Have you ever started a new business opportunity and thought you’d “kick the tyres”, “try it and see”, “Do it for 2 months to see how it went” and it didn’t matter if it didn’t work anyway because you could always fall back on “plan b” any how? Did it work? No? Surprise surprise. If you want a business venture to really work, you need to forget about Plan B!
Before you start any new business venture you should really do your due diligence on it which is a whole other blog post but includes things such as, the age of the company, the founders/directors of the company, what the product is (and especially to make sure there IS a product), the payment plan, what leaders are also involved in it and a whole lot more.
Once you have decided it is worth your while however and you have put your money where your mouth is – you then need to take massive action, remain focused and cut off all your escape routes, in other words, forget about plan B! By this I don’t mean give your notice in to your job straight away unless you have enough financial cushion to last you for at least a year or more and even then, this puts additional stress on your new business working too quickly. However, if you have other sidelines going on, other mlms that take time or money to promote them, just leave them to one side.
An amazing true story illustrating the concept of ‘Forget about Plan B’
In 1519 Hernán Cortés with only 600 Spaniards, 16 or so horses and 11 boats, landed on a vast inland plateau called, Mexico – their aim was to capture the Yucatan Peninsula which had never been in over 600 years with far vaster armies. After Hernán arrived, instead of dashing straight into battle with his men, he stayed on the beach with them and roused them with motivational speeches to rouse them to believe they could not be defeated.
What he did next, however, was an act of great bravery, he ordered that the boats be burned, so the only way they would be able to leave the island was victorious. He certainly knew how to forget about Plan B!
If you think about it, as long as you know there is always something else to fall back on, you will never put 100% into the current project. Put the blinkers on, head down, burn your boats metaphorically speaking and go for it as if your life depended on it!
When that business is up and running almost on autopilot, only then is it advisable to look at anything else that might complement your current business and bring in additional income streams. Before that just forget about Plan B and concentrate on the job in hand!
This is motivational, inspirational and a message full of life lessons. The story of Hernán Cortés and the 600 men in 1591 is an inspiring story that brings the true picture and true meaning of this post. I have a feeling plan B should never be an option. Sticking to your plan no matter what is what can make you succeed.
Regards
Thanks Brown,
I know it makes you think – would you dare do what Hernian did? It would be a true test of belief in your business and abilities if you did 🙂
This is such a great lesson for everyone to learn, for any venture in life. It is so easy to remain content or satisfied even when you know that you’re not happy. Taking the risks to start something new is always scary, but as you say, it is better to do it with nothing on which to fall back. You are also more likely to be successful that way as well. When you have nowhere else to go other than up to your goal, you work much harder and more efficiently to make it happen.
Thank you for the post. Very inspiring, indeed.
Thanks Robert! I’m just off to burn a few more boats 😉
Yes, having a plan B gives us too much options to deal with. And it may also help build a lethargic attitude. Hopping between plans / strategies after having started a business will not only delay reaching the goal point but will also dilute the purpose of it.
Totally agree Jane, we can’t put 100% focus on two businesses at the same time. Get one established and running by itself and only then consider if another business would add value or dilute. Thanks for you comment.
I started something 3 years ago and I didn’t had a Plan B.
The results were very saddening. Thing is I had to just scrape off my Plan A and forget about that plan totally.
Don’t know if Plan B should be there or not but if you are going to go after Plan A a little bit too much and if your Plan A is not good enough. Then well things are bound to go wrong.
As humans we are going to make mistakes and I guess everyone won’t have a good Plan A to start with.
Hi Keral,
Yes totally agree! We must be sure that Plan A is a good one before we commit to it – full due diligence is required before we make the decision.
However, as Larry has often said “Failure is the fertilizer for our success” and many multi-millionaires have gone bankrupt in their past but instead of giving up, they have learned from their mistakes and tried again.
I hope you have not been totally discouraged and have stepped up to a new challenge?
Hello Jan,
Great article and even better advice for everyone who is serious about creating online success. It does require a lot of hard work and a single minded focus on being successful at it. When you go into something with a plan B in mind you are dividing your focus and reducing your effectiveness. However by staying focused on one goal, you dramatically increase your odds of success and you reduce the amount of time it will take for you to achieve it.
Hi MsDs,
Glad you agree! I think it’s something most of us learn over time unfortunately!