Notes

What Marathons Can EDUCATE YOU ON About YOUR ORGANIZATION Part 2
I finished walking my first marathon in San Diego a month or more ago.

It was the hardest thing I've ever done. But, it had been also an incredible accomplishment.

One thing that struck me while hoofing it toward the final line was the similarities between in operation and owning a marathon (or in my own case, walking a marathon). Listed below are 3 more (you can read the first 2 in Part 1).

3. There is absolutely no "should." When you picture the sort of people who do marathons, who do you see? Young, thin, athletic?

Nothing could possibly be further from the truth.

There were folks of all sizes and shapes, of all ages (there is an 80-99 year old class by the way) plus some with pretty significant disabilities.

And, not only did they finish, but a lot of them beat the pants off of the people who more resembled the stereotypical marathon runner.

Just how does this relate with business success? Do any of these sound familiar:

"I don't have the right education."

"I'm too old."

"I'm too young."

"My kids are still in school."

"I have no idea enough."

"I don't have the money."

"The economy is bad."

" website has changed."

And so on.

For every reason folks have for why they haven't started a business or why their business isn't successful, there's a successful, thriving business proprietor on the market who has faced the same or worse obstacles and has overcome them.

But that is deeper than excuses. People really do feel like they can not be successful running a business due to some image within their head. Maybe they think all successful companies have MBAs, or had family connections, or were raised a particular way.

But I'm here to inform you that isn't true. There is no "picture" of the successful business proprietor. Some have PhDs, some are high school dropouts. Some got a bankroll from their families, some had to finance their business on credit cards.

The one thing they DO have in common is they were determined to cross the final line.

4. Don't underestimate the energy of cheerleaders. There have been times through the marathon when hearing someone say "That you can do it," "It's a little farther," "You'll almost there" made an enormous difference. Especially close to the end, those encouragements gave me something to hang on to.

It's been said that a lot of people quit when success is right around the corner. They can't see it yet, but should they had just hung on for a longer time, all their effort would start to pay off. Maybe should they had had a cheerleader or two yelling "Mile 22 is right around the corner," that would have been enough to allow them to keep them going.

On that note, you shouldn't be stingy with the cheers yourself. Your casually tossed off comment may make the difference between someone staying in the overall game or bailing out. After all, we're in this together. Life is hard enough never to share several cheers on the way.

5. Don't underestimate the power of mentors, coaches and friends. A group of us went to NORTH PARK to accomplish the marathon together, and we ended up making a fun weekend from it. As this is my first marathon, it had been so nice being with individuals who had already done it often before. They had a routine, knew the pitfalls and may give me advice and get me prepared.

As a small business owner, coaches and mentors might help smooth the path of one's success. They can let you know what worked, and what didn't work. They are able to give you a concept of what to expect. They understand what you're going through and can "talk the talk." They are able to assist you to brainstorm new ideas and see chinks you might have missed.

And, let's not forget they can make the whole journey far more fun.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing and sales communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and boosting business. To learn how she will help you take your business to another level, visit her site http://www.michelepw.com Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.
Here's my website: https://cnnislands.com/are-usually-the-best-platform-to-develop-online-applications/