As a coach, I’m all about perseverance. “Never give up” is a most important discipline that you must practice if you are going to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.
However, perseverance has a down side. Have you ever watched a housefly try to escape by repeatedly hitting the glass window? Ding, ding, bang, buzz, ding, ding, ding. Persistence is in full swing. There might be wide-open door two feet away, but Mr. Housefly is too busy to find it. He could have freedom and escape in a matter of seconds, but he is working too hard pursuing his goal.
How about you? Are there things in your business and life that just are not working? You keep trying, over and over and over and over. And when it doesn’t work, you continue to work even harder, and longer, ding, ding, ding, ding……
Perhaps it’s an employee that just doesn’t get it. You keep trying, over and over, and it is obvious they are not going to change. It could be a product or service that people just don’t want. It could be that your business just doesn’t work. I’ve watched people drain their savings and retirement, and then plunge into deeper debt, believing that success is just around the corner. It’s call denial.
Today, drop your ego, and objectively assess and measure your results. You must be brutally honest with what is happening. That means you must know your numbers and financials, and you must also connect with your customers and team. Slow down, evaluate, reengage, and then reinvent. Find a supportive person like a coach to help you reflect and see what is happening. Ask them what they see that you are missing. Allow them to help you break the hypnotic pattern and create something new.
There is an open door a few feet away that will set you free. Accepting that it’s just not working is the first step to finding what will work. This is when you persevere. You keep at the process until you find what does work! Set a plan for a season, test and measure, make adjustments based on the results, and then continue that process until you discover what works.
