Let’s face it, even the most innovative in our midst can get stuck in a rut. We may find an efficient way of doing things in our businesses, set up some pretty good working systems and then get comfortable. Years ago, a colleague taught me, however, that no matter how great you think things are going—there is always a better way…
Think back over times when you have been the new person on a job, or have moved on and someone else stepped into your position. Chances are, just having that fresh approach and new eyes and energy brought about some opportunities for improvements and change. Things may have seemed absolutely fine, but a fresh idea and suddenly, things were even better. There is always room to make things even better.
Now, I’m not advocating perfectionism or turning yourself inside out trying to always be making improvements in your business. But, keeping you mind open and being on the lookout for ways to make things more efficient, easier, more profitable, etc. can keep you from getting stuck in a rut or slipping backwards in terms of productivity. For me, just acknowledging that there is always a way to make things better keeps me from getting too complacent. I may not have the energy TODAY to make improvements, but acknowledging that there is room, keeps me open and progressively-minded.
Perhaps you will want to keep a journal or a place to write notes when you get ideas for way to make things better, or tearing out articles, book-marking web sites and keeping track of others’ innovations are all ways to keep one eye open toward finding ways to make your own business operations even better. Have a friend or colleague give you a suggestion or look at your operations (even just a tiny piece of your operations) to see if they can see something you might be missing—you never know when something will spark and you can find an even better way to run your home business.
Also: Spending Money on Development
Allowing Yourself to Think Big