Secret Weapon Edition - September 1st, 2022

Life indeed offers us a secret weapon.

I found it years ago but threw it away because I didn't know its power. It kept tapping on my shoulder, and finally, we embraced and fell in love.

The answer to all my problems turned out to be very simple.

Pay attention to my truth and the reality of what's around me. It seems trite, but now I know its true power, as I've embraced going down my reality rabbit hole.

What does this have to do with being a successful solopreneur?

I've identified six dimensions of truth that lead to improving income, feeling more secure, realizing purpose, loving what you do, and enjoying family more.

This stuff is practical but not obvious, which is why it's a secret weapon.

Reality-based thinking

"Embrace reality and deal with it" - Ray Dalio

The reality-based living concept is a core business skill, but many achievement-oriented people don't like things like mindfulness and meditation and never explore its power.

You want to become a detached observer of yourself and realize that you are not the thoughts or feelings you have. Instead, you are the person having the thoughts and feelings.

Fighting the laws of the universe won't get you the income, security, purpose, joy, and personal happiness you desire as the outcome of mastering being a solopreneur.

Delay gratification

Having a nice house, money, and professional accomplishments makes us feel great. Of course, it won't make us happy, but it's better to win than lose the game of business.

What happens when we feel that we are losing the game?

For many, we sink into the horrible trap of comparing ourselves to others, often fall short, or sometimes need to be better than others to feel fine inside.

The worse we think it gets, the more we strive, spend, and suffer as we drive away from our pain and toward a future where proof that we are fine can be grasped.

This dangerous mind feedback loop guarantees in its self-reinforcing logic, losing the game as we desire immediate answers because we want to feel better immediately.

The problem may be how we think about time.

The most successful people in the world in all fields take the long view.

Why?

Delaying instant gratification in pursuit of a big compelling vision with clarity and confidence works.

Accept incompleteness

"Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control." - Epictetus

I spent most of my life trying to change my circumstances.

I chased things that I thought I wanted and did not yet have.

The more we get, the more we want.

It's a paradox that's part of the human condition.

Hard-driving people like solopreneurs want to force answers to problems that can't be solved right away.

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change." Carl R. Rogers

Open your mind

Embrace one simple practice and solve many of your problems.

And it is simple; practice seeing life with a beginner's mind.

What is a beginner's mind?

It's dropping our expectations and preconceived ideas about something.

It's seeing things with an open mind and fresh eyes, just like a beginner.

Think back to the last time you set out to learn something new.

Can you remember what it was like?

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few" - Shunryu Suzuki

More opportunities come to solopreneurs who think this way.

Suspend judgment

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." – Carl Jung

When I judge someone else, it cripples ME as I care about others judging me back.

I'm held back by wasting energy on resenting people more successful than me because I am reminded of my shortcomings.

I'm less flexible, successful, and joyous as the need to be right traps me in boxes of my own making.

Solopreneurs can't afford to waste effort on judging ourselves or others in a negative light. It drains the energy that we need to succeed.

Exponential growth planning

Massive leaps forward matter for solopreneurs.

We don't have time for incremental growth.

Our goal is massive impact, which requires knowing the truth about ourselves and the world we deal with daily.

The core importance of this secret reality weapon comes down to this fact.

When we find ourselves, know the reality of the market, and where we fit in the competitive world, it's possible to make massive progress.

Build your company from the inside out, work with clients that you love, and feel a sense of stability that didn't exist before.

Here are a few quotes that inspired me this week.

“You are like this cup — so full of ideas that nothing more will fit in. Come back to me with an empty cup.” - Zen Master

Nobody thinks this is true about themselves until they are ready to see their own truth.

Here's my advice.

Assume that you are like the full cup.

Then go from there.

That's what worked for me.

"To understand the precise point when the possible becomes the impossible, you have to appreciate and understand the laws of physics." - Michio Kaku

I love paradox.

Knowing how the universe works leads to seeing why greatness is possible for anybody who follows a practice that leads to greatness.

I'm on that path. It's my own version, based on others who came before me.

This is not my ego bragging about myself.

Comparing myself to myself, I'm amazing.

That comes from a deep place. It's real. If it triggers you, you are not on a path to realizing your full potential.

Here's my offer for the week:

Feel free to attend our weekly Navigator workshop. It's free to anybody who wants to attend.

Are you self-employed, or are you a solopreneur?

#solopreneurinc #solopreneur #solopreneurs #solopreneurlife