More Than WE Know

The best hurdlers clear the hurdles - but just barely.

Think about it - the most efficient way to clear a hurdle is to give it just enough effort to get over it - and no more.  Otherwise, you’ll run out of energy long before you run out of hurdles.

In fact, my father used to tell me the story of the Olympic hurdler from Ohio, Harrison Dillard. It seems that Dillard used to practice hurdling by placing a quarter on the top of each hurdle.  If when he cleared it, he also knocked the quarter off the top, he knew he was using his energy as efficiently as possible - to clear the hurdle - but just barely. 

So, what does this mean to Women Entrepreneurs? 

Plenty!

Think of all the hurdles you’ve had to overcome to get where you are in your business. Consider how many more still face you up ahead.  If you give too much energy, too much time and too much emotion to each and every hurdle you meet, you will soon run out of steam.

Instead, consider the hurdles you face - how high are they really? Do you really need to put as much energy into this particular sale, this particular tax form, this particular complaint?

I’m not advising you to ignore them - just to give them enough attention to resolve them - and no more.

Remember - Growing a business is a long distance race with frequent and unexpected hurdles.  Conserve your energy and keep your eyes on the road up ahead. 

How do you deal with the hurdles you face? Are you giving too much energy to each and every one? Or are you pacing yourself for the long haul?

For more information see:

Successful Women Entrepreneurs Don’t Strive for Perfection

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