Carts of Cash Book 2 – Chapter 6 – Motivation, Inspiration, and Self Improvement

Chapter 6
Motivation, Inspiration, and Self Improvement

You now have all the information you need to start and run a successful hot dog cart.   But this book would not be complete without a final word about personal growth.  There will be many times, especially in the beginning, when you hit a roadblock.  It may take weeks to find a good location.  You will have slow periods.  You will have periods where you get some catering gigs in addition to your regular schedule and you end up working 14 hour days.  You might have trouble collecting payment.  There will be times when you can’t work because you have the flu.

I’m not saying this to discourage you.  I just want you to be prepared for some of the challenges that face every small business owner, because that’s what you are now.  You aren’t like most people.  You are a member of a special group that chooses their own path and does things their own way.  You are part of a group that takes greater risks so that they can have greater rewards, both monetary and lifestyle.  You are about to experience the sense of accomplishment and freedom that comes with building your own business, and you will never be the same.

I remember the first time it hit home for me.  I was outside watering my front lawn on a warm, sunny morning, drinking a cup of coffee as I watched my neighbors driving away to work, one after another.  I suddenly realized, with a sense of euphoria, “I won’t ever have to do that again!”  You will have a similar moment, a moment when you realize why you started this business of yours, and you will be forever changed.

When you get that first taste of success, you want more.  One of the best ways to achieve that goal is to commit your self to a program of continuous self-improvement.  Resolve to become better in each of the three realms that define us: the physical, mental, and spiritual.

Most entrepreneurs possess a high physical energy level.  It allows them to accomplish more than most people.  You can increase your energy level and stamina through a healthy diet and exercise.  Your body is the machine that turns your thoughts into reality.  You need a body that can keep up with your mind.

Your mind needs constant stimulation in order to generate new ideas, ideas that will make you and your business more successful.  Become a student of everything.  Read business books and magazines.  Attend seminars.  Take an accounting class at the local community college.  Also, feed your mind something in addition to business.  Learn a foreign language.  Study a period of history that interests you.  Go to concerts or plays.  Study the latest in motivational and performance literature.  There will be slow periods – try books on tape.  You will be surprised how these extracurricular activities will generate new growth for your business, as well as for yourself.

Your spiritual condition is the most important of the three, but usually receives the least attention.  It influences your perception of the world, affects how you treat people and things while you’re here, and determines what happens to you in the end.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to “push my views “ on you.  That doesn’t work anyway, and besides, I have as many questions as answers. This is a highly personal area – just commit yourself to an honest pursuit of that which is true and good.  If you do, you will benefit yourself, your business, and the world.

I want to leave you with a thought that fundamentally changed the way I think about attaining goals.  There is no such thing as failure.  Each “failure” is actually a success because it shows you how not to accomplish the goal.  Think about that.  Most people go through life doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.  That is one definition of insanity.  Anthony Robbins laid out a beautifully simple four step process to achieving any goal in his book, “Unlimited Power”.

1)    Know your outcome – what do you want to achieve?
2)    Take action.
3)    Learn from the result.  Did it move you closer to your goal or farther away?
4)    Change your approach.

Simply repeat this process as many times as it takes to reach the goal.  He illustrates this method with the analogy of an airplane flying from Los Angeles to Hawaii.  Step one – the pilot knows that his desired outcome is reaching Hawaii.  Step two – the pilot takes off and sets an initial course for Hawaii.  Did you know that during the course of any flight, the plane is off course 90 percent of the time?

It’s true.  Wind gusts are constantly blowing the plane off course.  Step three – The pilot is able to learn this from the instruments.  Step 4 – He then changes his approach, again and again, as many times as it takes to reach Hawaii.  This is how goals are met in reality.  Bit by bit.  Don’t get discouraged by “failures”, learn from them and change your approach.  And never, ever, ever, ever give up.

I sincerely wish you enormous success –
in your business and in your life!

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