The inconvenient truth
By: Kurt Ewald Lindley
Tags: Productivity, Future, Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Life Lessons

The inconvenient truth

This may well be the most important blog I’ve written this year….. the image below depicts my tension between work and leisure, balanced on a fulcrum. I must ask…

“To gain more time in my ‘happy place’ what inconvenient truths about my work and who I am might I need to accept!”

2020 an unprecedented year

One of the most over used words of this year…unprecedented! But thats because this year has been just that. Most if not all of us in business (small, medium and large) have suffered a drought of work, losses, a silence from clients. We’ve all probably had those moments of fear, we’ve all eaten into our reserves to survive and some have not made it this far. I am thankful I have – BUT I like you must ask myself…

“Whats my inconvenient truth”……

Am I really that good, will people actually pay for what I offer, is my service actually needed or is it just my blind belief that its important and valuable which keeps me going forward…what is the truth?

What lies are you telling yourself

Growth comes from acceptance of who we are and how we are. Success comes from being honest with ourselves about what works and what doesn’t. Its not just about ‘hard work’, perseverance and all those other great character trait words. Its about knowing honestly if you have something people value enough to pay for.

You may well be great at what you do but are people in a place to buy? Have you just got a great idea but your ability to bring it to market is lacking? Is your service a must have that people see as a nice to have so don’t buy? Are you caught up in your own enthusiasm and romance for your product that you are blind to what others see? Are you ‘almost there’ with loads of leads which actually means you might never get there?

I’m asking you these questions, not to knock your motivation but to get you focused on a New Years resolution that will serve you.

Be brave and Be honest with yourself

Its time to really check in, be brave and ask yourself the questions that you don’t really desire to hear the answers to. Sit with those answers and consider is the lack of traction related to – your price point, timing, competition in the market, the narrative story that goes with your pitch, marketing or is it just not valuable enough to people.

“There is no point being the best book in the library if no one is going there anymore…”

My advice, get out (metaphorically), be found, be of value, but be honest…. If its not working it might mean you need to change direction. Sometimes this can be hard as it feels like admitting defeat, but see it more like pivoting, responding to market need. The honest truth is people buy what they want more than they buy what they need, people often only look for fix’es when things break (and not before), people search for a net only after they have fallen….

“sadly sometimes there is more opportunity in the repair of things than the maintenance”

Have a look at your self, your team, your services and pivot….

Kurt Ewald Lindley – telling myself the truths that will build a more successful business and give me more time in my happy place