Tweet

The Path of Least Resistance

Guest post by: Rebel Brown

Article Overview: Avoidance is not the best growth strategy.

The Path of Least Resistance

Is it human nature to take the easy way out? I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Wondering if we compromise to bypass the argument if we disagree with our co-worker or let that guy be abusive to his terrified child in the grocery line because we don't want to get involved.

Somehow, I don't think that's what our Founding Father did. The Boston Tea Party was not the path of least resistance, although it might have been an easier choice than a head on attack. Business leaders who powered the growth of American industry didn't take the easy way out. They grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns, rolled up their sleeves and dove in with all their being to make their business, and America, great.

What happened to our adventure spirit?

I just don't see those adventurous, go for the gusto approaches as much as I used to. We seem to be leaning toward risk reduction. I don't know if that's a sign of the times or a change in our human spirit. what I do know is that it reduces all of us.

In business - we take the safe middle road, fearful of outright failure if we take that risky path. Then there's our litigation avoidance. We filter everything we say or do in our business through lawyers, diminishing our marketing and sales power to avoid some crazy litigation claim. In so many aspects of our business, we're hamstrung and stuck in the middle ground - which has never been the fuel for distinction.

In our personal lives - we avoid confrontation with those we dislike - letting bad behavior continue. We use email instead of personal communications to share bad news or information that's bound to cause repercussions. All because we want to avoid the fuss.

Avoidance doesn't foster growth.

Taking the easy way out reduces us - personally and professionally. Our freedom wasn't won by ducking for cover. The greatest advances in mankind - from a cure for the incurable to walking on the moon - didn't happen because we ducked the tough stuff. It might be more pleasurable in the moment, but every time we cop out, we lose a little piece of our own power. Sooner or later, we lose ourselves.

Step out of our safe, easy path.

Whether it's protecting the kid next door from the bully or outing the boss who is cooking those books, we can all step up. Maybe change is scary - so everyone is hanging onto our status quo instead of seeking new opportunities, including the one right in front of our noses. Or that broken product service that all our customers know about, yet our executives refuse to acknowledge as a problem. It's time to step up! Fix what's broken and move forward onto that less known path - take a risk, be an adventurer beyond that easier way out.

The path of least resistance is for the weak and timid. I don't think any of us are made to play that role. Nor were our businesses created to be tentative. We can speak the truth, stand up for the right, take that adventurous step into the unknown - and thrive!

Related Articles
  How to Modify the Path Variable in Linux/Unix
  The Path of Least Resistance
  Managing Resistance
  LEADERS TRAVEL ON THE PATH OF MAKING PATH.
  The Enemy in Sales

