For my 46th birthday this summer I received a couple of giant coffee table books. One is about surfing and the other about basketball. I think I’m turning back into a teenager. I was leafing through the Surfer book yesterday: it’s a compilation of articles, photos and covers from Surfer magazine which ran from the 1960’s until 2020 when it closed.
One thing from an early 60’s edition caught my eye. In the contents there was a note: “Surfing For Beginners – Learn To Surf In 457 Easy Steps.” I laughed out loud. It was tongue in cheek. But I recognise the truth when I see it.
Surfing is hard. It takes hundreds of little lessons (easy steps) your mind and your body needs to learn along the way. And then you multiply those lessons by hundreds of repetitions. That is how you get really good at surfing. If you want to.
It is how you get good at anything. Business especially. Running a business is complicated and complex. There are lots of moving parts. But if you’re a beginner, don’t worry, you can learn how to do it in 457 easy steps. This separates the wheat from the chaff.
Most people are pissed off that something isn’t easy and straight-forward. Lots will throw in the towel. Others will just constantly be surprised and upset that this is hard – because they are always expecting it to be easier than it is.
The trick is you will learn faster and better if you have your eyes fully open about how hard this thing is, the number of lessons there are to learn, and the fact that knowing something is not the same as being able to do it. And to do it well requires a whole lot of repetition. Most people shy away from putting in the reps or they convince themselves they are smarter than they really are and they don’t need to do the reps like everyone else.
This is why I admire fellow optical entrepreneurs so much. True entrepreneurs. The ones who get it, are aware of how hard it is and how much they still need to learn and improve. You know the deal and here you are. There are those people who run a mile from 457 easy steps to anything. And there are those who say ‘Ok, I better get started then.” The fact is most people in the world will never know how hard it is to do what you are trying to do.
The second big book is called Shot Ready by Stephen Curry, the best 3-point shooter of all time. Curry says that over 400 professional players start the NBA season chasing the same goal of the championship trophy every year. They all play the same number of games. But what separates the pros is the great ones will try to outwork the others. They will do more.
It’s the same with being an independent practice owner. The great ones will work more on the business and on themselves every year than the other ones. The majority of optometrists and opticians who are running businesses work about the same hours. The difference is 80% of them spend all their hours being optometrists and opticians and being managers. 20%, the great ones, are dedicating at least half a day every week to working on themselves and their business skills and working on the business.
Curry says ‘joy is a superpower.’ If his work ethic and practice routines and game schedule is gruelling, then being able to find joy in doing all of it on a daily basis makes it easier to do and in fact becomes the real reward of doing the work. I agree.
I just told you how hard business is and how running a business will eat you up and spit you out unless you are ready for it. But doing it can and should be very enjoyable. You get to enjoy all aspects of it from the practice you create, the team you assemble and get to work with, the clients you attract and what you are able to do for them.
You get to enjoy what you learn, you get to enjoy the struggles and the challenges, the friendships and people who support you, and all the interesting experiences you get to have. When running your practice, don’t just ask yourself “How can I do this?” Ask, “How can I do this and enjoy the process?” and your brain will serve you up better answers.
To enjoying the struggle!
Conor