One of the biggest challenges for a small business owner is to learn a better way to do something and stick with it. For many of you, it is tempting to try out a new way of doing some aspect of your business. It starts to work so well that you use it for a while, and eventually stop using it. Why does this happen? One of the reasons is that you just have not stayed with it long enough to create permanent behavior change.
There had to be some good reasons to do it the old way. Yes, the new way is more efficient and gets better results, but the old way had some benefits too. Maybe the old way was just easier, and didn’t require as much thought, or it was just more comfortable. Regardless of the reason for going back to the old way, you must give the new idea a fair chance. Only then can you decide if it is truly worth keeping, or discontinuing, until something better comes along.
Here is a suggestion for making a new idea stick. Pick one new way of doing some aspect of your business. Write it out on a 3×5 card and post it in your office in plain sight for all to see. Commit to using this new method for thirty days. Consistently use it for this length of time. At the end of this period of consistent use, decide if it needs to be tweaked, left as is, or discarded.
Ultimately, you have to decide if the switch is worth it in the long run. By making enough of the right changes and sticking with them, you will be working smarter not harder, and as a result you will be less stressed and your business will grow and prosper.