There’s a kid’s nursery rhyme that starts, or maybe ends, or has it somewhere in the middle, the words “round and round the mulberry bush”. Remember the one?
Haven’t got a clue how the rest of it goes — my dear old gran always took her teeth out when she sang so I couldn’t understand most of the words. A very deprived childhood I had.
Has this got anything to do with business, I hear you say? Absolutely not — apart from the fact those six words pop into my mind every time I hear a business owner complain they’re in a rut, or life’s a struggle, or they blame the world for their inabilities blah blah blah.
They’re going around the “bleep” bush because that’s the way they choose to run their business and can’t see what’s on the other side of the bush.
Well, merry go rounders, stop, take a breath, prune your bush (in an arboristic way of speaking) and take a look at why you keep getting the same results year after year.
We have discussed this issue in the past, and the reason I bring it up again is because this time of year is the most common for getting lost in a field of bushes, mulberry or otherwise.
Christmas is a thing of last year, your holidays are all but forgotten, the kids are back at school, the bills are piling up and life is back to normal. Arrrrrr, how nice. No, no, no! Not nice. Ahhhhh life sucks.
So who’s out there that can make “life sucks” into “would you like a straw to suck up that Margarita” — while sitting on a tropical beach, of course
You’re now expecting me to jump out of a telephone box with red undies and a cape and say “never fear, super coach is here to save you”.
Well, not this time — the cape and undies got ruined on New Year’s Eve (don’t ask) and even if I wanted to be seen in public with them on, a Trades Coach or anybody else for that matter should not be number one on your list of saviours.
You’re it buddy . . .
Number one is much closer to home — in fact, you’re it buddy. You can hire the best advice in the world, cape and undies included, but if you are not ready to leave the mulberry bush then you’ll be wasting your time and money.
It’s an attitude shift that’s needed, a mindset reshuffle, call it what you like. Just recognise that the leaves have left the bush and so must you.
Once the light bulb has exploded in the grey matter then look for help and find somebody who you click with (because it always helps to like the person who’s telling you you’re a loser).
Someone who has hands-on experience, who has been there done that, and not just a book regurgitator. Someone who does not make promises or guarantees, as you’re the one who makes the changes, not them. If you can get someone who has been recommended, even better.
So there we have my opening pitch for 2016 — none of this Happy New Year baloney but more, stop being a moaning Myrtle (sorry kids, I watched Potter the other day), and become the person and business owner you deserve to be.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t know how — there are people to show you the way. You just have to be ready to ride the Hogwarts Express (kids shouldn’t be old enough for Mad Max just yet)!
