Well I have been a little delayed in posting and I apologize. Being the CEO of you is not always easy, and can take up more time than expected, but it is still worth the ride. And what a ride it has been! Managing my destiny and my days the way I want them to be…who can ask for more?

So let me back up a bit to explain the title of this blog-Do The Hard Stuff. Every day I try and walk four to five miles. Part of the reason I walk is to clear my mind. I simply love it. The additional health benefits are not bad either. So the last two months I have kicked up the walk from 4 to 5 miles and I have added two hills. I start uphill and I end uphill! It is great for my quads, calves and cardiovascular health. I have Asthma so it is a challenge.

As I walk I am able to think about how I can be better at my business and how I can help my customers. Great ideas emerge from those walks.

Well, those two hills gave me  my title today and ideas on how to be better in business.  DO THE HARD STUFF. Walk up the hill and make it to the top. Is it easier to take the shorter and flatter route? Sure…but will the short cut benefit me in the long run? Nope! So what is the hard stuff?

For me and my business it is:

* Having the difficult conversations with consultants and customers about money or quality of work.

*Deciding when to walk away…when the project is no longer fun.

* Attending every social event possible even though I may not want to go because opportunity is everywhere.

* Saying no to a project, when the money is good, but it may not be a good fit.

*Reaching out to past prospects and circling back. Or making cold calls.

For my customers:

*Spending money on hiring qualified staff.  You would think that would be easy but it’s probably one of our biggest challenges.

*Getting my docs to invest in uniforms, cardigans, blazers for the staff.

* Determining who should stay on their team…trying to decide on keeping or hiring the people who have the skills and motivation to take it to the next level and taking action and letting go of the people who are simply not part of the “A” team. Can you imagine how many practices have that one person who is ‘not nice ‘ to the patients but ‘is always on time for work?” Seriously….

*making time for proper education for their staff. It always seems to be trial by fire.

* Spending money on updating their practice- often  my clients believe reputation is everything….sadly it is not…what matters is how people feel about you when they walk in the door.

So this week I challenge everyone to do something hard…one thing you have been post poning or procrastinsting to do in your personal or business life.  Add a work out, start that diet, write a new job description, do your cold calls, have the ‘performance and quality of work talk,’ or simply  step out of your comfort zone for five minutes and do something out of character. And watch the opportunities unfold once it is done!