Since I only have a couple of months left in Vegas I figured I should squeeze in at least one Vegas related post before I go.
This past weekend I spent two nights at a local resort which is something I do for myself every year around my birthday. I take my favorite books, magazines and just unplug from work and life for a couple of days to relax and recharge. Of course I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try my hand at winning some serious Vegas cash at a slot machine. Just my luck, I did win a progressive jackpot, a whopping $8.46. I know can you believe it? I can retire now!
As I was wandering aimlessly from machine to machine I started to form some business analogies that I thought I would share with you here.
The Prettiest One Doesn’t Offer the Biggest Payout
I tend to avoid the boring old reel slots and head straight for the ones with the flashing lights, pretty colors and cool bonus features. These are also the machines that although they throw me a bonus here and there and create a lot of noise and hoopla, they don’t always give me a great return on my money. I think many businesses are the same way. There are a lot of bright, shiny business models out there that seem really attractive but before you jump in you need to decide whether or not they are right for you and determine what is involved in making that business successful before you sit down and pull the handle.
One Person’s Jackpot Machine May Not Be Yours
Walking through a casino at any given time, you might hear screaming coming from a certain machine with lights flashing and people gathered round. Someone has just hit the jackpot. Good for them! But don’t expect that when they get up and leave in a few minute that you’re going to sit down and have the same result. The same can be said for business. There are a lot of people that I admire and look up to in business that are doing great things and making tons of money doing it. However, I’m not necessarily cut out for the same kind of business some of my mentors are. What is working for someone else, may or may not work for you. The point is just because you see someone else being successful, don’t think it’ll work for you too. Ask yourself whether or not you can see yourself being happy and passionate in that business. Then ask yourself what are the successful people doing to create so much success with the business. If you think you can duplicate their success and be excited about it then by all means go for it! If you think it’s beyond what you’re willing to do or if you have any doubts whatsoever, put it on the backburner for now and come back to it again in a few weeks or months for a re-evaluation. No matter what, don’t get into a business simply because someone else is making six or seven figures with it. Even if you did create that kind of success with the business, it means nothing if you’re miserable doing it every day. Be sure it is something that aligns with your goals and dreams before you invest your time, talent and money into it.
Signing Up for the Player’s Card Won’t Help You Win
If you’ve walked into any casino you know there’s a “rewards” counter that you go to in order to sign up for their player’s club. Usually when you sign up you get a free coffee mug or T-shirt or some cheesy gift you’ll never use. But you’ve got your shiny new card. The one you stick into the slot machine while you’re playing to earn points. Unfortunately many people also think this card will give them some sort of winning advantage too. It’s all part of the casino’s plan to get you to play more. They want you to think that as long as you have your card in the machine you’re not only getting points (which you’ll probably never use except maybe for a 2 for 1 buffet) but also that maybe since your card is plugged in you might have a better shot at the jackpot.
People who have a business, especially those people considering starting a business fall victim to this idea constantly. They see the latest program, book or system that they think will help them achieve greater success. Soon they have a library of systems and programs, some of which remain unopened. Did purchasing it help the person achieve wealth and riches? Probably not. Why? Because first of all, you need to actually apply the principles and strategies in the system for it to work. Simply purchasing it and skimming through the table of contents isn’t going to accomplish anything. Second of all, people need to stop thinking that they need all of these things to be successful. It’s great to have valuable information at your fingertips and education is the key to success in any capacity but there comes a time when you need to realize that you know enough to be successful on your own.
Winning Or Losing, It’s Still Fun
The funny thing about casinos. They’re hard to leave. Once you start playing you want to keep playing even if you’re losing. If one machine isn’t working you move on to the next one. Sure you’re hoping to hit it big or at least break even but mostly you stick around because you’re having fun. That’s what should be happening with your business as well. Some days you’re going to have great success and be on top of the world. Other days it seems you can’t do anything right. But you keep going because above all, you love what you do and it’s fun to go to work each day. If you’re not having fun you should seriously examine why that is and whether or not you’re in the right business. You may need to change some things or find something else to do but if you’re not having fun you’re not going to enjoy that jackpot as much when it does hit.
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