13 May It’s Hard to Drop the Rope

After 30 years in business, I’ve learned that there are unofficial “laws” that extend beyond what Murphy taught us.  I call them “Bob’s Laws of Business.” In this newsletter, I will explain “Bob’s Law of Stubbornness.”

You have a great idea. Perhaps it’s a new product idea, a new process or even an entire new business you just created or purchased.  You work on it; you put your all into it.  In spite of your hard work, however, you sense that something isn’t quite right.  That doesn’t stop you. You work harder, you spend more money, you rally the troops, and you cheerlead for success. Still, it’s just not working out…. yet….…but you’re sure it will!  You’re a “Winner,” winners don’t give up, winners make it happen, winners get the job done, and YOU ARE a WINNER!

Think about this.  Imagine that you decide to go waterskiing. You grab the rope, you’re up on the skis and you’re having a great time.  But because you’re a winner, when you fall, you don’t let go of the rope.  You crash into the water, lose your swimsuit, get water up your nose and allow your body to bounce off the water’s surface, which feels a lot like concrete.  To drop the rope would be to admit defeat and Winners never quit, ever!

After many years in business, I’ve learned that you can’t win every time, and that winners are very stubborn people.  If you’re struggling with a seemingly unsolvable business problem, and feel like you’re being dragged across the lake on your face, “Bob’s Law of Stubbornness” states that “sometimes even winners have to let go of the rope.”