There are obvious ways to stay alive in business: Spend less than you make. Don’t break the law. Keep your promises. Focus.
But there are some other tricks to survival…
- Don’t make enemies
There are exceptions to this rule, but generally it doesn’t pay to have enemies. If you don’t like someone don’t confront them. Just move on. Criticising doesn’t change the world. It just makes enemies. And enemies can appear when least expected, killing your entrepreneurial dreams.
Be nice to people. If you can’t be nice, ignore.
- Mind your own business
Sometimes you see an injustice and you want to step in and save the day. Get over it. 99% of injustice is none of your business, and getting involved will simply make matters worse.
In a previous life I lived on a fancy golf estate and was once walking my dog off his leash. A dude in his 70’s came up to me and waved an indignant finger in my face, “Our rules say you can’t walk your dog off his leash.”
Me: “Is your grandpa still alive?
Old dude: “No.”
Me: “My grandpa is still alive and well. Not only is he healthy but he has all his own teeth. Do you know why?”
Old dude: “No, why”
Me: “Because he minds his own fucking business.”
Sometimes the world is not a fair place. Try do right by others, but always mind your own business.
- You can’t stop the future
As an entrepreneur you spend most of your time trying to shape the course of events, but if you take a step back and look at the overwhelming size of the river of the universe you realise how little influence you have.
Put in the hours, try your best, but at the end of the day you have to accept what will be will be.