“Hey, Pete, I just purchased a new Land Cruiser. Let’s take it off-road to test!”
My friend immediately agreed.
We had no idea what lay ahead of us that day.
Soon we found ourselves riding over boulders, pits, ditches and sandy areas. The powerful SUV conquered everything without a problem.
That was until we encountered the river.
“This is where the fun begins!” I told Pete as we approached the slow-moving waters.
The four wheels were engaged with traction.
The water slowly started to rise while we moved forward.
As we approached the other side of the river, I felt one tire lose traction. I quickly turned the wheels to find solid ground.
We kept moving.
We were almost out of the water, when the mud got thicker. I felt the weight of the car sink into the mud.
We stopped moving.
“Are we stuck?” Peter asked.
“No worries, Pete, I got this!” I said while turning the wheels and giving it more power. The mud splattered all around us.
“This is the beauty of these machines, Pete. They will get out of anything!”
Pete looked at me quietly.
I smiled back, still fully confident that we we’re going to get out of this mud easily.
I turned the wheels searching for traction. I went forward and used the reverse repeatedly, but the more I accelerated, the deeper we got stuck in the mud.
“You should stop, Hector,” Peter said.
I didn’t want to give up.
“I can do this, Pete!” I said while pushing the gas pedal even harder.
This obviously turned into a very frustrating and costly weekend.
What was I thinking? Well, the truth was that I was not thinking! I had lost my mind trying to solve this problem following my instincts.
I had used so much energy that now we couldn’t get out of this gigantic pile of mud!
To answer your question, what would you do when you get stuck in business?
It’s not uncommon for us entrepreneurs to spin our wheels.
Sometimes indecision can take control of me, but for me, I can be really dangerous when my persistence kicks in and I find no progress.
Result? I stop thinking.
All this wasted energy starts to erode my patience. I know this is the perfect time to make significant changes, but I don’t have the mind for it; I have instincts.
I may not notice it right away, but eventually frustration will start to control my mind. This is when I must stop as soon as possible, because when our business is not moving forward, it will eventually start to slide backwards.
The Entrepreneurial Frustration
As entrepreneurs, we’re driven. We’re self motivated and commonly fired up by passion — the very same ‘fuel’ that makes us unstoppable.
We’re doers, we take action. We don’t ask for permission, we go, we chase, we pursue, we go after our goals.
Then, every so often, we fall flat on our face. Roadblocks get in our way, or maybe mistakes we were not aware of.
I’ve been in this situation so many times, just like my SUV, stuck in the mud. Anger makes me lose my mind, and my instincts tell me to solve everything with my strength, to use my abilities.
Frustrations take over our emotions. Emotions and business never mix well together. Emotions will get us spinning out of control and won’t let us think!
Remember, the best way to solve our problems in business (or in life) is very simple: ASK FOR HELP!
We all face roadblocks.
Don’t try to do this alone!
Leave your pride, your energy, your stubbornness and your passion behind.
Find help. There’s always someone who knows the solution to your problem.
Stop trying to solve everything yourself.
Business success is found in teamwork.