7 PRINCIPLES FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS IN ANY ECONOMY: be a lifelong learner

​Eric Hoffer wrote, “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” A more accurate statement cannot be made for the world of change we live in today. Ask yourself now, “What am I doing to perform like a champion?” The answer is to remain sharp as demonstrated in the story of the wood cutter.

Sharpening your ax to achieve championship performance levels consists of two areas of development, professional and personal. Success in anything, personal, business, even an enjoyable vacation, requires self-improvement in both areas. “You will be the same person in five  years as you are today,” Charlie “Tremendous” Jones would say, “except for the people you meet and the books you read.” The people you meet, the books you read, the classes or seminars you attend effect your outcomes in both your personal and professional lives. So, one cannot be one thing professionally and something different in his/her personal life. The two interact and are interdependent.
 
Who you are in the marketplace has a direct correlation to your personal development.   I have found over the years that many people believe that if they work harder on their skills, they will be more, do more, and have more. One thing I learned from Jim Rohn is that to have more, one must become more, and that has to do with your personal philosophy on life, learning, people, achievement, and leadership. That philosophy is reflected in the kind of person you are. John Maxwell has said there are five kinds of people. Those who…

1. invest nothing in their lives, have nothing, and end up suffering.
2. invest nothing, expect to receive something, and complain when they don’t get what they want.
3. initially invest, expect an immediate return, and quit when they don’t get the results they wanted.
4. invest regularly, expect to collect, and become winners.
5. Invest strategically, plan to collect, and wing big.

 
You cannot be in level one and two and expect to win in the game of life. Those on level three are those who give things a try, and never really commit. Therefore, they live lives of honorable failure while never achieving the true prize. Those on the last two levels are champions who accept responsibility for their lives, commit, believe, persevere, and achieve. Those on level four and five achieve due to their personal and professional development programs.
 
I once learned from Vince Poscente that there are four areas for development over your lifetime and this is true for everyone. They are simply…
          Mental: Developing and living a philosophy.
          Technical: Your skills. Your skills
          Physical: Your personal health and your environment.
          Financial: How you make what you make and what you do with it.
                   
The world constantly changes and the decade of the 2020s is no exception. To achieve championship performance levels, you must be prepared for those changes. Performance improvement in any endeavor is not just a nice thing, but a required thing; and those who do the best job at continually improving themselves personally and professionally will always be the big winners.
 
Set your plan of personal improvement today. What can you read? To what podcasts can you listen? What seminars can you attend? Answer these questions today, take action, and enjoy a higher level of achievement and living.

Brian Kennedy is an Encourager and Champion Builder whose purpose is to glorify God by encouraging, developing, and leading champions to victory in their own life stories. We do this as a referral-driven business coach and consultant, serving business owners with insights and direction while treating them in a very special way.