In my book, Embrace Change: Flourishing in times of challenges and crisis I spoke about the powerful tools or resources you already possess.
Resources that can set you for life if you take advantage.
The idea is that you have a foundation to start if you really look.
Many want to start businesses, want to improve their lives but waver because they think power and resources are in the hands of others.
That is not true in most cases and also depends on what you want to do. My case is no different. My life's achievements are due to recognising where I am and what I have.
There is an idea that you have to have money to start a business. I had many lunch meetings or casual chats with clients and many of them will say " I want to do this or own this or that but the issue is that I have no funds.
I always shake my head in disagreement but not all the time. Some projects need a serious cash injection. But that is not the point.
The point is to learn and recognise your current skills, power, strength, and resources to help you with a start. A start is always better.
If you can just start, many doors will open because you opened the first important door.
Today I am a property investor and owner, I am operating a successful business and written and published few books.
I would have not done all of the above if I had waited for money or thought I have nothing to start with.
I had and still have many things to start with, myself, knowledge, ability to read, communicate, and more. I have listed a few resources you can start with in my book but I promise there are more if you look. The most important resource is yourself, time, and action - the action comes to play when you have taken care of yourself first.
Going back to my book on the chapter "TOOLS IN YOUR HANDS" I realised that I spoken about resources and put little emphasis on the action.
The acting part is a crucial part of any startup. I have a self-imposed rule that helps me to achieve any goal I want. Each day I must follow this rule.
The rule is simple. Have a routine that will help you move a step closer to your goals or success. You are a resource, use yourself to improve your life.
This means you alone can build and exercise the routine that you will come up with.
Your routine should follow the "RULE OF 5". The rule of 5 simply says that there must be five activities that you do daily that help you achieve your goals.
John C Maxwell used this example, that if you had a big tree in your yard that you need to cut down. Put the issue of time out of this and focus on the tree.
So every day you take an axe and hit the tree 5 times, not more than that and no less.
The following day you do the same. Take the axe, hit the tree 5 times, and the next day you do the same, hit the tree, hit the tree 5 times. What will eventually happen to the tree?
It will fall down eventually because of your efforts.
This is the same as your dreams. Have five activities that you do daily that makes you a better person you want to be.
Have five activities that can help you achieve your goals. Of course, goals are different but the principle is the same. For you to achieve your goals you need to do something.
Activities will be dependent on the goal. For example, I read, write, exercise, work and meditate. These are the five activities that help me move to the next level of life.
So this is what I mean by starting where you are with what you have. My story is that I started my business with my skills. That is what I had. I told everyone I meet that I build websites before I could even build one. I had to learn to do that, build websites. While working on my learning I started getting clients. I started saving money. My skill improved with every client I got and the lessons I took.
This was supported by reading books and documenting my thoughts. I never thought that I would publish a book until I realized that I been writing a book all the time I was doing my journal or keeping ideas. One day I just had an idea of being an author after reading a book. Then that idea grew in me and today I did not just publish my own book but I published many successful books for South African authors. of course, there are events that took place in my life process but 7 years later here I am having different worries of growing a business instead of wondering where my next break will come from.
When you look at my story you will realise that skills and self-improvement are key to start anything worthwhile. For those who still say that they need money to start with the dream well, I tell you that you don't have to strain yourself with that thinking. start with yourself, and do something with what you have. Knowledge, skills, hands, body, connections, car, land, or whatever you have. You must have something to start working with. Not everything you have now will lead starting to your goal but you can change and add along with the way, compromise here and there until you get a steady groud(Meaning if you want to buy/build 20 properties but have no cash you car start by getting a job. Save what you can and use the money to raise money until you get to the fund you need to finance your big goal). I just complicated things, what I mean is that you can do jobs or get a job that is not directly linked to your goal. the stepping stone philosophy kind. I am sure you get me.
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