Jim, I’ve had enough!

“I’ve had enough”. There’s real power in those 3 words.

Think about it.

It’s what we say when we’ve reached a tipping point. When we’re no longer prepared to allow a bad situation to persist. When more of the same is simply not an option anymore. When we know it’s time for action.

“I’ve had enough” is also the precursor of all meaningful, lasting improvement. It’s what every business owner who turned their fortunes around said, just before they changed gears and did what was required.

I was prompted to write this, when I noticed that three of my clients from last year used those words, somewhere in their initial email to me. One even used it in the subject line. “Jim, I’ve had enough”.

Interestingly, in each of those three examples, it was a different issue that motivated them to take action.

• One said they’d had enough of the famine and feast cycle.
• Another said they’d had enough of making a living and wanted to make a fortune.
• And the person who used it in the subject line, said they’d had enough of waiting for things to improve.

Those are different motivations. At least on a surface level. From small business owners of different ages, in different locations and different industries. But they’re unified by a desire for something spectacularly better. United in the belief that more of the same is no longer an option for them.

Often when a business is underperforming, the business owner will focus on improving how they feel about the problem… rather than fix the actual problem.

• Some use positive self-talk.
• Others keep telling themselves that things will surely turn around next month.
• And some try to ignore the seriousness of their situation, hoping it just goes away. Hope is essential. But it’s a lousy marketing strategy.

We need to be smarter than that. The clock is ticking.

If you’ve had enough, more of the same is not an option. Now is the time to take action. Now is the time to start putting things right, so you can look to the future with justified optimism and confidence. I assure you, a few months from now you’ll be very glad you did.

Photo by Suzi Kim