Focused, Flexible, Fast and Friendly.

If you want to be more successful in all you do, incorporate these words into your day to day: focus, flexibility, fast and friendly. These are key traits to accomplishing more and to keeping frustration to a minimum.

Focus: dig deep, not wide. The key to achieving your objectives is to focus on accomplishing the important tasks. The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) stating 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions applies. Don’t try to do 3 things at once. Stay on task until you’ve completed your objective.

Flexibility: Many of you reading this are moms. As an
entrepreneur, often times we get knocked off course by a child’s fever, a bad report card (and resulting discussions), an emergency trip to CVS for posterboard. While frustrating at times remember for the majority of us it is the actual reason we became entrepreneurs-we wanted the flexibility to keep family first. Just take a deep breath and let this go. I have learned to re-frame these moments as “rewards”. I am grateful I can stop what I am doing in order to serve my children. My children are why I work so hard in the first place. Don’t ever lose sight of that.

Flexibility also applies to your business model. Most entrepreneurs start out thinking their business will be “X” and usually sooner than later they realize they must adjust to “Y”. Let the customer dictate what you should be selling. Ask them. They will tell you.

Fast: The beauty of being a small business owner is you can adapt quickly. If a competitive advantage becomes apparent, act quickly to capitalize on the opportunity. Don’t get set in your ways in life or in business. Keep an open mind.

Friendly: Are you delighting your customer? Successful people are friendly people. Let’s face it, people do business with people they like. Are you and your staff likable?

Try out these words and see the improved results in your day to day world.