How hard are you really working

Forgive my rant, but I’ve run into a rash of entrepreneurs lately who want it all yet aren’t putting the necessary effort in.  It got me thinking about entrepreneurship, parenting, athletics, really anything worth anything in life.

Let’s say you’re in your local electronics superstore and you see a television you really want.  The only way to take it home is to pay the price, and the only way to pay the price and take it home is to earn money by paying the price in your profession.

That doesn’t mean waking up at 7 am after hitting your alarm 4 times, daydreaming 80% of the day about what you wish you were doing, spending an hour with friends at lunch or the coffee shop instead of clients and prospects, going home at 5pm, and it certainly doesn’t mean hanging out in front of the TV eating Cheeto’s and surfing the internet for meaningless nonsense.

If that’s the price you’re paying, you’re getting everything out of life you’re asking for – nothing; failure at your job, in your personal life, and your health.  Life will pay you any price you pay it. 

So, if you want real success on your terms with your health, your happiness, your relationships, your business, your sales, and success as an entrepreneur then it’s time to start paying the price necessary.  Here’s your American Express Black Card plan for success (pardon the metaphor):

• Get up an hour earlier.  If 7 is your normal time, get up at 6
  
• No internet, no television
  
• Read something inspirational and uplifting for 15 minutes
  
• Get some form of exercise for 30 minutes 
  
• Review your goals – they’re written out, right?
  
• Eat a healthy breakfast, skip the pork fat
  
• Glance over the days schedule
  
• Get to your office before everyone if you have an office
  
• Schedule a coffee meeting or lunch meeting with any prospect or client – have a thank you game plan
  
• Spend 2 hours prospecting for business, a new hire, or whatever is the most pressing issue for you.  If you’re in sales it better be prospecting
  
• Take a ½ hour and hand write, no email, 5 thank you cards.  You’ll feel better, no one else is doing it, and whomever receives them will never forget your elegance and class
  
• Spend your day hustling with actions that drive you towards your goals.  There’s no such thing as the 4-hour workweek if you want success no matter an author tells you
  
• When everyone else has quit for the day, make one more call, send one more email, review your successes for the day and reread your goals.
  
• Go home and commit that time wholly to your loved ones

Life will pay you any price you ask of it, but you must be willing to hustle, to work your butt off, and commit to do whatever it takes to make it happen.  Don’t be like the entrepreneurs I’ve run into lately.  Get everything you want out of life.  You deserve it.