Master-Mind Alliance: The Key To Less Work, More Life, Balance

The Greatest Measure Of Your Success
Written & Copyrighted by Richard Paris Borough, Ph.D.

We hear people talking about success all the time. The "S" word is everywhere. But what does it really mean to be successful, especially when one operates his or her own business? There are lots of definitions for business success. The one I like best is this one. "The greatest measure of your business success is that you make enough money and manage well enough that you can be gone a lot, out living the life you dream about."

In other words, you know you have a successful business when you get to do exactly what you want. There are two variables here, two ways to tell if your business is really working well: First, your business gives you enough money to live the life you want, and by the way, hopefully that's more money than you'd make working for someone else. And second, you've successfully multiplied your effort through your employees so you don't have to be there all the time. Your business gives you all the free time you want. This measure of your business success is sort of a test in which you can ask yourself if you pass it yet or not? Hopefully you do, or will soon.

Enough time is easier to measure than enough money. For some people there never seems to be enough money. But when you can take 3-4 days off per week, any time you want, without your business faltering, stagnating, or suffering in any way, that's great. Then you know you've mastered the multiply your effort through your employees part of the success test. If your business runs smoothly without your needing to be there all the time, you've got it made. And that's what we all strive for by working so hard and hopefully, so smart. Plenty of free time and plenty of money to enjoy it is the goal.

When I coach a business client, I want the answer to the following question to always be yes. Here's the question. "Do you believe that the strategies and plans we're helping you implement, will get you from where you are now to the place where you can do exactly what you want?"

That's success with a capital S. And think about it. What business person wouldn't want to simplify the way his or her business operates, reduce the number and intensity of daily hassles, and take more worry free time off? And who wouldn't want a little bit more money to spend or invest? These are good things. So how to do you get them?

There are four things that must be present in your business if you want to pass the success test. These necessary ingredients are described in The Five Cornerstones of Business Progress. Here they are: 1) Appropriate STRATEGIES, meaning always utilizing the most appropriate business development and business management strategies in your enterprise. If you need new strategies, get them. If the strategies you have need a tune up, get that. 2) Valid PERSPECTIVE meaning a way of having an on-going objective look at what you're doing, from outside the inner loop in which you operate, from someone whose eyes are fresh. You need someone who can say, "Hey, wait a minute, I think I can see a better way. Why not try:" 3) Constant renewal of your FOCUS on the important things. Important things are those activities that in reasonable time lead to goal attainment. 4) ENCOURAGEMENT and support to sustain the effort that continually needs to be expended. 5) ACCOUNTABILITY to your passion, mission, and vision, to the goals you set, and to all that you say is important to you. These are great things.

Most any business person who can find a way to consistently secure The Five Cornerstones of Business Progress is very likely to also find him or herself squarely on the path towards super business success. And that better than good, that's terrific!

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