You know, with the economy and unemployment rate as it is…I say, this is a time to “strike while the iron is hot!” In order to excel in business you want to pay attention to detail, keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities, and get help. Think for a minute about all of the “Greats” out there….Tiger Woods,  Zig Ziglar, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Tony Robbins, Roger Federer…what do they all have in common? Perseverance, they don’t rest on the laurels of success, they KNOW that practice makes perfect, etc. How often do WE take take that approach in our business?

I have a YouTube clip of a very famous guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, here. Check it out – [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF8nhSj0WzM&feature=related[/youtube]

“Since its original release in Europe in February 2006, ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela‘ has been one of the great word-of-mouth success stories in recent music history. With over 500,000 albums sold worldwide (300,000 in the U.S.), it has helped to establish Rod & Gab as one of the most exciting live bands on the planet.” http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=520741

I bring “Rod & Gab” up because they were not born into this success. They worked hard, practiced, walked through the doors of opportunity and keep waking up and doing it all over again. When approaching your business, what are you doing every day that is productive, honing your skills, or getting your product or service more into the public’s eye?

Here are a few things to consider this Friday:

• Are you hitting the snooze button every time your alarm goes off, or do you wake up on time?
• Is goal-setting a part of your business planning, or do you want to make “as much as you can”?
• Do you keep up with the latest news in your industry, or do you only hear about it when it’s too late?
• Are there to-do’s on your list that have been there for more than 3 weeks, or are you good at getting tasks done in a timely manner?
• Do you recognize your employees and take care of them so they want to stay, or do you throw tasks at them expecting them to just do it?
• Have you bitten off more than you can chew in business, or are you growing at a steady and upward-moving rate?
• Do you have a desire to grow and excel at what you do, or do you think you mostly know what it takes to be successful?
• When you think about your business are you energized and ready for more, or are you bored and exhausted?
• Have you paid attention to what your weaknesses are and tried to improve them or get help, or do you feel they aren’t a big deal?
• Do you listen to what your client wants, or do you only do what you think is right?

Maybe a lot to think about on a Friday, but why even waste one day. In that one day, your competitor could have been more productive than you, and gained 3 new clients – clients that could have been yours. I keep saying “Do more than fine in 2009″…for a reason.

I would love to know what you do every day, or what you’ve done recently to better your business or yourself. What gets you excited to wake up in the morning. Why do you choose to excel in your industry? Drop me a comment so we can see what’s out there. Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire someone to take Action in their business!