No matter what, there is always room for improvements in terms of your personal satisfaction and level of success. You can be happy, but what would make you happier? You may be successful, but what else do you want to achieve?

A choice is always made to take action in order to move life forward in a certain direction, or to sit still – in which case you can expect very little to change. It’s Newton’s First Law, right? An object at rest will stay at rest.

While some relaxation is certainly an important part of remaining focused, alert and creative, a constant state of “doing nothing” will not help you achieve your goals. How many things do you need or want to accomplish today, but keep putting off until “tomorrow?” It is easy to come up with excuses to justify that you don’t have time or the resources to accomplish what you need to do.

I wanted to sit down and edit a project while traveling yesterday, but I told myself there wasn’t enough leg room on the plane to open up my laptop. I came to this conclusion without even trying, and I didn’t bother to take out the hard copy I brought with me to make the edits. If I really wanted to complete the project, I would have found a way. Instead, I came up with excuses.

What happens as a result of making excuses is procrastination, which in my opinion takes far more energy than doing. Procrastinating keeps things hanging over your head, and the mental exhausting of “having to do something” is far more strenuous than actually doing.

Things that are put off only build up on top of other things that need to be accomplished, which leads to stress. It’s like the attic you know needs to be cleaned, but figure what damage can throwing one more useless thing up there do? It will get organized tomorrow. In the meantime, those items just keep piling and piling on top of one another until the ceiling comes crashing down. “Tomorrow” never came.

Whatever it is that you want to achieve, make a commitment to make that happen. Whether it be a short term or long term goal, take the necessary steps today to get things in motion. Have a clear plan, but don’t let perfectionism get in the way. Doing is far more powerful than being perfect. There is always going to be room for improvement.

As Benjamin Disraeli once said, “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.”

Millionaire Money Habit: The difference between those who achieve and those who don’t is simply that winners try. Success comes to those who have the guts to keep trying after they fail.

I found this video I thought I’d share with you. I’m not sure I entirely agree with everything stated here, but I think this is some great information for anyone involved with (or starting to think about starting) their own small business. Enjoy!

Small Business Startup Mistakes

If there’s one lesson I wish I had learned earlier, it’s to go where the masses are.

I spent a big part of my entrepreneurial life trying to find the perfect money making business, thinking of new ways to do things, seeking needs that were waiting to be fixed, and entering niche areas with far too small a market. I figured that’s what you had to do to make money. You have to become the dominant player.

Wrong!

That didn’t help me get ahead. It wasn’t until I realized that it is far easier to be successful as the number 10 player in a crowded market than number one in a small market.

I’m not saying people don’t or can’t make money in a highly targeted niche market, but I found it to be much more difficult. Just think about those inventors that spend all of their life and savings to create a prototype, only to find out nobody wants it.

What has been a far better approach for me is to do what has already been proven to be a successful business model and improve it. Create a similar product or service, but in a way that differentiates you from the others. Maybe it’s a different price point, or maybe it’s some added value, or maybe you it’s your own personal touch.

There are several reasons I believe this is the way to go. To name a few:

1. The big players are doing all of your marketing for you. They are telling the masses why they need a product or service, and all the things it can do for them.
2. Most people prefer to be educated consumers and they will search for the best service or deal. They like options.
3. Other businesses have already done the work for you. You can see what works and what doesn’t, what messages people respond to, and where improvement can be made.
4. There is lower risk because these are markets that have already been identified as an area that people are willing to spend money.

That last point is an important one. Just because there are millions of people that want to learn how to draw anime, for example, that doesn’t mean they are willing to spend money.

While Apple might be making billions of dollars with iPods, there are hundreds of companies in China that produce similar products and are making millions of dollars.

How many different versions of antivirus software are there? How many burger joints do you pass before getting to Wendy’s? How many different books can you find to learn how to flip houses? How many tax service centers do you pass before getting to H&R Block?

I’d much rather compete in those markets than trying to develop and mass market binder clips that have a flashlight on them, or some other obscure product.

Millionaire Money Habit: Sometimes the biggest money making business is staring at us right in the face. Don’t overcomplicate things by trying to come up with the perfect solution. Do what already works and go where the masses are already spending money.