Listen to your results. Really. They’re telling you something!

Today’s post is all about how to make massively better business decisions, by using your results as a compass.

I live in the countryside. Fields of crops are everywhere and this time of year, it looks beautiful. Young crops are starting to grow and fields that were dark green are slowly turning golden.

Just imagine how different that picture would look, if instead of the farmers bringing their seeds to the soil, they brought their needs to the soil. Imagine if the farmers had stood in the middle of their fields and told the soil that they needed a great harvest, but they failed to plant and nurture the seeds.

• The fields would be barren.
• No crops.
• No harvest.

And with no harvest, there would be no income.

Your business results work in the same way

Business results are based on what we deserve, not what we need. Think about it:

• When a business owner does the right things correctly, she gets the rewards her actions deserve.
• When a business owner follows the wrong strategy, she also gets the results her actions deserve.
• This remains true no matter how desperately she needs more sales, more clients or more income.

The challenge for most struggling business owners, is accepting that they are working the wrong strategy.

No business owner is unaware that their business is stagnating or contracting. They know better than anyone that they have wasted another year. They know better than anyone that things need to improve. The challenge they have is making the decision to do something about it. Read this: Don’t let this decision destroy your business.

The Failing Familiar

Since starting my business in 1995, I have worked with thousands of business owners worldwide. I’ve discovered an interesting trend. Many small business owners become attached to what I call The Failing Familiar. That’s to say, they find their current strategy so comfortable, even though it’s going nowhere, that they stick with it. They hope things will somehow magically improve. So they hunker down. Before they know it, years pass by. It’s tragic and 100% unnecessary.

Here’s the thing: Your business results are like a compass. They’re either demanding you carry on with your current direction because it’s working, or they’re screaming at you to choose a better direction.

The question is, are you listening to what your results are telling you and acting accordingly?