What was YOUR biggest business/life lesson in 2015?

[The-J]

This is a continuation of the 2014 thread, but for 2015.

What did you do wrong (or right) in 2015? How will you do it better in 2016?



EDITED BY MODERATOR: Here's that 2014 thread.

 

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[nitop]

biggest lesson : stop procrastinating!! life is too short for all this crap ,

 

[Red]

I retired for the year 2015. I have a post coming of the lessons learned & things experienced.

Back to work.

 

[Damage Inc.]

Sometimes I'm too quick to write people off as problem customers or time wasters. It's good to be able to spot bad customers before they become a problem, but there's a fine line between that and pushing people away unnecessarily. I learned in 2015 that really listening to your customers and making an effort to go above and beyond can pay off greatly. People generally knew and appreciated when I went out of my way for them - and more than once it resulted in repeat customers, great feedback, and increased profits. I'll definitely make an effort to do this more in 2016 and beyond.


Here's a funny and relevant quote that an old boss used to say to me to lighten the mood when we were dealing with a difficulty:

"This business would be great if it wasn't for all the damn customers."

 

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[Jake]

I get a lot more done when I'm sober.

Amazon is a better platform to sell off of than my own website (no matter how pretty it is)

My body runs better on the keto diet than it does full of carbs.

 

[The-J]

I retired for the year 2015. I have a post coming of the lessons learned & things experienced.

Back to work.

Can't wait!

 

[IceCreamKid]

Biggest life lesson for 2015...

I formerly lived by the belief that I would only pursue a romantic relationship after I had DeMarco type of money. Stayed single for years while just grinding it out in biz.

Then I met a really neat girl. Suddenly my motivation levels and focus skyrocketed in ways that I probably couldn't have done by myself. Having a quality woman just might be the secret to reaching the next level.

Having a partner that you don't harmonize with can also derail you bigtime though...choose wisely.

 

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[nitop]

Biggest life lesson for 2015...

I formerly lived by the belief that I would only pursue a romantic relationship after I had DeMarco type of money. Stayed single for years while just grinding it out in biz.

Then I met a really neat girl. Suddenly my motivation levels and focus skyrocketed in ways that I probably couldn't have done by myself. Having a quality woman just might be the secret to reaching the next level.

Having a partner that you don't harmonize with can also derail you bigtime though...choose wisely.

i think thats why they say " there's a quality woman behind every successful man" !!

 

[Almantas]

#1 life lesson is: fight among lions if you want to become a lion.

What I mean is surround yourself with competitive people, people who have achieved a lot in their lives and are hungry for success. At first it feels weird being around such people when you leave negative people behind you. Sometimes motivation falls downhill when you compare your progress with where the big guys are...sometimes you'll want to give up... but stay hungry and keep going.

Perseverance is the key.

It's like preparing for a boxing fight. Instead of training with the guy who is in the same weight category as you, train with someone who is more advanced and 30kg heavier than you. When the real fight begins and the first bell rings you'll realize the benefits of such training, your opponent is going to be nothing but a dummy doll.

Good luck!

 

[TonyStark]

Not drinking is the BEST feeling in the world.

 

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[Dwight Schrute]

Sometimes I'm too quick to write people off as problem customers or time wasters. It's good to be able to spot bad customers before they become a problem, but there's a fine line between that and pushing people away unnecessarily.

This!

I get a lot more done when I'm sober.

And this!

Not getting drunk/stoned and really taking the time to connect to people payed off.
For this year, I'll do my best to improve my social intelligence, as I'm still naive sometimes :embarrased:

 

[relentlessaction]

My goals are too small and need to be bigger.

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

My body runs better on the keto diet than it does full of carbs.

This. It confused me when I cut my calorie intake to 1,000 for a few days and increased energy. I've been overeating my whole life for no real reason.

Then I met a really neat girl. Suddenly my motivation levels and focus skyrocketed in ways that I probably couldn't have done by myself. Having a quality woman just might be the secret to reaching the next level.

Having a "muse" is amazing. On the other hand, rejection is also amazing. Every time I get rejected by a girl I like, I use that as energy to make myself more of the man I want to become. I'm only aiming for 9's and 10's, and honestly believe that I've had as much benefit from rejection as I have from good girls I've dated. However, settling for average girls has never been more than stagnation or moving backwards.

Not getting drunk/stoned and really taking the time to connect to people payed off.

