Consistency – such a bad little word.

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Posted on 20th October 2008 by Tony in Free Tip

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Have you ever wondered why some people are better at doing things than others? There’s only so much we can write off to personal talent … but why are some people simply brilliant at what they do.

I’ve been thinking about that. Well, I think a lot – it’s what I do. I think it boils down to consistency, and let me explain:

Ryk Neethling is arguably one of the top swimmers in South Africa (let’s ignore his Beijing record for now). He is who he is because, according to his website, he swims 6 hours a day. Every day. When I met Marianne Kriel she told me a similar story. To shave off mere splits-seconds on her time she had to spend hours and hours in the pool.

Then there is me. I am currently overweight because I did a lot of bad things … with much consistency. It wasn’t the result of one mega 22kg burger. It was eating incorrectly and not exercising for a period of time, which lead to a bad immune system, insulin resistance and a host of other things that resulted in me being overweight.

If I want to be thin/fit/healthy I have to start doing good things … every day a little bit until the good things add up.

It’s the same with your business … especially an online business … if you want to succeed, do all the right stuff on a daily basis and things add up. Simple.

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Technology – is it a curse?

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Posted on 12th October 2008 by Tony in Thoughts

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I have just returned from a trip to Durban and Johannesburg. The Joburg trip was for business and the Durban trip – 3 days to chill out and forget about the world … but that didn’t happen.

Which makes me wonder … is technology just a curse? Maybe I should have left my laptop and cellphone behind but I simply could not relax while I was away. I was checking emails every 2 or 3 hours and the office numbers were diverted to my cellphone (stupid answering service wasn’t working and I didn’t want clients left wondering).

And then you get the clients who phone you and ask if they can speak to you … and you say “no, I’m actually occupied until Monday” and then they say “but this will only take a minute” and it doesn’t – it takes 30. And if you get persistent and near-rude with them they end up cancelling contracts because you’re not available when THEY need you (would be nice if they would PAY you when you need them to!)

So I have returned from my first REAL relax (only 3 days!) since 2001 … more stressed than when I left.

From tomorrow I am going to restructure my business a little – I’m going to be über-selective of my clients (maybe fire a few trouble makers).

But here’s my thought: if you’re going to run an online business … plan properly … or your clients think they have the right to disturb you 24/7/365 …

Technology can be a real blessing … but at the moment … it’s a curse!

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