Does Your Business Have The Determination of a Toddler?

One of the most determined and, shall we say, stubborn creatures on the planet is the human toddler. To the The Toddler, the world is a place of discovery and a challenge to be conquered. Every day offers new obstacles to be overcome. And toddlers have a very specific way of being in the world.

The Toddler doesn’t look up at you with big kitten eyes and make a quaint request, “please, mother, might I try to put on my own coat?” The Toddler looks up at you defiantly and demands, “I DO IT!”

Once locked in with determination to accomplish said task (the afore mentioned, putting on a coat) a sometimes protracted battle begins. The Toddler does not care if the coat is upside down. “I do it.” He is unfazed by the buttons being assigned to the wrong holes. “I do it.” When frustration sets in and The Toddler is writhing on the floor screaming at the top of his lungs and you step in, finally, to render assistance, “I DO IT!!”

Adults interpret this situation in an interesting way. We say to our friends, relating the latest battle of wills, “He tried to put on his coat this morning.” From the perspective of The Toddler there was no trying. “I DO it.” He does not see the world in attempts. He sees the world as doing or not doing. If the adults around The Toddler do something for him, he sees it not as assistance, but as infringement. “I do it.”

How often do we in business give up on an idea or task because… something. “We tried,” we console ourselves. “It just didn’t work.” Our business is viewed as something that we attempt. How much more would we accomplish if we had the determination to say DO?

We let ourselves off the hook. Sometimes well-meaning friends and associates step in to alleviate our challenges. “It’s ok,” they tell us, “you tried.” One of the reasons it’s so easy to say “we tried” and then give up is because we don’t have a clear and concrete goal. We want to be “successful” but never define what that success entails. We want to have customers, but we don’t know how many or from where they will come. Figure out WHAT you want and then get all Toddler on that goal!! Don’t let the challenges derail you. Don’t let the passage of time disuade you. Don’t let the frustration make you give up on yourself and your dreams. Become The Toddler and DO IT.

Once The Toddler accomplishes the task he set out to do, a sense of accomplishment washes over him. He is proud that he DID it. The number of attempts faze him not. The frustration-filled temper tantrum is forgotten in the glow of victory. “I DID IT!” Few sights are as delightful as that of a child who has just successfully climbed the mountain. Or put on a coat for the first time.

Ready to take your business to a new level?  Let’s talk! Contact me at www.sharongalluzzo.com

What do you think?  Will you DO IT??  Leave a comment below and let’s talk about it….