| Being an entrepreneur is hard during the best of times... Employees quitting... Sending the government bigger and bigger tax checks... Working Friday nights, Sunday mornings, Holidays... Having huge launches that consume every minute of your day... Customer complaints... customer questions... customer success stories... ...And during lean times like we're experiencing right now, it's even harder. But no matter how hard it gets, always remember... “You signed up for this.” This is the Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster. This is the ride that you said "Yes" to when you turned your back on the 9-5 grind and decided to walk your own path. And let me tell you... there's no better ride on Earth. You’ll never feel so low... but you’ll never experience such highs... No amusement park ride can make your stomach turn or your heart pound like this... This is what we’re here for. This is what we were born for. And it reminds me of a quote from Seneca “Why then are we offended? Why do we complain? This is what we're here for.” But why am I mentioning this? Each week I read hundreds of client replies... And as I've been reading through some of these replies this week, I've noticed that many of my clients are putting themselves through unnecessary stress... Even more so than usual. Listen... Running a business is already stressful. You’re thoughts (worries) don’t need to make it any worse. There’s no reason to put your mind through the emotional ringer every time a setback occurs. Because... You signed up for this. Like a boxer that signs up for the opportunity to get punched in the teeth... Or the racecar driver that volunteers for the risk of getting run off the road at 200mph... Or the parent that signs up for 2am feedings and all night cry-a-thons... Or the Navy SEAL whose job description includes getting shot at, blown up, and subjected to some of the most challenging physical demands on planet earth... YOU signed up for this. And it's your job to learn how to deal with it. - Dealing with contract negotiations...
- Dealing with broken promises...
- Dealing with the taxman...
- Dealing with production delays...
- Dealing with merchant account shutdowns...
- Dealing with deals gone bad...
This is what we’re here for. So get over it. It’s not a question of “Why is this happening to me” ... ... the question is... “How can I mentally prepare myself and build a Stoic armor around my mind so that I get stronger in every struggle?” The answer... There's no approach better, in my opinion, than the philosophy of Stoicism... One of the most powerful tenets is this school of philosophy is that of “externals”... ...Or as I call it, "The power of outside eyes." For example... Take that BIG PROBLEM you are dealing with in life... And imagine roles were reversed and a friend came to you with this same issue? What counsel would you provide to them? Isn’t it easier to come up with the answer when it’s for someone else? That’s the power of outside eyes... Looking at your problems EXTERNALLY instead of internally... Removing the emotional attachment to the problem frees your mind to see what’s right. The answer you’d give your friend... Is the answer you need. Last week I recorded another podcast with my "big brother" and Stoic mentor Matt Smith... And we took a deep dive into using Stoicism to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial roller coaster. (You can listen to the full interview here) Another powerful concept of Stoicism is “negative visualization”. This is where you imagine the “worst that could happen”. Which is one of the most important exercises you can do right now. Because even though the world is “reopening”... We are NOT out of the woods yet. Things will still probably get worse before they get better. And if you walk through what’s the worst that could happen if... - Sales continue to decline
- You have to lay off your staff
- You are unable to pay yourself a salary
- You exhaust your emergency bank savings
- You are forced to close your offices or vacate your gym
- You declared bankruptcy and have to move back in with your parents
What then? It’s not a fun exercise... But it IS necessary. Because ANYTHING is possible today... Things could get 10X worse in the next week as easily as they could get 10X better. The protests in America – where social distancing has been thrown out the window – could lead to a dramatic spike in COVID cases, a 2nd round of shutdowns and lockdowns... wiping out all the gains we’ve experienced in the last two weeks. So instead of being a Polyanna, assuming that things will magically improve, and seeing the world through rose colored glasses... ...Be mentally prepared for the worst case instead. THAT is how you make it through life. The future remains unpredictable and an even greater level of leadership will be required. Are you ready? This is what we’re here for. To Your Success,
Craig | 
