The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

October 1Doing Well

Believe me, The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame. If it comes at all it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after. And, moreover, there will be no misgivings, no disappointment, no hasty, feverish, exhausting excitement.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow—Hyperion (1839)

Quite possibly the most offered business advice out there is the need to create a business plan. Not a bad idea in theory, but then “real” happens and any semblance of a plan lands in the recycling bin.

For some, the idea of going without a plan is terrifying. For others, it's the only way to stay creative and innovative. Like so many things, the answer probably lies somewhere in the awkward middle.

You can't plan for fame or even success. It happens because you do what you can do well. “It will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after.”

Here's the hard part: of course you want success, of course you plan for success—that's kind of the point of doing this in the first place—but you can't see the big picture of what's going on all over the universe that's working with you and against you and for your idea or counter to your plan.

Jeff Goins, author of The Art of Work, spells it out this way:

But for now, if you are intentional and willing to appreciate the fact that you don't see the whole narrative, you can enjoy more of the journey.

Holding tightly to the plan is ...