Seems like a no-brainer, right? You show up because you need to work so you can eat, pay your rent and buy stuff that makes the end result of showing up worthwhile. However, when you’re the boss and possibly the sole employee of your company, so far, you can get sidetracked by other things in your life or periods of time when you can’t seem to work out any aspect of your business plan. Sometimes, you don’t even know where to start to get past a hurdle so you can move forward. It’s at these times that you could use some handy tools to help you show up and account for something, every day.
Matt Mayberry says showing up is essential to winning ball games
In CEO and strategist Matt Mayberry’s Entrepreneur article, the former Chicago Bears linebacker compares how underdog college football teams show up, upset highly ranked teams and shock the heck out of people who are amazed because they never saw it coming. Mayberry says that in football, as in “building businesses, organizations and whole cultures” you need to show up every day. He went on to say that the reason we see these upsets in sports, as well as in business is due to the fact that sometimes people forget to show up. First- and second-ranked teams can lose their edges and not show up on particular days when hungry, lower ranked teams show up ready to win. Mayberry says that the highly ranked teams “will have let their record, their past achievements and the praise heaped on them by the media get in the way of their executing and treating that specific game as if they were 0-0.” In showing up “every day and treating each new day, project and task as if your life depended on it,” Mayberry offered two suggestions for surefire ways “to make sure you get better at what you do and move in the right direction to where you want and need to be.”
- Sign a contract with yourselfPsychologically, taking the time and effort to compose a contract with yourself works wonders for your work ethic. Like an affirmation statement on your refrigerator, you just need to remind yourself daily of the important objectives for your business, including showing up every day. As a matter of fact, Mayberry suggests laminating your contract and placing it somewhere where you will see it numerous times a day. While Mayberry says the way you word your contract is up to you and he offers University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino and Eric Crawford’s book, The One Day Contract: How to Add Value to Every Minute of Your Life, as an excellent resource for writing that contract with yourself. “It’s a phenomenal book,” Mayberry says, “that chronicles how Pitino started using a one-day contract for himself and his team before they won their national championship.”
- Focus on one aspect of your business dailyFrom his football training, Mayberry borrowed the idea of focusing on one key area each day. “After a couple of months, I noticed what a great impact this was making on me in becoming a better player overall.” Adopting this practice in his personal life, Mayberry maintains that he still uses this approach today. Focusing on one key area can improve your overall productivity level and work wonders in a myriad of ways. Practice things that you aren’t comfortable within your business. “For example,” Mayberry says, “if you’re in sales, maybe you are working on getting better with cold calls one day, and then the next day you are working on improving your communication or prospecting skills.” You might want to work on presentation skills if your business requires numerous live presentations or videos. Compartmentalizing tasks into focused pieces that you can work on one day and move to another task or area the next day works because, “It’s not overwhelming yourself with 1,000 different areas you need to work on, combined with your already hectic schedule,” Mayberry says.
Coworking spaces keep workers on their toes
A September 2015 Harvard Business Review article revealed that workers who were members of coworking spaces “reported levels of thriving that approached an average of 6 on a 7-point scale” – at least one point higher than employees who work at traditional firms in regular offices. Researchers did a double take, as this data couldn’t be right. But it was, because of a number of factors that come together in coworking spaces:
- A feeling of community inspires business owners and freelancers to show up every dayWorking in an environment, alongside entrepreneurs and like-minded professionals motivates business leaders towards results. Whether you need a cheering squad or a trusted colleague to consult on your project, coworking spaces foster these activities.
- Coworking spaces have a built-in network that fosters a collaborative spiritNot only for the social aspects of coworking spaces but the intrinsic networking effect in coworking spaces encourages members to seek help from other members. When you need help for those hurdles you can’t wrap your brain around, to hone in on a technical issue or resolve other issues that might subconsciously keep you from giving your business all you got some days. Much like a college course, say a creative writing workshop, where everyone has to read everyone else’s short stories and critique them, coworking members are willing to help someone else through an issue that may have held them back in the past. Who knows? Working alongside someone can lead to new ideas, which lead to new ventures with new partners you already know.
At Venture X Naples, we think there’s something special about coworking spaces. Working in an upscale, well-appointed facility in the heart of Naples, the Mercato neighborhood buzzes with popular shopping, dining and entertainment options, just minutes away. Our diverse community of coworking members thrives in a variety of different types of spaces, from our community spaces to semi-private or private offices with your own business address. Technically proficient conference rooms are available for meetings and presentations, as well as our community area that can be rented for your launch or as a networking tool. Like Matt Mayberry tells us, “Showing up every single day of your life is critical when it comes to the success of your business, organization and individual success.” To keep from sliding into a comfortable zone of thinking, “you’ve made it and don’t have to work as hard, someone, somewhere is already gaining an advantage over you and working to surpass you.” Mayberry’s take away goes like this: “Champions show up every day, whether that occurs on the field, on the court or in the boardroom. Showing up may help you be one of them.” Showing up at Venture X Naples can keep every single day moving forward with your business goals solidly intact, in one of the most exciting ways. And then there’s the beach nearby when you need to focus on your sunny disposition. Contact us to schedule an interview at (239) 300-9601 or request a tour online.
