Many people are in the wrong business. They're with the wrong people. They're doing the wrong things. They're miserable. And they're barely making any money. You can see right away they're faking it. Somehow--they're hoping to make it work out. They are in the wrong business because they looked around for the best possible job. Instead they should have looked within to what they were naturally good at doing. When you look within, you notice your strengths. When you look without, you're busy compensating for your weaknesses. In school, we're trained to make up for our weaknesses, to fix what's wrong and to take our strengths for granted. In life, especially in business, it's a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, it's such a common recipe that most people don't even realize that they're doing it. How can it be wrong, they reason, if every one else, as far as they can see, is doing it too? It's wrong because they're poor and miserable and the best part of their day is when it's over. And by following their example, you're probably in the same boat. Is this a sensible way to live a rich and fulfilling life? Ironically, it's easy to pick the right business. Look within. Then, and only then, look around you and see where that kind of work is being done. If it isn't, you may have to start your own business right away. When you go about something in the wrong way, it's not reasonable to expect the right result. When you pick the right business, it is the one that will eventually make you money, too. Here's why: You'll gladly do the work, study its nuances, associate with like-minded people, overcome obstacles, communicate better--and the result will be more money. But finding it all starts when you look within. You might as well do work that you enjoy because that's where you'll be spending most of your time. And time...you may have noticed...is life. Business is a game. It has its strategies, rules, and players. There are many types of businesses to be in. Pick the right business to be in if you hope to win. This is the business that matches your natural strengths. It's all about picking the right game to play in. Pick the wrong game and you'll lose, outmatched by those with a natural skill for it. You'll be outmatched and exhausted just trying to keep up. But if you pick the right game, your natural skills will come into play. Now it's your competitors who will be outmatched. If you play and win the right game, you'll be wealthy. By picking the wrong business to be in, you're forcing yourself to struggle. Unfortunately, people pick the wrong business to be in all the time. They focus on the money and the rewards. They study courses that bore them to tears. They work with people who are different from them. Sooner or later, they drop out, overwhelmed. What's more, pick the wrong business and you'll struggle for insignificant rewards"more money, more prestige, and learning more boring details about something you really couldn't care less about. The wrong business will end up feeling like a life sentence in a community prison. The right business is rewarding just to be in it. Money, prestige, and other things come as a matter of course. The best part is that you'll be working with others in a common cause. You'll enjoy camaraderie, adventure, and exciting learning. In choosing work, if you change the rules of the game to favor your strengths and your passions, they can make you rich. When you favor your strengths, you get a competitive advantage. Your strengths are your natural talents. The bulk of your life experience, education and skills have been around that strength. You have been preparing your whole life for the moment when you can use it. |
