Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing
Enough is Enough
Are you an entrepreneur who feels like you have to go through just one more marketing program, read just one more business management book or attend just one more sales teleclass before you can be a successful business person? If so, you are among good company.
I felt the same way, even long after starting my own business I didn’t think I knew enough about running a business. Hundreds of courses, programs and books target people like us, making us feel like there’s always “just one more” thing to learn before experiencing success. The problem was that I hadn’t determined for myself when enough was enough, so I was easily swayed by what the self-proclaimed experts were saying.
That is, until I said “Enough!”
The first thing I had to do was to turnoff the noise from the experts, gurus, masters and “6-figure” income generators It felt like they were preaching independence (‘You can do it on your own’) while trying to sell me something (‘If you follow my foolproof system/perfect solution/etc…you’ll finally have everything you need’). I was so sick of the crafty sales copy and smooth-talking pitches that I decided to stop listening, unsubscribing from their newsletters and blog feeds.
Once the clatter stopped, I was better able to hear what was inside me. I started a journal about my business, my clients, my experiences and my thoughts on solutions. After a few days of writing, I read over my notes with a highlighter and I was amazed at how much I knew. That’s when I realized that I was a source of valuable information and that I could contribute positively without looking for guidance elsewhere.
If you’re feeling overloaded with information the collective “they” are saying you “should” be doing,( to “take your business to the next level” and “achieve all your wildest dreams in only 90 days,”) just turn them off. Create peace and space to draw out what has been inside you all along. You’ll realize that you have skills, knowledge and experience that cannot simply be taught in a book. You’ll start gaining the confidence you need to promote your unique strengths and find the specific niche only you can fill. (“It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” – Dizzy Dean).
You already have everything you need to succeed. The challenge is to define what your strengths are without letting anyone else say what they “should” be or let others tell you what is acceptable. Instead of reading yet another “how-to” book and continually trying to find out what’s missing, read strengths-based books to help identify, develop and communicate what comes naturally to you and build on that (like “Go Find Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham; “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath).
What you discover will empower you, and give you the confidence you need to achieve success in your own way.
In closing, finding the courage to say “Enough!” will free up your time and energy to devote to the success-oriented activities as well as to invest in your overall well-being. Drawing the line and playing the entrepreneur game on your terms will give you more satisfaction in life and make you more productive. You’ll feel lighter, less stressed and counter feelings of inadequacy. What more could an entrepreneur ask for?
Cristina Favreau specializes in helping professionals in the service industry who love what they do, but struggle with running & marketing their business. She’ll help you identify where you’re stuck in the marketing cycle & come up with an action plan to gain immediate momentum. Cristina’s clients find her no-nonsense, plain language approach refreshing. Visit her blog, The Savvy Entrepreneur.
Posted on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am and is filed under Leadership, Small Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
10 Comments | “Enough is Enough”
I have “Go Find Your Strengths” and I agree with you, it is a great book. Oh, by the way, I am a trombone player.
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All the information overload tends to startle us into a constant typhoon of insecurities about doing it right, whereas good old action gives us the confidence in our abilities.
Cristina, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that at a point you can have too much information. So much information that it distracts you from doing the things that you already know how to do…without spending $497.00. I am in the process of unsubscribing from numerous newsletters and allowing myself some time to re-evaluate my goals and desires for my business.
One way I know I’ll get things done is by doing things. No matter how many times I read about it, nothing is going to happen until after try-and-fail stage. Not sure about the others, but this approach saves me a fortune 
Cristina, thanks so much for publishing this article. You are so right, enough IS enough. My inbox overflows with all this hype and I know how easy it is to get caught up, not knowing if this one marketer is going to be THE marketer to listen to – consequently, you keep reading and keep listening, continuing to become more and more frustrated. I’m also in the process of unsubscribing – it is truly amazing when you go through the process you are doing, reviewing your notes, etc., as to how much you really DO know. I decided it’s time for me to share my knowledge with the world and challenged myself to start blogging. I love it and my mind works much more efficiently these days!
I want to share this article among some of my friends – I feel it is valuable. Thanks again!
Carol Deckert, Netweaving/Networking Coach
http://www.runlancaster.com
Very well said Cristina. I think too often we allow ourselves to become programmed to believe we just don’t know enough. We don’t learn to trust our inner guidance. I remember reaching a point where I felt I was on information overload. It became overwhelming and I lost some clarity in my thinking.
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Oh, you are so right, Cristina! I can’t tell you how many times I read some article on the Top X Things an entrenpreneur should do. Only to read each item and think, “yup, I’m doing that, and yup, I’m doing that.” Finally, at the end of the article you’re annoyed for getting sucked into the read and how another 10 minutes of your day was wasted.