Page 35 - The Magic of Tiny Business
P. 35

Part I   Choose Your Limitations

    This is an ongoing process, which I learned the hard
way.

    Business concepts have deep cultural roots and can
trigger very personal reactions. The tendency with unex-
amined concepts is to avoid thinking about them until
absolutely necessary, then reacting emotionally when situ-
ations arise.

    When situations arise and decisions need to be made,
you want to be in the most prepared position possible in
order to respond with well-thought-out responses. Start
this work when you’re not under pressure to respond to
anything urgent, and trust that your understanding will
grow with time.

Break It Down (Tiny Steps)
The lesson here is incrementalism: break everything down
so there is meaning for you. It’s about learning how to take
tiny steps, starting a personal relationship with your con-
cepts and challenging assumptions so you can pick your
best path forward.

    Here’s where I started:

Money:  I didn’t have enough, couldn’t seem to make enough,
and didn’t understand what I had—or did not have—access
to. This made me feel very uncomfortable. I lied to friends,
saying I couldn’t go out because I was busy when really I was
just broke. I quickly realized that with a business I would
have to use and manage borrowed money (i.e., debt) for
growth. This started my next conversation on risk.

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