I'm the opposite. Rarely drink. However, it's nice once in a while to get drunk and see things from a different perspective. It eliminates the inhibitions and helps you realize that the bullshit in your head is just bullshit. Nothing to be scared of. Also, I've gotten drunk a couple times this year, sent heartfelt messages to people I care about in my phone, and woken up to a lot of people really glad that I did (to clarify: these are messages to friends saying how much I appreciate them, and how I believe that they'll do great things ... not drunk hail mary's to get laid). However, I do prefer not to drink, but think it's worth altering perspectives once in awhile.




MY BIGGEST LESSON THIS YEAR:

A negative is never a negative. Only inaction is a negative. Through action, only positive can come. Because even through a negative, you advance from the before to the after. And if you play it right, then the after makes you stronger and better. However, if you never take action, then the before stays the before. And the after never comes.

Here's a quick video that clarifies this point:

 

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[NewJamesBond]

My goals are too small and need to be bigger.

Agreed. I need bigger goals.

 

[Ikke]

All my lessons were taught by other people I worked with.

#1 It is as it is. Not avoiding but embracing any situation/problem and accepting reality makes you much more focused and appropriate in your actions.
Learned from a sales manager who I worked with in multi million deals.

#2 Simply right. Whatever you do simply has to be right. No compromises, no shortcuts, no excuses, simply right.
Learned from a project manager I was involved with in a large project.

#3 Never assume. Surprises in the business field are rarely positive. Never assume anything and verify everything to make sure things go as planned because assuming makes an a$$ out of u and me.
Learned from a pilot and confirmed by experiencing this applied .

#4 Take questions away. Make sure your customer is informed and doesn't have to ask you any questions regarding any order.
Learned from a customer who was very meticulous.

#5 Be you. My biggest lesson was to be IKke. Not the person doing x job or y function, but IKke. Think for yourself, be positive and add value.

 

[Imgal]

So many lessons. Big and small.

Biggest one:Just because I can do something that shouldn't mean I should - Wasted too much time on projects doing work I could easily do, but ddn't motivate me. This then tended to have the knock on effect of feeling too drained to push on with other things that I should have been getting really excited about.

Processes and Systems are everything - I spent too long fighting doing proper SOPs so was always playing catch up when scaling up. Streamlining what I did and mapping it out from the start was a drag, but saved so much time and money in the long run.

If it doesn't drive you to go to work on it everyday you're doing the wrong thing - Ties back into the first. After really being motivated and truly driven to achieve that bit more day by day for the last few years, a fair chunk of work I did this year had me waking up with the only motivating factor really being going to bed at the other end of the day. Since switching back to only doing what I love at the end of the year I couldn't be happier or more motivated... or thankfully more successful.

 

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[NonMagicalGenie]

One of the biggest lessons learned in 2015: Have a purpose and goal behind what you do before you do it. For me it was personal growth, I wanted to change who I was.

Because when the fear, doubt, and uncertainty arosed, I looked inwards to why I'm doing what I'm doing and understood, what I'm doing isn't for nothing, even when no one believed in me and I didn't even believe in myself. I knew that I must keep pushing forward, i'll understand why soon enough.

And the outcome is, my mind is clearer then ever. I understand myself and what I must do so well know. 2015 was an amazing year in terms of personal growth and advancement. My will is stronger then ever.

2016: Grab fear by its balls and make it shut up. I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to.

 

[brewster]

My biggest lesson was that when you take the leap of faith, God, the Universe or whatever you want to call it, will meet you half way.

I learned that trusting my gut and acting—no matter how hard it is at the time—always pays dividends.

And now that I look back on a decision I made 9 months ago to move away from my home town?—it's the one decision that has defined my entire life going forward.

It hasn't been easy. But... you only experience growth by going through the situations that challenge you and force you to adapt.

 

[TonyStark]

My biggest lesson was that when you take the leap of faith, God, the Universe or whatever you want to call it, will meet you half way.

I learned that trusting my gut and acting—no matter how hard it is at the time—always pays dividends.

And now that I look back on a decision I made 9 months ago to move away from my home town?—it's the one decision that has defined my entire life going forward.

It hasn't been easy. But... you only experience growth by going through the situations that challenge you and force you to adapt.

Did you move to Austin? Nice to meet you.

 

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[Lauryn]

I took referrals from the wrong sources.

I didn't use contracts with certain referrals and trusted them on their word.

I didn't create enough barriers to entry to properly separate serious clients from looky Lous

I took too much shit personal

 

[Lauryn]

And I lacked consistency... because I didn't remind myself of the vision daily.

