Consequence is a word of great consequence. Pun intended, obviously. We tend to ignore the cause and effect of our actions and end up becoming victims of it. However, we hold a very powerful key in our hands: the ability to choose to put our purpose to work, and how to do it. It is all a game of consequences, much more than it is a game of reactivity to markets and odds.
Business schools and books, YouTube videos and seminars love to say that we must do tons of market research in our “area” before creating our business. While there is a certain amount of truth in making sure that we hit fertile soil, it is not about what those around you are doing that should drive your actions, or even concern you. What matters is whether or not you are putting your intention to work and are aware of the consequences.
If you build a business solely to become part of a certain market, the consequence is that you will become part of that market. And it will infuse your entire operation with the mindset of urgency to “react to the market.” This means competitiveness, price dumping, haggling with suppliers beyond reason, obsessing over metrics, setting goals in relation to the market, not yourself, hiring jaded staff and so on…
Your actions are the consequence of your mindset. And your mindset is the consequence of your beliefs. If one of them fails to be true to who you are, the consequence is impurity in your operation. And this bears struggle and dissatisfaction as a consequence. You become a drifter in your own life, pretending to be in control. Everything is connected. Just like your fingers are connected to your palm which is connected to your wrist, which is connected….you get the picture.
If you invest heavily in google ads and your intention is to beat out the competition rather than focus on delivering value, then you are WASTING your marketing budget. You will end up with a high tab and a result that leaves you unhappy and defeated because its consequence is futile and not of true value. Your decision to run ads was founded on very shaky ground. Despite seeing the poor results, you will ignore the nagging feeling that tells you to stop running ads because you fear competitors, and you will double your marketing efforts because of that same fear. It is a vicious cycle you must break by questioning the validity of your reasoning and the actions it drives.
When you are really aware of cause and effect, you know you are not building a business to be successful. You are successful because you build a business of value. You are not in this to prove to the world, or the market, that you can lead in the rankings. You are leading your own market because you are bringing value.
Those who decide to start their business in these difficult times have it harder because they are met with the emotional burden of uncertainty. But they also have it easier because when there is blood on the streets, people become aware of value. And if you build your business with a mindset of value creation, if you are indeed in a position where you are investing in building trust, you are much more likely to survive and thrive, and that is because value is the cause, and success the consequence.
A true entrepreneur of value is always aware of the consequences of their thoughts and actions, because they understand the reason why they are doing things. To know why you are in this means to have accountability for what comes from it. Not to know why you do things means to be the victim of futile attempts to grasp the moment. Reflect on the causes and effects in your business. What drives what? What comes from what? What is the origin of some of your most recent and important decisions? Were they internally motivated or driven by external influences? How much of a victim have you become, how much ownership do you have over the consequences you see in your business?
