Yesterday, for the first time, I decided to go horseback riding with my sister. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and couldn’t help but think of how my experience provided valuable lessons for building my business.
Here are four lessons horseback riding taught me about building a business.
Lesson One: Your need to learn how to take control and lead the pack
One of the first things we were told when we were given our horse was to start the relationship by taking the reigns and showing the horse who’s in control.
This made sense to me. I had never ridden this horse before and he didn’t know me. We were strangers interacting for the first time. In order for the horse to take me seriously, he needed to know that I had set clear boundaries and that I was in charge.
In business remember to provide a clear consistent message when you’re interacting with your clients. If you’re all over the place and no where at the same time, people aren’t going to take you seriously. You have to show authenticity in your delivery and stand our from others in your market.
Lesson Two: Even if you don’t know how to ride at first, trot like a pro and the skills will come naturally
I loved how you could tell who the experienced riders were from their confidence. They rode with grace, there backs were straight and heads held high. You couldn’t help but take note. Even though, at first, I was a little apprehensive. I took the advice they provided and eventually gained my footing.
There will be times when you may feel like an inexperienced amateur in your business.
You may not feel like you can “live up to the hype”.
However continue anyway. Surround yourself with experienced people who are prepared to show you the way. You’ll start feeling like a natural in no time.
Lesson 3: The path will not always be a smooth one. It might be filled with twists, turns and many stops that can sometimes be unavoidable. Keep the faith, experience the journey and enjoy the ride
This taught me that the path to success is never straight. It’s filled with mistakes.
Building a business takes time, investments and are chalked full of great learning experiences.
Take them all in and enjoy the process.
Lesson Four: Fear often has a way of making itself known in our moments of weakness and uncertainty. Learn to tame that voice inside you, stay on the trail and don’t give up
In the middle of the trail, my sister had reached her breaking point.
She was not able to control her horse. Fear crept in and it almost caused her to miss out on the rest of the route. But through the encouragement of the group, she stayed on and finished the trail.
In building your business, you’re bound to feel afraid at some points. Doing something that you’ve never done before feels risky and out of your comfort zone.
See it through and don’t give up too soon. Put in the time and the universe will act accordingly.
What lessons have you learned from trying to build your business? Comment Below.