Sometimes we get into ruts. We get used to doing business “our way” and we close ourselves off to the possibility that there might be another way. Maybe even… a better way.  We repeat the same patterns and produce the same results and our business coasts along but never grows or evolves.  

Take for example, a contractor client of ours who attended one of our Leadership Intensive Seminars. He’d been in the business for more than 15 years and he’d never – not once – left the business behind. On the few vacations he had taken in that time, he’d always called to check in. He even cut a trip short once because he felt he couldn’t leave a situation to somebody else on his staff to handle. He was extremely proud of the company he’d built and he felt he was the only person who could run it.

Then somebody gave him The E-Myth Revisited on CD and he listened to it in his truck while driving to and from jobs. And then suddenly it dawned on him. After 15 years, he realized that he’d hit a wall. That the business wasn’t growing. That his revenues were flat. That the business was running...but not efficiently. He told us about the moment this realization struck him. He pulled over and banged his hands on the wheel of his truck. It was his “ah-ha” moment.

“Ah-ha” moments happen at different times for different people. But inspiration usually strikes at some point. Something happens to make you think that maybe there is a better way. Perhaps you have a truly rewarding experience with a client, or an employee goes above and beyond in a way that makes you rethink how things are being done. Maybe you attend a lecture or read a book. Like our contractor client, you may have felt that way when you read our book, The E-Myth Revisited. A lot of people read it, identify with it, and enjoy a few minutes of enthusiastic determination. And then life gets in the way. Monday comes around and the day-to-day work of running your business begins to make it feel like Groundhog Day.

But let’s face it; Groundhog Day is no place to live. Stay in a rut too long and you could begin to lose interest in your work, feel defeated, and when that happens to a business owner the impact can be devastating. So what’s a business owner to do?

3 Tips to Get You on the Right Track

Here are three things you can do right now to break out of that “doing it, doing it, doing it” cycle. Three things to get you back in touch with the entrepreneur who started your business in the first place.

1. Delegate – Bottom line, you’ve got to let other people do their jobs. It sounds simple, but it can be a very difficult thing for people who are used to running things themselves. But remember, one of the hallmarks of great leadership is effective delegation. You need to make a point of regularly giving responsibility and authority to an employee to complete a task. Doing so develops people who are ultimately more fulfilled and productive. And for the manager or business owner, delegating frees you to attend to the important strategic work of business. You can read more about delegating the right way in our article Delegation vs. Abdication.
2. Rejuvenate – Sometimes the best thing you can do for you and your business is walk away. Get away from your business, from the office, from the same four walls  It’s important you make the time and space to allow yourself the opportunity to see the big picture.
   Why not pack up and head to a hotel for a day? A coffee shop? Your local library? Anywhere that will give you a fresh perspective and allow you some breathing room. Get away from your business to work on your business. Don't check your e-mail, don't even turn on your cell phone. Make this time away from your business an opportunity to really think.  (I had one client who spent 13 hours "bow hunting" one day.  I use quotes, because it was really just an excuse to get away from the business and sit alone and think all day.  He said that after the first hour or two, the ideas just started to flow, and when he got back to the office, he spent a month implementing the myriad of ideas he had had that one day.) 
   Another way you can find a new perspective is to attend our popular Leadership Intensive Seminar in California. It’s a refreshing and rejuvenating two days, and a true test of how well your business runs without you.
3. Create – The starting point of designing, or redesigning, a business to be something exceptional, vital, and profitable is to develop a clear vision of what the business will look, feel, and act like. Creating the vision, or what we at E-Myth refer to as the "Strategic Objective," is an entrepreneurial exercise that forces the leader to describe with clarity and conviction what their business is all about.
   As the leader of the organization, you must be clear about where you are going, and what the destination will be like.  To quote the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland:  "If you don't know where you are going, then it doesn't matter which road you take, does it?" Customers, investors, partners, and employees require this level of clarity if they are going to commit to going there with you. And an inspiring Strategic Objective will get everyone behind you and on board with your vision. If you can create it, others can help you build it. Read more about your Strategic Objective.

As a leader of your business, it’s important to recognize the needs you have to uphold the level of passion, integrity, motivation and drive you have for your business.  Especially during this time of year, take a time out to Delegate, Rejuvenate, and Create the business which means something to you and your team. Giving yourself the gift of time to be in the entrepreneurial head space is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself – and your business.

After all, aren’t you ready for a new year?