The Easiest Way To Succeed Is To Let Everyone Else Quit
Because everyone always quits
Yesterday, I was reflecting on how hard it is to build a successful business.
Today, I’d like to share with you some challenges I’ve been having, and then share with you some insight as to why these challenges are your winning ticket to get ahead.
Let’s get started.
Juliana’s Stupid iPhone
As you know, Juliana has been building her breathwork practice. As she has been doing groups and building her audience, she has also been selling and promoting retreats that she will facilitate.
Juliana is starting to build some real momentum and get some real success. However, starting anything from zero is always a challenge. It’s inevitable that you will come across many obstacles that make you want to give up.
Just yesterday, Juliana had a client over for her weekly session, and for whatever reason, her phone wouldn’t connect to the speaker. Creating playlists and using music to guide people on their journeys is a critical part of Juliana’s work. She’s a pro, so she solved the problem, but nonetheless, it’s an experience that can leave you flustered because the client is there, ready for her session, waiting for Juliana to fix the technical difficulties.
It’s a little problem, but in the moment, you can imagine how uncomfortable that would be. Juliana would NEVER want to deliver anything other than a profound experience to EVERY ONE of her customers.
There have been dozens of these little problems. For example …
recording videos just to discover the microphone wasn’t connected
learning how to edit
endless website glitches
clients that no show
deals with renting spaces for groups that fall through at the last minute
Sometimes these mini failures can be so frustrating that they force people to quit. In fact, I would argue that the reason most of you quit is because you come across some friction that feels too overwhelming.
I see it happen every day.
Giving Yourself The Grace To Learn
Teaching yourself how to do something you don’t know how to do is frustrating. Unfortunately, most of you beat yourselves up about it because you think this is something you should already know, even though you’ve never learned.
Building websites is a common example. Most of you struggle with it, and you think that because websites are so common, if you don’t know how to build one then you’re a failure and probably aren’t qualified to run an internet business.
Obviously, that’s insane. How could you know how to build a website if you’ve never learned?
For the record, I’m no better off than you. Every day, I discover things I don’t know how to do, and I make mistakes along the way. These mistakes are almost always in public, and they hurt.
For example, I recently decided to move my entire infrastructure into Circle.
Circle is the community platform that The Machine Method is built on. Over time, they’ve been adding new features, and now I can build my entire operation in one platform.
the community
hosting live videos
email marketing
list organization
building the website
Now, instead of needing six or seven different platforms, I can do it all in one place. Sounds great, right?
Yes, but the problem is I need to learn how it works.
I set up a bunch of automations that would automatically email people once they joined different levels of the group. I spent hours on it, and I was positive I did it properly. It turns out that when people joined The Launchpad, I didn’t set up the filters correctly, so I was emailing people pitches to buy The Launchpad right after they bought it.
Imagine how annoying that would be. You spend your hard-earned dollars to join my program, and then immediately after you join, you get an email telling you why you should join.
I got at least six emails and messages from concerned customers questioning whether they made the right choice or not.
So guess what, I went back to my computer, I dug in, and I figured it out. Now, all my automations are working properly. (I hope… 😄)
Three Feet From Gold
In one of my favorite books, Think and Grow Rich, the author tells a story about quitting just before success.
During the gold rush, a man named R.U. Darby found some gold. He excavated enough gold to be wealthy, but shortly, the vein of gold dried up. They sold their equipment and went back to Maryland. A junkman in the community heard about the vein drying up and was skeptical. So he hired a mining engineer who told him that there was likely more gold just three feet away from where Darby stopped digging.
That assessment was accurate.
The junkman dug another three feet and struck one of the richest gold veins, earning millions.
Darby never forgot his lesson. He eventually went on to live a very successful life, but he took the lesson to heart. If only he had educated himself and learned about fault lines, then he would have easily determined that there was more gold to be found.
Everything we want is on the other side of fear.
Learning about fault lines is boring and probably frustrating, but I’m sure Darby would have wished he took the time to learn.
That goes for you too.
Everyone Quits
I can not tell you how many times I’ve found great success in business, simply because I didn’t quit.
I’ve outlasted almost all competitors, I’ve closed deals that my competitors gave up on, and I’ve won countless negotiations simply because the person on the other side was just sick of dealing with me.
Everyone quits. No one pushes through discomfort. As soon as there is even the slightest challenge, most people pack up and try to find an easier softer way. The hardship is the opportunity.
Learn the skills. Don’t quit at the first sign of friction. Push through the frustration. Be willing to fail in public, and it’s inevitable that you will find gold.
Press on.
Tim
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"Sometimes the long way around is the short way" is something I've followed for years. Love your stuff Tim. Read it every day.