Stick-to-itiveness

When you think about important traits that are necessary for an entrepreneur to succeed… there are most likely a number of thoughts that come to mind. Perhaps persuasive abilities, discipline, special intelligence, or even the ability to generate massive income in a short period of time. More than likely you have come across at least one or more Kickstarter campaigns asking you to support that next million dollar start-up with a small donation.

Hey listen…all of these traits that I have mentioned are important and play a valuable role in the success of your business…absolutely…100% true. However…there is one key trait that many entrepreneurs overlook and that failure to identify and develop this trait can lead to the ultimate failure of their business.

So what is it? …Glad you asked! It is Stick-to-itiveness…which is defined as a dogged perseverance or tenacity (1).

Most people who start their business have a genuine desire to be successful…to make a great income….to take care of their family….and to live in purpose and passion.

So what happens? ... What changes? ...What takes someone from a burning desire to create their vision only to give up when challenges arise?

Well…the truth is…they lack Stick-to-itiveness and their will to succeed is for sale. So maybe they don’t totally commit to their vision but instead give 70 or 80 or even 90% of their efforts…but leave that 10% in reserve. Now you may justify in your mind why you don’t want to give everything to achieving your success…but IF you are not willing to go all-in, then you may want to rethink launching a business in the first place.

Are you willing to grind it out for 5 or 10 or even 15 years making a fraction of what you made on a corporate job if it means you can ultimately obtain the freedom that allows you to control your schedule…and be your own boss?

Sure you will have many doubts along the way….wondering if you made the right choice….having apprehension about a lack of security….but remember you are a brand EVEN IF you work for SOMEBODY else! Instead of having multiple clients or customers you just have one customer. The danger in that situation is…the moment you fail to please your customer or in this case your JOB…then they will fire you and leave you without a contract and a source of income.

In contrast, if you work for yourself then you can easily pick up multiple clients….multiple contracts…and no one is going to STOP you from making the income you are willing to WORK for…

Interestingly enough…according to a previous Forbes study…approximately 89% of millennials say they have a strong work ethic (3). Also, 55% of millennials suggest they are willing to pay their dues to be successful in corporate America…

If you are a Baby Boomer…or older generation don’t worry…we did not forget about you. One report suggests that Baby Boomers are twice as likely as millennials to start a new company and 45% consider themselves to be entrepreneurs. (4).

The point is…whether you are a baby boomer, a millennial, or neither….it really comes down to your will and determination to be successful. You can actually surpass those who are considered more likely to succeed by society’s standards if you are willing to put in the work!

Finally here are 7 tips on achieving your business goals and developing Stick-to-itiveness.

Decide at the beginning that you will maintain self-discipline and motivation, ESPECIALLY during the hard times.
Share your goals with others so they know your intentions and can hold you accountable for committing to those goals you set for yourself.
Develop and be willing to refine your strategy that is based on the objectives you want to achieve.
Once you have your strategy or tactics then you want an action plan that is date specific…otherwise there is no sense of urgency.
Actively solicit feedback from others that you trust, and respect, especially those who are not going to sugarcoat or give you feedback based on what you may WANT to hear. You need to receive feedback based on what you NEED to hear.
Have periodic check-in’s where you share progress with your support network. It will help you to stay motivated because you don’t want to have no updates to share…plus it will allow them to provide timely feedback based on what you share.
Once you have achieved your goals then celebrate those milestones…because psychologically it will propel you towards another and possibly even bigger goal!