One of my favorite parts of spring is the crocuses. I love the name, the colors they come out in, how friendly they are, their excitement to be the first ones forward as the seasons change. In Colorado, sometimes they seem to come up too early and the spring snows might do them in. But they are not just enthusiastic – they are resolute. That resolve is inspiring and encouraging.
In small business, resolve is one of the critical characteristics that keeps you going from the beginning. Your resolve and determination to change something in the business world is what got you started in the first place. You wanted to see things done differently. You wanted to take advantage of something you could see that no one else seemed to pick up on. You had an idea, and you were intent on seeing that that through.
That resolve is what keeps you going through days that are out of control, days that don’t seem to be getting any better, problems that won’t go away, and learning. SO. MUCH. LEARNING.
When you’ve resolved to do something, there is no option but to see it through. Same with crocuses. It’s in their genetic makeup to start growing even before it makes sense in our eyes. In Colorado, they often come up in the middle of spring snows, get buried, and then reappear as it all melts. They don’t think to themselves, “Mmmmm…I’m going to wait a few more weeks.” They just come up, and as a result are a very welcome sight to those of us who are ready for the season to change.
Are you at a point in your business where the obstacles feel insurmountable? Did you just become aware of some critical failures? Are there things that you feel are just too big to address?
If crocuses could tell us what it’s like for them to push through the semi-frozen spring ground, I think they would say, “I didn’t know if I was going to make it this year. I knew I needed to keep going, but I wasn’t sure if I could.”
Sometimes that’s how business feels. (Life hint: sometimes that’s how life feels.) If you’re in that place, take a deep breath. Set the timer, and do the activity below with me.
Activity: Set the timer for 5 minutes. Describe the mess or challenge you are facing in this moment in as much detail as you would like. Then, step back and break the challenge up into five pieces. This can be common threads you notice, things you’ve seen before, people who are involved, thematic elements. Whatever makes sense. Now, determine which of those pieces you may be able to approach first – low-hanging fruit. Make a plan to address that first. As you get those things taken care of, come back and repeat the exercise.