilt (in 2013).” Huh? You see, Vandy’s football team did not lose a game from November through the rest of the year. On the way, they beat their cross-state rival, the University of Tennessee, and were invited to—and won—a bowl game. It was an exciting time for Vandy fans, who weren’t used to seeing so many wins in a row. But while it was amazing (and fun!) to watch the wins pile up, there weren’t any incredible plays that you “just had to see.”

In almost every game, the fourth quarter started with a close score, and Vandy was in a position to either win or lose.  And every time, they just settled down and did the work they needed to do. They didn’t win with a long touchdown run, a freak catch, crazy lateral, or a lucky bounce. They just gained a few yards here, a few more there, made stops defensively when they needed to, and generally “ground out” a win.

That’s the way it often is in our businesses. We just have to “do the work.” Yes, the miracles are great. But most of the time, the big gains come one step at a time. So don’t focus on the problems, or the fears, or even how much work has to be done. Just keep asking yourself, “What’s the very next step to keep this project moving forward?” And then do it.

When I coach clients in my Productivity Power and Book Yourself Solid packages, we work on these questions:

• What are the things you need to be doing to grow your business?
• What do you have to do to get them done?

When you focus on the answers to these two questions, you’ll stop focusing on all of the “what ifs” and the fears that surround them. As all of the little steps start adding up, you start seeing results and gaining momentum. Pretty soon, you’ll start to forget all about the fear of failure and  focus on progress instead.

So what’s your next step? Please share it below. And then go do it.