The Real Problem is…
Last month we explored how sometimes we just need to be able to identify what we’re frustrated at in order to begin addressing it. When there are consistent frustrations in a business, we can usually address them by putting systems in place that minimize inconsistencies and produce more of the results we’re really looking for.
It’s another one of those no-duh, no brainers that may not appear like much until those frustrations build to the point of blinding us from the most direct solutions.
But we now want to articulate the impact of that frustration on our business condition. How does this thing impact you? What results aren’t you getting? What’s happening? What’s not happening that you want to happen, or don’t want to happen?
We don’t want to be working on anything that doesn’t really matter. If you’re frustrated because your partner starts their day later than you do, does it really matter as long as the work is getting done? But if that lateness means missing calls from earlier time zones, that could have an impact, yes?
So it’s one thing to name a frustration, and it’s another to know exactly what that frustration translates into toward your bottom line. You’ve got to probe, measure, and quantify that frustration. You might find at the end of the day, you’re really getting bothered over something trivial—or you could find that your frustrations are indeed warranted.
If you have a complex system you’re looking at, this process can take months. So how about a more simple formula?
“The real problem in my business is the absence …” It could be a system that will cost effectively generate leads rather than be a costly guessing game every time. Or a system that staff can follow consistently rather than doing it their own way each time, producing mediocre or inconsistent results. Or it could be the absence of a system for strategic planning rather than primarily responding to a competitor’s moves.
It’s just a generic way of focusing. You’re not actually formulating a system yet. What you’ll find is some of these things that you describe can actually be purchased as software programs, or you can easily hire consultants who do them much better than you would. But once you’ve figured out what the problem actually is, reformulating starts to become easier.
“The real problem in my business is the absence of a system that will …” Fill in the blank with that generic system solution and then write down your original frustrating condition.
You should start to feel a shift in your energy in terms of some of these things that are frustrating you. The question that you simply have to ask now is: Is this frustration worth fixing? Is this frustration that you named—if it’s not stemming from within you—something you have to address quickly or is it lower on the priority scale?
Do you really want to remedy this frustrating condition or would you rather just live with it? That’s the question that you have to answer.
What do you think? What are some frustrating aspects of running a business that you’ve encountered, and how did you remedy them? Did you find value in naming and understanding the impact of those frustrations? Were some of them really nothing? Make sure to leave me a comment and let me know your experiences with frustrations in business (and how you handled them) – or even how you handled frustration and overcame it in other parts of your life!
For Your Freedom,
good pointers, just wish I could apply them to my business situation.
When something is not working it is time to reevaluate what you are doing. It is not always wrong but it is ovbiously not working for your business.
Hi Karine
I hear this a lot when I’m coaching clients, “That works for them but it doesn’t work for me. My job/business/partner is different!” In my experience, that’s not true. Everything and everyone is basically the same. The core of any business runs on the same cogs and wheels and it’s when a few cogs or wheels are missing i.e. system, that the frustrations occur, Rather than saying “I wish I could apply them to my business situation, or that won’t work for my business let’s turn it around and ask “How could that work in my business or how could we apply that?” Seek and you shall find. Now go out and systmise! Remeber SYSTEM stands for Save Yourself Time, Energy and Money 😉
Les Gordon, fancy seeing you here!!! You are a champion and I thank you for your help over the past couple of years!
Karine, do what Les says, it worked for me and he continues to help me in my endeavours (and my business!!!).
Hi mr Les Gordon , I’m from philippines I just want to ask if you have attended any seminar, program or courses that is found on the last page of the secrets of the millionaire mind book. If yes it worth attending it for you. I don’t have a big time business for now and I’m not an entrepeneur my course is about aviation electronics technology, do you think I can reach my ginancial freedom in a short time if I’m going to attend some of the courses offered from the book? And thank you for reading this.. 🙂
Love the acronym. Very clever and easy to apply to everyday situations.
Very true! Getting past the “knee-jerk” perception of being helpless is troubleshooting is hard! Outside the box and fresh thinking….
Yes, Les! Great! I good question is “how can I make that work for me?”. Powerful questions usually begin with a “How?”.
But you can Karine, you can! Just focus and do it! But you have to want to do it.
It begs the question, why can’t you apply them to your business?
Professional situation or personal situation: the same fight !
Remedy the causes where undergo them by closing eyes? Let us substitute for all these invalidating situations, situations to the gratifying personal reports(relationships) in which you live accepted, recognized, loved! Never accept the installation of false, unworthy reports or relationships of your right for the excellence and for love ! Have a good gay and enjoy yourself !
Hello harv you perfectly ragione.Il most of the time within companies nonc’è a winning system and all very disorganized and sappiamoche to achieve the goals you have to make things clear as you say clarity is power! Thank you and a hug from the heart of a small Italian dreamer salvatore
Thanks! I needed that! I feel that my biz controls me most of the time, and I am mearly responding to whatever the issue is at the moment. I need to plan and identify a system that will streamline the process. Thanks
Right onthi-s helped me sort things right out.
I am loosing my mind because my clients does not pay me when i give them credit, my small retail store is in problem every month because of that, should i close my business?
I have a system that deals with collecting your cash while keeping your customers! We have a 41% success rate over the typical 14% collections company. We are not a collection company and your clients think that they are always dealing with you. We work in the back ground. Plus, you may want to require 1/2 down for an initial deposit and possibly look at how you are determining the credit worthiness of a person or company before you are issuing credit. I hope this helps! 🙂
No! The more you focus on the lack the bigger it gets. Focus on your clients paying you on time every time and this will start to happen. You can always slowly reduce their credit limit too. There is always a way, maybe even a discount for early payment? Try something but don’t give up that easily.
