I’ll admit it. I have a tendency to hide sometimes. Maybe it comes from the Midwestern work ethic. When things aren’t going how you want them to, you put your head down and work harder. So I surround myself with learning materials. I seek out educational resources. And I STOP producing.
Don’t get me wrong. Education is fantastic. I schedule time for it at least every other day in my life, if not daily. But it may just be 30 minutes here or an hour there. I don’t dedicate days at a time or even weeks to doing nothing but hiding on forums or with educational resources. In achieving success, you can’t hide in your business.
In reality the fastest way to break out of rut is to produce. Create something. Make something happen. Anything! Don’t just retrench in learning.
You know enough as a small business owner to do something. Set a lunch appointment with someone you’ve wanted to get to know for a while. Blog! Stir something up on your Facebook fan page. Go visit another small business owner and start developing a relationship. Call a great client and get them back in the door by telling them about something new you are doing. Send a personal note to 10 favorite clients.
Don’t hide in educational materials for too long. The world is producing when you’re not and you may miss a great opportunity.