I recently watched an episode of the Discovery Channel series Dual Survival. If you’re not familiar with it, two experienced outdoorsmen (in this episode Joe Teti and Matt Graham) show viewers how to navigate and escape dangerous outdoor environments.
In the episode I watched, Joe and Matt were on a deserted island off the coast of Panama. They didn’t have water and rather than continue to search their current island (with the probability low of finding any), they opted to use a makeshift raft to travel a few miles across the ocean to another island. They were rewarded for the risk by indeed finding water.
As a consultant and sometime motivational speaker, it’s not my normal routine to encourage people to quit. However, there’s a time and a place for it and knowing when to do it is the difference between physical, financial, and emotional success, and failure.
Living in the Washington DC Metro area from 2000 – 2014 has taught me several things, but most notably how to move past futility. When I started my business in 2006, the one thing I noticed that drove me crazy was the fact that nobody had a need for what I was selling. It wasn’t just me. Several of my colleagues were in the same boat. Finally, I realized (after reading W. Chan Kim’s book Blue Ocean Strategy) that there simply were too many vendors for too few opportunities. I gave up marketing in DC and instead promoted nationally. The rewards have been great. A full calendar and some interesting and good clients. The downside is 99% travel and time away from my home and family. Strangely enough, I still have local colleagues who bemoan the fact they can’t find gigs. They continue to market locally using the same strategies and are finding nothing.
Enough about me though. What are you doing right now in your career that has zero positive results? How about in your relationships? Your finances? If you’re currently experiencing poor or no results, I wonder if it’s time for you to quit and do something or try something different? Here are my three “tests” to tell you when it’s time to move on:
Your approach is the one everyone seems to be using. The classic case is the use of technology and social media. First it was cutting-edge to have a website, so everyone built one. Then it was having a Twitter account and a Facebook page. Now it’s blogs and videos. If everyone is doing the conventional (and this means mass use of the unconventional) and it’s not working, STOP following the crowd and try something new!
Your approach hasn’t netted any results in the past 6 months. The 6-month mark is a good time to measure results. You need to be honest in how you gather and report your data. If an initiative has low or no results, it’s time to let it go and move on. I used to write books thinking that book sales would make me rich. I quickly learned that doesn’t happen. My books lead to consulting gigs, speaking opportunities, and workshops. That’s where the money is for me. Now writing books is just a tool for me and not an end game.
Your audience or potential market seems apathetic and lethargic. Nothing against people or companies in the DC area, but I have never seen a company or a group there approach me with a sense of urgency about an organizational problem. I don’t know whether there are no problems or if people have resigned themselves to living with the issues. There’s no point trying to promote what I do to an audience who doesn’t see the need. If you’re attempting to sell or promote to your “comfort” audience, are you sure they’re even remotely interested?
Life is too short to waste time getting poor or no results. This week, take a look at what you do and how it impacts the goals you’ve set for yourself. If things aren’t working (and haven’t for some time) then QUIT DOING WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING and do something different (or try it on a new audience). It’s been my key to survival and I know it will be for you too.