Did you just identify why your store has a problem? Break the pattern you have identified and identify new system/s
My frustration is why do some people on facebook get likes and shares and I post the same thing and I get no response?
What’s frustrating is assuming what others will say. I am shifting my focus on closing the sale than their excuses
I learned from a great salesperson that instead of the focus on the “no” landmine, use that same excuse to power the YES, ect. It sounds like you have started to crack that nut.
Thank you, Harv, I always learn something from you
The biggest frustration for my business is how do I replicate myself. How do you find a leader that has a similar love for the business.
I have a publicity page as a therapist and would like to also work as a seller of physical products. But cannot afford a conflict of interests with my Order . How would you do this?
New entity! i.e, LLC, Corp, ect. to create the separation.
I forgot to write I have a pub page as a therapist ON INTERNET and social medias and also want to sell on Internet…
Hi Harv, thanks. I definitely can apply this workable solution. Thanks, Ursula
Thank You T.Harv, The real problem in my life is the absence of a system that will make me a good, charming, assertive, expressive, friendly, resultfull communicator.
Systems are crucial, even for small business. Otherwise you end up focusing on little things all day, running around to one interuption and another while never completing the truly meaningful tasks, not to mention lack of structure leave no time to focus on working on the business. It’s vital these systems are determined and implimented for sucess and sanity!
It is very nice to have a working framework in your head of how things should operate process-wise in order to achieve ‘x’ results..so that you can tweak the processes and know scientifically what the results will be. The difference between being a business owner, and being in a work situation, is “knowing” these things (through data and experience and result proof), and being able to do something about it — instead, of presenting this info to an employer..and having it fall on deaf (fearful/blind/denial) ears: I still contract while getting my business up to speed..but, ran into something like this in the past year. It fell on deaf ears and pushed the “this is just wrong” (from an education, experience, data, results point of view) and happily decided to let the rest of the group go on their way without a shift “back” to “happy results land” instead of where recent decisions had brought them..to shift a process that was clearly not working in a number of categories. Still, it was awesome to have the freedom to see this clearly, state the case, and re-align myself to learn something new in another venue. But, as biz owner, how awesome it is to have google, a network, and see great evidence of how cool systems have worked for other businesses..and how happy a moment to say, “yes, this is for me and my biz!” (it fits into my strategy, experienced successful processes, and results)..Not to remove responsibility or any quality..but, rather to harness and enhance it : )
Viewing a frustration as a cue to set up a system erodes anger and self-pity.
Everything everywhere is systemised; banking, health, credit, traffic, you name it and you will see that it is all systemised. Why then do we as small business owners think we don’t need to systemise things?
I recently agonised over employing someone in my business. What a difficult situation I found myself in. Do I, don’t I, do I, don’t I??? What I found out is that I have no formal systems in place to be able to employ someone; everything is in my head! So I’ve engaged a contractor for now whilst I work on my systems. But here’s the funny thing, I still have to provide systems for my contractor! There is no escape; systemise!
Your business is never too small to systemize!
Your life is too important not to systemise also. Remember systems translate into order. With order everything flows bringing peace and harmony to your world. Simply choose which path you want to take then take action to make it happen.
Even though I know how to do this business very well, I still made losses but now sit tight and find out the possible mistake that make me losses
Thanks Harv. It’s so easy to get bogged down and frustrated. It’s nice to be reminded to focus on the goal and putting systems into place.
An interesting question to ask in most any circumstance. My experience left me asking this question too late whilst in a business partnership. I coach people now and will cetainly be able to pose this to my clients to ask this valuable question and help them plot the pathway applicable to them for moving forward. Thanks for this insight.
Dear Harv,
I would love to attend one of your seminars. However you haven’t posted the information for your seminars in Asia. I live in Thailand, and would ideally like to attend in KL, Malaysia in Oct. I am hoping its late Oct, so that I can make it.
Please let us know the info!
I much appreciate your amazing work. I’m reading the book now for the second time and i’m comitted to becoming a millioanire by 2016 – although I definitely need a new blueprint.
Kind thanks,
Fla,
For all international dates please visit: https://millionairemindglobal.com/
The list is updated frequently.
Greatful articles
I have already a system fom my business but my first frustation is that i scared investing to ppc – i have scare to lose my money!!! how i brake down this fear?
New start up business. I find that there are two great frustrations. One is myself. In order to have a great business I have to be ‘greater’ than I have been. The second is the paperwork or setup needs and learning (re-learning) online code and such which pulls me away from sales and production. My solutions are to work the 90 day Wealth Conditioning Program and joining the Global Mastermind Program to enhance myself, the second is to set aside 1 hr daily in the morning for business needs, then making sure I network or do sales DAILY! Distractions from my biz, will take a backseat till my one hour for biz is finished. No exceptions but for emergencies. Seems like most biz problems are management.
It’s a little off topic but I have to say, this is why I’m such a big fan of T. Harv Eker. He actually gives you practical, easy to apply advice that works for the real world. It’s just refreshing because I find that a lot of self-help gurus say things that sound nice but don’t actually help you. I’m grateful to Harv for putting forth ideas that actually work that anyone can do!
Beginning with 2003, I worked in construction in Spain, it was an very hard work and I was working 12 hours a day even though it was the first time in my life when I was working in this sector. So I learned a new Job. In July 8, 2010 I suffered a heart attack. And when I have a lemon I make a lemonade I’ve realized that it was the time to do what I really like in this life and be free from the financial point of view. I’m “comfortable” now, as you say in your book and want to be rich. “I commit to being rich.” That is my story. Thank you, Harv.