Raise the Bar: How to Be an Unstoppable Force for Your Business by Getting Out of Neutral and Taking Action

A while back, I did a series called Raise the Bar where I challenged you to step up and professionalize your businesses in practical and important ways.

(Refresher: We talked about accepting credit cards and getting real about money and getting organized with your cash flow.)

Today I’m bringing that series back by calling out one of the most pervasive and destructive things I come across in my work.

I’m talking about a limiting behavior that stops even the most promising businesswomen from reaching their goals. In fact, it might be the single biggest thing holding you back from having a successful business that turns a great profit and helps a ton of people.

If you’re ready to raise the bar for your business by facing this showstopper head-on, keep reading.

Why So Many Businesses Are on The Road to Nowhere

As awesome as we are, we can’t be rock stars all the time.

We all have areas in our lives where we struggle to ACTUALLY DO something that we know would be good for us, from eating better and exercising to working on personal relationships to making more time for ourselves.

This applies especially to many of the online business owners (both new and not-so-new) who I work with. They tend to procrastinate, make excuses about, or just plain avoid doing the work that’s necessary for reaching their goals … and then they get frustrated when they don’t have success.

But this plague of inaction is everywhere, and probably something you’ve fallen victim to yourself at some point (I certainly have!).

• Have you ever, when faced with a challenge in your business, crumbled under the pressure and done nothing?
• How many of you have tried something new, failed, and then stopped trying? Or just not tried at all for fear of failing?
• Do you have big goals, but no idea what you actually need to DO to make them a reality? Have you let that stop you?
• Who out there is currently stuck in the planning and preparation stage and not actually putting your plans into motion?
• Are you making excuses? Does “I can’t make my business work because [insert some external problem or impossibility beyond your control]” sound familiar?

You see, this is a super common thing, and it’s a huuuuge problem.

Regardless of the reason for your inaction, the truth is that if you’re not doing the work, you’re not going to get anywhere with your business.

Click to TweetNo one is going to build the business of your dreams but you.

And – I’m going to be lovingly frank here because I don’t know any other way – I think you all know this, but you don’t want to own it.

If you want to be successful, you have to cut out the excuses, put a stop to the endless researching, planning, and mulling things over, and quit questioning yourself and your abilities.

Click to TweetRemember: Clarity and confidence come from taking action!

You Have What It Takes, and You’ve Proven It

Just as we all have the tendency to sometimes sit on the sidelines when we know we should be in the game, I’m willing to bet we’ve also all had times where we’ve put ourselves out there and left it all on the field.

Think about the last time you went after something huge that you really wanted, and I mean really went after it. It no-doubt required full commitment: You held tightly to your goal like your life depended on it, worked hard despite what others thought or said, achieved something incredible, and felt buoyed by the pride of your success.

I know you have the energy and tenacity in you, because you’ve demonstrated it in other areas of your life — now you just have to apply them to building your business!

Get Back on Track … and Stay There

Whenever you’re unhappy with the state of your business, do an honest assessment of your efforts — the things you are actually doing, as opposed to planning or thinking about – to achieve your goals. If that list comes up short, you’re off track.

These times when you’re stuck in a state of inertia are make-or-break moments for your business.

I challenge each and every one of you who are just standing idly by waiting for success to find you to RAISE THE BAR – both for yourself as a professional and for your business – BY TAKING ACTION!

First, you need to decide what you really want and whether you are willing to do the work necessary to get it. That’s step one, whether you’re just getting started and afraid to take the plunge or hesitating to step things up and make six figures.

Step two is figuring out why you’ve been in neutral and deciding once and for all to kick things into gear.

If you don’t know what to do to make your online business a screaming success, you need to get that knowledge. (But try not to get stuck in the learning phase, or you’ll end up right back in Doing Nothingsville – Population, Way Too Many. Get the info you need and move on!)

If you already know what you need to do and how to do it, then stop making excuses and just get moving. Just, go. That’s all there is to it!

Making excuses may be easier than taking action, but it’s also a hell of a lot less profitable.

In short, if you’ve been stuck in a state of limbo, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your businesses if you don’t want it to. The answer is as simple as GET MOVING.

Are You Ready to Choose Action For Your Business?

Let’s make the comments section of this post a place of action! Tell me…

What are a few simple, actionable things you can do (or do more of!) to reach your next big business goal?

What is the most important thing you are doing for your business today?

What is something everyone could do to strengthen their businesses?

I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got!