Notes

What Marathons Can EDUCATE YOU ON About YOUR ORGANIZATION Part 2
I finished walking my first marathon in San Diego a couple of weeks ago.

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

A very important factor that struck me while hoofing it toward the finish line was the similarities between running a business and running a marathon (or in my case, walking a marathon). Listed below are 3 more (you can read the first 2 partly 1).

3. There is absolutely no "should." Once you picture the type of individuals who do marathons, who can you see? Young, thin, athletic?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

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

And, not merely did they finish, but many of them beat the pants off of the individuals who more resembled the stereotypical marathon runner.

So how does this relate to business success? Do these sound familiar:

"I don't have the proper 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."

"My industry 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 is a successful, thriving business owner on the market who has faced exactly the same or worse obstacles and has overcome them.

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

But I'm here to inform you that's not true. There is absolutely no "picture" of the successful business owner. Some have PhDs, some are senior high school dropouts. Some got a bankroll from their own families, some had to finance their business on bank cards.

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

4. get more info underestimate the energy of cheerleaders. There were times through the marathon when hearing someone say "That can be done 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 hold on to.

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

On that note, avoid being stingy with the cheers yourself. Your casually tossed off comment may make the difference between someone staying in the game or bailing out. In the end, we're in this together. Life is hard enough to not share a few cheers on the way.

5. Don't underestimate the power of mentors, coaches and friends. Several us went to NORTH PARK to do the marathon together, and we ended up creating a fun weekend from it. As this was my first marathon, it was so nice being with people who had already done it many times before. They had a routine, knew the pitfalls and could give me advice and get me prepared.

As a business owner, coaches and mentors might help smooth the path of one's success. They can tell you what worked, and what didn't work. They can give you an idea of what things to expect. They know very well what you're going through and will "talk the talk." They are able to assist you to brainstorm new ideas and see chinks you may have missed.

And, let's not forget they can make the whole journey much 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 customers, selling products and services and boosting business. To discover how she will let you take your business to the next level, visit her site http://www.michelepw.com Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.
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