On Survival

After a weekend at a business development mastermind in Latvia I flew back to UK as Hurricane Ophelia was causing excitement.

The skies were a deep orange . . . a distinctly eerie phenomenon. Beautiful, yet unsettling.

The pilots were the professionals you’d expect . . . we passengers were oblivious to whatever meteorological challenges they were battling.

The landing was smooth . . . if it had been a difficult manoeuvre for the captain we were none the wiser . . . she received no acknowledgement for doing her job brilliantly … we expect it routinely now.

I travelled straight from the airport to a local business mastermind event (we meet twice per month).

The conversation at this local event turned to “marketing”.

There were many different opinions expressed . . . many different experiences (successful and otherwise) shared.

I was struck by the impact INTENTION and BEHAVIOUR have on people’s views on marketing.

All businesses go through stages in their “life cycle”. In the early (start up) phase it’s natural to focus on SURVIVAL. Essentially “I’ll do anything to make sure I bring in enough money.”

Completely understandable.

Rational.

And yet . . .

. . . unless we’re careful the “survival” priority impacts marketing BEHAVIOUR.

People shared experiences like “marketing is something I do when I have the time”.

In other words, when there’s an opportunity to EARN . . . which (for service businesses) requires TIME . . . then other activities (which also take time) take a back seat.

At this stage survival is priority.

However . . . survival FOCUS is also a TRAP.

When marketing is something you do “when you have time” . . . you do it sporadically.

Occasionally.

Inconsistently.

It creates a BELIEF that marketing is “costly”, “hit & miss”, “a necessary evil”.

It creates a BEHAVIOUR that is tactical, based on hope and often disappointing.

When your priority is “to survive” . . . that’s what you’ll likely achieve.

You’ll survive.

The truth is . . . we don’t have our businesses JUST TO SURVIVE.

A business can be a VEHICLE to a fantastic life.

(My own philosophy is this is the SOLE purpose of a business . . . to create a fantastic life with ALL 3Fs . . . including the 3rd F . . . deep Fulfilment . . . which includes the ability to be a CONTRIBUTION to the greater good. This is what drives ME anyway.

In order to to move BEYOND SURVIVAL . . . it takes INTENTION.

It requires a DIRECTION.

It needs CLEAR focus.

And critically, it needs all these backed with BELIEF and COMMITMENT.

When you want your business to “survive” . . . “any income” helps.

When you want your business to THRIVE . . . “any income” may take you OFF COURSE.

Time spent “earning for the sake of it” will take away time available to invest in the activities that create that bigger future.

Time you’ll never recover.

It’s gone.

Forever.

And you’ve survived another day to tell the tale.

To move BEYOND survival . . . start with the INTENTION (to thrive).

This intention becomes DECISION.

The decision triggers a PLAN.

The plan fuels COMMITMENT.

Commitment determines BEHAVIOUR.

Behaviour describes ACTIONS.

And actions deliver RESULTS.

Thrive.

All 3Fs.

Yet . . . when the intention is “to survive” . . . the decision becomes “any income any way” . . . which doesn’t need a plan . . . just “being busy” behaviour . . . so actions are sporadic . . . and survival wheel-spinning continues.

Survival . . . is essential.

To break THROUGH to thriving . . . break FREE from survival’s shackles.

You’ll get what you focus on.

It’s worth making a conscious selection.

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