 

[The-J]

My biggest lesson was that when you take the leap of faith, God, the Universe or whatever you want to call it, will meet you half way.

I've heard it as "There's always a safety net, even when the safety net feels like the hard ground". It's true: even if you jump off the cliff and land right on your a$$, you can always get up and keep going.

The only thing you shouldn't do is climb that cliff back to where you started.

 

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[marklov]

I'd have to say my biggest life lesson of 2015 was...

I figured out why I want to win.

Not just be involved in the race and everyone's a winner.

But to win and be the best.

Arnold said it the best.

Spoiler

When I was ten years old I got this thing that I wanted to be the best in something, so I started swimming. I won championships, but I felt I couldn’t be the best. I tried skiing, but there I felt I didn’t have potential. I played soccer, but I didn’t like that to well because there I didn’t get the credit alone if I did something special. I just avoided team sports from then on. Then I started lifting through the other sports and I enjoyed it the most. I won the Austrian championship in 1964 but found out I was too tall. So I quit that and went into body building. Two years later I found out that that’s it-that’s what I can be the best in.

 

[AustinS28]

You want to get something done? You need to do it. The only person you can rely on 24/7/365 is yourself.

However, you need other people to create success. Whether it is customers, partnerships, or mentorships. Don't be afraid to ask for help, listen to advice even if you don't take it, and form strong relationships with the right people.

 

[Aimee]

Learn to realise when a relationship is toxic and get the hell out.

I completely lost myself for about 6 months last year because of an abusive relationship that almost cost me everything. Never again. Just get out.

 

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[jlwilliams]

Learn to realise when a relationship is toxic and get the hell out.

I completely lost myself for about 6 months last year because of an abusive relationship that almost cost me everything. Never again. Just get out.

This year I learned just how deeply my wife hates me. I'm not saying she doesn't still love me, but the years of penned up anger and resentment coupled with her drinking (my quitting drinking 16 years ago is a huge point of resentment) have grown to a point where the hate is eclipsing the love. This is going to be a tough year. We have kids, grand kids, real estate, and all sorts of baggage; but the fact is that it's as you said. It's toxic, we know it, and it's time to get out.

I guess that's my big lesson of last year. I learned that it's over and the past few years of "waiting for the right time" may or may not have been worth waiting for but either way we are here now.

 

[Formless]

Some were new lessons, most were reminders:

• Trying to spring permanently = Imminent failure
• Success = Adequate job in an inadequate amount of time
• Busy =/= Productive. Busy = Overwhelm and imminent failure
• The only alternative to working smart is failure.
• Everything in life is a process, you may not be consciously aware of them, but everything from making a sandwich to running a business is a series of processes and patterns. You can live like a drone, controlled by them - or you can engineer them.
• I really need to learn to budget. I have gone from living very comfortably (for a student) to eating rice for 2 weeks straight because I spent like a sidewalking idiot.
• Time spent planning, strategizing and mapping is not time wasted.
• If you neglect sleep, diet and mental health, everything else will fall to pieces within 7-10 days.
• It takes me exactly 19-21 days to start falling out of a habit. I now anticipate these cycles and dedicate an entire day or 2 to refocusing (and nothing else.)
• Fear is a (painful) gift, 99/100, it's literally an indicator of when to take action
• Think on paper. Question your assumptions on paper. Analyse your feelings on paper. Write your plans & to do lists on paper.
• If the customer was always right, they wouldn't need you. You are the expert. Just don't communicate abrasively.
• Know yourself. Know your strengths and your weaknesses. Don't fight the ocean unless absolutely absolutely necessary.
• You can, and should ask for help when you need it. Lest you want to be your own worst bottleneck.

• And lastly, Do What You Want.

 

[Tiger TT]

"Time is king." ~MJ DeMarco

This was the most important thing that I
learned in 2015.

 

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[ChrisJTurner]

I learnt to not trust everyone in business.
It cost me a few K and put me back into full time employment.
Never again.

 

[amp0193]

I learnt to not trust everyone in business.
It cost me a few K and put me back into full time employment.
Never again.

Damn. That is a tough lesson to learn. It took me getting burned twice in 6 months before it sunk in. But, it's made me more vigilant in due diligence, and it hasn't happened since. I'm glad I got that lesson learned early on.


Biggest lesson of 2015:

1. Hitting a homerun is better than trying to hit 8 singles. I had several side business going from my main business and as a result, everything was mediocre. I cut off everything except for my main focus, and it's taken off.