Courage, Conviction, Confidence, and Consolidation.
JEGPlastics finds success by doing what doesn’t come naturally first.
In business, these four are mutually dependent. As entrepreneurs, business owners can start each day with a form of “writer’s block.” Their first job is to decide which task to take on first, and that decision can be a slow, painful one. What comes first, reviewing the latest marketing campaign, revisiting production procedures or making cold calls to drum up business? Some of these are fun, others not so much.
Each day brings new goals, new risks, and new challenges. What they accomplish is primarily based on how they structure the day’s activities.
And the days can be incredibly long. They are full of meetings/ schedules and commitments, each bringing new responsibilities and duties. There are forty hours a week, and somehow they go by quickly.
Seasoned business veterans will tell you, it’s all in how you manage each day. Twain wrote, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” (This carries particular weight with JEG as Frogs are our least favorite animals.)
Tackling tedious tasks provides motivation to go on to the next thing – to do them both better, quicker, and more efficiently than on your last attempt. Hills become smaller every time you climb them. Every peak you reach carries the motivation to go to an even higher height.
2020 is a year about virtues for JEG. We’ve made a strong statement about three of them and now feel they need a defined relevance.
Courage.
Most people are more courageous than they know. After all, courage is simple, and being brave does not need to make a lot of noise. Having the strength to put anxieties behind you is courage. Going on when you have no strength takes even greater courage, while some describe it as the voice in your head at the end of the day that convinces you to try again tomorrow.
Conviction.
Having a conviction allows an individual the firm belief in what he/she wants to accomplish. It can be the gasoline that powers the engine to succeed.
Confidence.
Confidence is a continuation of courage and conviction. Confidence comes in the form of self-assurance as you tackle new tasks daily.
We’ve made this case before:
Innovation requires change. And our industry is changing in ways some might not have expected. We’ve also made the same case in reverse: change requires innovation.
In 2020 JEG’s goal is to keep a sharp focus on our market place and be ready with a unique product and manufacturing focus.
Having a conviction allows an individual the firm belief in what he/she wants to accomplish. It can be the gasoline that powers the engine to succeed.
Consolidation.
Today we are watching our market consolidate in ways not seen in recent history. Companies are finding the best way to service markets is to seek out and purchase companies with their desired market share. At JEG, we expected this as our industry has matured, and consolidations typically occur as time progresses.
These consolidations bring challenges as old allegiances, or client relationships can disappear instantly. We find ourselves in a constant state of reinvention and rebirth.
But just as courage defines an ability to face daily challenges, we live by being aware each day’s schedule should bend to meet those challenges. Taking on the hardest challenge of the day first allows us to see past the highest hill and look towards the one coming next.
We also realize no one was born with a spoon (of any type) in their mouth, and so no one has an inherent advantage over others. Our job as stewards of ever-changing relationships, we start each day with the realization we have to work hard at staying informed of industry changes. At JEG, this strong market focus allows us to anticipate it’s changing needs.
In the coming months, look for more commentary and news on our industry.
Additional resources for keeping confidence, conviction and courage in your business.
Consolidation.
Keeping courage in your business
Conviction as a trait in entrepreneurs.
Confidence in Entrepreneurs
