If you’re in startup mode, you may have had a couple of roadblocks on the way to getting your business running the way you want. Here are four of the biggest roadblocks to startup productivity and how you can overcome them:
- Waiting for a Perfect Mental State
We have all heard of the dangers of perfectionism early on. Sometimes we also wait until we have a perfect mental state to complete work as well. While we should always try to capitalize on those times when we feel most energetic, there are still times we find ourselves bootstrapped with a deadline and we are mentally tired and just not there. A good strategy is to do more in the times when you have a lot of mental energy and then in the times when you have less mental energy, focus on easier and less complex task.
“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
Lao Tzu
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Comparison
Don’t ever put a competitor on a pedestal. We waste time when we compare our business or progress to others. We may think other successful entrepreneurs have some secret sauce that we don’t – the first thing we need to realize is that no one really has a secret sauce. We are all people and success is available to everyone who has the guts, perseverance and integrity to go after it.
“How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
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Perfectionism
Trying to have everything perfect is a surefire way NOT to succeed. Successful entrepreneurs know that perfection is in the eye of the beholder; just beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No matter what industry you are in, you will never be able to please everyone, instead focus on adding value.
“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.”
Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
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Fear
This one is tricky. As a startup entrepreneur, you have obviously already overcome the fear opening a business in the first place. However, on the road to building your dream business, when your business begins to change, shift and grow; it’s the fear of the unknown, new or different that gets us. Sometimes this fear makes us stall. In these times it’s important to embrace change and accept it as an inevitable part of your business life. When you think about all of the other successful entrepreneurs that have gone ahead before you, this will give you the courage to move on towards your path to success.
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature
Zoë Bright is the CEO of Zoë Digital Marketing, which provides a full range of web marketing services as well as social media training in a virtual classroom. With a goal of helping 100% of small businesses get online now, Zoë Digital Marketing makes it easy for anyone from solopreneur to small or midsized business to grow their business and succeed on the web.
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