Build Your Support Spokes For 2014

In the last 2 weeks we have talked about new ways to set goals, and streamlining your decisions.

Making the decision to succeed and setting goals are both important elements, but there is a third, often overlooked one, that is just as crucial: Your Support System.

Napolean Hill said it best:

“No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability and knowledge to ensure the accumulation of a great fortune without the cooperation of other people. “ 

 ~ Think and Grow Rich

You might be a single agent, or run a business without any additional employees, but you are not in this alone.

Having a support system is a lot like building a bicycle wheel with the spokes that radiate out from the center.  Each one of those spokes supports the wheel and gives it strength. If you remove even one, the wheel will buckle and not work correctly.

The more spokes a wheel has, the stronger it is. However, when I look at people’s businesses they usually have only one or two spokes, and are stuck riding around in circles trying to figure out why they’re not getting anywhere.

Here are 7 crucial support spokes that you need for your business:

1. Amazing vendors: It could be a lender for your clients, or the web master who manages your website. You cannot be all things to all people. Stick to your area of expertise and partner with others who are the masters of theirs. You will find that you can get more work done and have a much better result.
2. Accountability Partner: You will get more done if you are accountable to someone else. Find someone that you can partner with to check in once a week.
3. Business Coach: If systems and strategies are not your thing, you definitely need a coach to guide you through. Even if you are good at these, a coach is important because they can see your blind spots and help you find ways to grow your business that you might have missed.
4. Mindset Coach: Success is a combination of skillset, action and mindset. Of the three, mindset has the biggest effect. Commit to working on it daily to keep you moving forward.
5. Home Support: Having a house cleaner may seem like a silly luxury, but if it isn’t something you enjoy doing, hire it out. Spend your time at home relaxing and connecting with the people you care about.
6. Friends inside your industry: No one gets your ups and downs better than those who do exactly the same thing as you. It is wonderful to have support from people who truly get it.
7. Friends outside your industry: When you are in sales or run your own business it can be all consuming. You need friends, hobbies and interests outside of work to keep you sane.

So, which one are you weakest in? Make a commitment to yourself today to add that spoke to your wheel of success. You will find yourself moving forward faster and with greater ease.