When you are competing in martial arts and you start fighting not to lose, the fight is already over.
I learned this lesson early on in martial arts.
Whenever I was fighting a bigger or more experienced opponent I would try to stay on the outside and counter his strikes whenever possible.
But, when I finally turned up the gears and initiated the attack rather than waiting for it is when I started doing much, much better. Regardless of the opponent.
In hindsight, the reason why I didn’t fight well against these bigger or more experienced opponents was clear — I let go of what made me skilled in the first place.
I fought not to lose.
I stopped fighting aggressively.
I stopped trusting my own technique.
I worried more about getting clipped.
Because of this, my strategy and execution fell apart, and this breakdown only reinforced more of the same bad thinking patterns.
I never got back to my fundamentals, and some sparring matches slipped away from me even when I was the better fighter.
This happens all the time in business.
Once you finally start doing well in the online health and fitness world from a financial perspective, there’s a big temptation to protect the money you have made up to this point.
So, you call in a financial planner and he/she gets you set up investing into various retirement plans and/or the stock market. Or, in other words, other people’s businesses where you have little understanding and definitely no control.
Suddenly you’re obsessed with the stock market.
Ecstatic when it goes up, but totally devastated when it goes down.
This is a classic situation of fighting not to lose and completely forgetting about what earned you the money you have in the first place.
With that stage set, here are two things martial arts has taught me about business practice.
#1: Remember What Got You Here
Just like I forgot all of my training when I fought a more intimidating opponent, it’s important to remember what made you a success in the first place — your business.
When you start investing in all sorts of things outside your business then your mind is out of the business as well.
Whether you win or lose the day in the stock market — You lose everyday that you don’t focus on your business.
How?
Because instead of build wealth the way you already know how, your thoughts and investments are going towards things you have no control over.
Could you hire a new employee to help scale?
Could you invest in new software so that your business operates better?
Could you create new systems for your employees?
Could you do a new advertising campaign to spark new business growth/reach?
Remember what got you to where you are today and start putting money back into the one thing you do have control over.
#2: Don’t Fight Scared
Instead of pulling money out of your business to invest in things you don’t have any control over, build more wealth inside your business by injecting that cash right back into it.
You could use those funds to do answer any of the above questions I presented to you, or, you could also just use these funds as a small cash reserve so that you’re not always fighting scared.
Having this secure nest egg of cash gives you the peace of mind to take more chances on growing your business, just like you did in the beginning.
It’s the complete opposite of fighting scared and the business gods will reward you for it.
Final Thoughts
Fighting strategy draws many parallels to business strategy.
Focus on your strengths.
Know when to evade.
Know when to strike.
Master the basics.
In the end, it’s so important not to turn your back on your #1 wealth creator, your business.
Your business is what got you in the position to invest in the first place, so always set up your strategy with the idea of fighting to win as opposed to fighting not to lose.
If you liked today’s article and you’re interested in exactly how you should be setting up your business strategy to maximize your success, then check out the Create Freedom Academy courses and let’s get started today.
Kevin McClelland
Dan Garner