Article Tags: business growth, business strategy, growth strategy, leadership



Related Forum Posts
Re: What Sells Online? - Its really true that gadgets, books and fashion wears are more in demand on the internet business.. But firstly, the assumption I am going to make is that you are looking to install an open source software. The one I recommend is Magento Commerce, which is an extremely powerful platform to use for any e-commerce business. Tyrone Shum Internet Business Path dot com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Need help with understanding ecommerce? Visit my blog and learn how to profit from ecommerce.
And the speakers for the Nov 1 event - Inspiring speakers will share their stories of launching, living and dreaming. Speakers include: Kathleen Matthews: Executive Vice President Global Communications and Public Affairs, Marriott International, Inc. and former award-winning producer, reporter and news anchor who covered news in Washington, DC for 25 years Mei Xu: Founder and creator of CHESAPEAKE BAY CANDLE and Blissliving Home Julie Lenzer Kirk: President of Path Forward International and author of The ParentPreneur Edge: What Parenting Teaches About Building a Successful Business Jennifer Buddin: Co-founder of "The Little Black Book for every busy woman" Victoria Colligan: Founder of Ladies Who Launch Frances Crespo and Nicolette Pizzitola: Ladies Who Launch Washington, DC Leaders Educational workshops and information gathering Invaluable exchanges, introductions, business contacts and referrals Exclusive discounts, free consultations and access to original products and services Lunch and spa services An opportunity to become a "Featured Lady" on Ladies Who Launch Valuable GIFT BAG guaranteed with pre-registration
My reading log - Hi OmnivoreInk, Before starting my business, I read the following books as research: -"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki -"The AdSense Code" by Joel Comm -"Don't Think Pink" and "Mind Your X's and Y's" by Lisa Johnson And since then I've continued my "research" by reading (in this order): -"Technical Tennis" by Rod Cross -"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom -"The Twits" by Roald Dahl -"Little Black Book of Connections" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne -"The Profitable Retailer" by Doug Fleener -"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell -"Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis -"Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling And I'm currently reading and am in the process of finishing the following: -"There's No Such Thing as Public Speaking" by Jeanette and Roy Henderson -"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell -"The Book of Tells" by Peter Collett -"Little Red Book of Sales Answers" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch -"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron -"The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey
Outsourcing Increased My Productivitiy By 200% - Recently I’ve been testing some new ideas with “outsourcing” for Internet Business Path and from what I can gather, it’s been able to increase my productivity by at least 200%. What I did before outsourcing work to people was to create a mindmap of what the business needed in order to grow and continue to run without my input. Below is the mindmap of my businesses in it’s simplest form: IBP Mindmap If want to create one, a really good software to use is FreeMind. It’s very easy to learn and very powerful for any business because it allows a business owner to laid down their ideas in a logical path. Since applying a mindmap to my business I’ve been able to design the system to increase my productivity by 200%. How Do I Outsource If I Don’t Have The Money? Firstly let me say, if you don’t have the money to afford $3 - $5US an hour to pay someone to handle your tasks that needs to be done repetitively, then you shouldn’t be in business. Okay, I’ll be fair and tell you this: I had the mindset previously to do everything myself because it was always about not having enough money. I know how you feel when you first start running an Internet business or is still a one man show, but it’s having the courage to step out of your comfort zone and learn to delegate tasks to other people to do. It’s not going to be perfect at the beginning, but with a little training, some trial and error and time you will be able to leverage your time and increase your productivity. Outsourcing Administrative Tasks An example that I’ve been able to outsource for $3 US an hour is the ability to get my virtual assistant to check and reply to customer service emails every second working day. Provided that I have given the guidelines and information for how to respond, I have eliminated at least 10 hours a week of my time that I used to spend replying and following up emails. When you think about it, it only costs me around $30 US for a virtual assistant to free up 10 hours of my week. Isn’t that worth the trade off when my time is worth $500 per hour? There are many other examples I could give you on how to outsource your work, you can read more of it in my Internet Business Blueprint report. A Web Developer Will Solve All Your Website Issues If you’ve read my business timeline, you would know that I graduated with a Computer Science degree from UNSW. Even with a degree in Computing Science I’m still not a good programmer and I choose not to be. I would rather leave the technical issues for a web developer that I can hire on an ongoing basis and pay them to work on my projects. It would take them a couple of hours to do something that would take me all week. Hence the websites I design and this blog you are reading has been designed by a web developer I hire and I simply project manage the process to achieve a great result for my clients. A Bookkeeper Will Keep The Tax Office Happy If you’re like me and hate seeing piles of invoices and accounts unreconciled, then I know you would hate book keeping. It’s a crucial part of your Internet business and without it there’s no way to measure how well your business finances are doing. There are systems that allow you to keep track of your business online, but not all of them are compatible with the tax laws within your country. Therefore I still purchase accounting software that is meeting Australian standards, such as MYOB Accounting. I hire a book keeper to help make sure my accounts are up to date and to generate reports to show me the financial health of the business. I hire a book keeper on a monthly basis where I can have all my paper work batched and she will enter the information at one time. She makes sure that my books are up to date and tax is paid on time and I don’t get calls from the tax office. She would save at least 20 hours + a month of book keeping that I would have had to do myself, all for the cost of a dinner with my partner. I’m Still The Writer And Internet Marketer I love writing and expressing my ideas on Internet Business Path and will continue to do so for a very long time. I found that it’s a great way to communicate with people from all over the world and I love receiving feedback and comments. I do this because I’m passionate about Internet business and if you know me I usually share my ideas with my friends and family most of the time. I could outsource the writing to a ghostwriter quite easily and let someone else do the marketing, though I have learnt that these are my strengths and communicating and promoting my business is my passion. Tyrone Shum Outsourcer
Ladies Who Launch Nov 1 event in Washington DC - Top 10 Reasons to Pre-Register for WASHINGTON, DC LIVE EVENT on November 1st! A Thursday in the fall: What could be better than an investment in yourself? Leave your briefcases and at home. Take one day to focus on YOURSELF. You may ask, is Ladies Who Launch LIVE for me? For those of you who tinker all day in a cubicle, may we honor you with a day to explore your feminine entrepreneurial and creative potential? For those of you who have launched a business, might a day of connecting with like-minded women be just what you need? And for those of you with wanderlust contemplating just when-oh-when you will ever get off your derriere and start that creative project you've been dreaming about - sit no more and join us - the dynamic group of fun, fabulous women at Ladies Who Launch LIVE who will share their stories on how they dumped their day job or launched on the side, harnessed their ingenious ideas, created a business, idea, or creative project....to live the life they imagined. Married, single, mother, or free-wheeling girl about town, this day is all about YOU. Join us on November 1st, and see where it takes you. Click here to view the invitation and register. Here are the TOP TEN reasons why you should pre-register for The Ladies Who Launch LIVE event: 10. You are guaranteed our cool, chic gift bag with special surprises with the price of admission. Only guaranteed to first 300 pre-registration!! 9. You will be part of the welcome package that will be emailed out before the event...you can promote your business, creative idea and even offer a special discount or free consultation to generate buzz. 8. You'll get in...we have limited space and are filling up quickly. 7. You'll save $ 40...enough for lunch and drinks with a new friend that you meet at the event. 6. It is going to be at the unique Cold War Gallery - Building #70, Navy Museum, Washington Navy Yard, FREE shuttle service from two metro stations: Navy Yard (Green line) and Eastern Market (Blue and Orange line). Visitors entrance: M and 6th St. SE 5. We are serving light breakfast and lunch. 4. You will receive a free posting on Launch Pad, the Ladies Who Launch classified listings ($30 value) that is distributed to over 40,000 women. What a great way to get your product or service out there! 3. You will be eligible to be selected as a Featured Lady story on the free weekly Ladies Who Launch newsletter that is sure to gain you national exposure. 2. Our speakers will inspire, motivate and entertain you. Speakers include Kathleen Matthews: Executive Vice President Global Communications and Public Affairs, Marriott International, Inc. and former award-winning producer, reporter and news anchor who covered news in Washington, DC for 25 years, Mei Xu: Founder and creator of CHESAPEAKE BAY CANDLE and Blissliving Home, Julie Lenzer Kirk: President of Path Forward International and author of The ParentPreneur Edge: What Parenting Teaches About Building a Successful Business, Jennifer Buddin: Co-founder of "The Little Black Book for every busy woman", Victoria Colligan: Founder of Ladies Who Launch, Frances Crespo and Nicolette Pizzitola: Ladies Who Launch Washington, DC Leaders. 1. Because it is an investment in yourself...and tax-deductible.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What Aweber Can Do For Your Online Business

Five Ways to Show Honest Appreciation

Why Marketing Outsourcing is Growing So Quickly

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.