Welcome back to The Small Business Advantage! I’m Pat Miller.
You’re an entrepreneur. I’m an entrepreneur. And we’re both dedicated to making our small businesses win. That means we keep going, no matter what. We push forward. We hustle. We don’t quit.
But sometimes, that mindset works against us.
There are times when we start a project or a task, and even when it stops making a difference, we just… keep doing it. Because we think we should.
Take a Hard Look at Your To-Do List
If you pull up your task list right now, I’d bet you dollars to donuts there are two or three things on there that you’re doing simply because:
- You’ve always done them.
- Some devastatingly handsome blogger (ahem) once told you to.
- You feel like quitting would be giving up.
Yet, despite all the effort, those things aren’t generating any results.
As entrepreneurs, we’re wired to push harder. If something isn’t working, we assume the answer is to do more of it.
But what if the answer is to quit instead?
Red Light, Green Light
Inside the Small Business Owners Community, I play a game called Red Light, Green Light. Here’s how it works:
First, we start with Green Lights.
- What’s working?
- What are you doing that’s starting to generate results?
- Where are you starting to gain traction?
When someone says, I’ve started networking in a new way, or I launched a new offer and it’s gaining momentum, we all cheer them on. Do more of that!
Then, we flip the script and play Red Light.
- What are you doing that isn’t producing results?
- Where are you spending time just because you think you should?
That’s when people start squirming. Because when they really look, they realize how much of their time is spent on autopilot.
We hate quitting things. We hate it so much that we’ll keep doing them even when they’re not working.
I’m Giving You Permission to Quit
As your friend, I’m telling you: It’s okay to quit.
In fact, I challenge you—by 5:00 PM today, find one thing that you’re doing that isn’t working anymore and quit it. Right now. Just stop.
And when you do? I want to hear about it.
Shoot me an email at Pat@PatMillerIdeaCoach.com, and I’ll celebrate with you.
Because the sooner we stop doing what doesn’t work, the more time we have for what does.
Now go quit something—and let’s talk soon.
