Good to Great: How to Scale With an Outsourced CFO

Marathon training is specific, strategic, and lengthy. It helps you to reach goals you didn’t think you could and takes you from a low skill level to an elite level. What does marathon training have to do with modern business people?

Just like marathon runners, modern business people have enormous goals to achieve, and in many cases, the goals seem unreachable at first. Hard work and dedication, along with a healthy dose of perseverance, can help business people to make great strides in their careers.

If you’re ready to take your business career to the next level, it’s time to set some goals, just like you would if you were preparing to run a marathon.

 

Push Your Limits

Human bodies are not built for running marathons. In fact, the first person to run a “marathon,” the Greek soldier who ran from Marathon to Athens to alert his people that the Persians had been defeated, actually dropped dead upon delivering his message.

Why on Earth would anyone want to run a marathon after a beginning like that? It’s because great satisfaction comes from stretching your physical and mental limits past what you’re built to achieve.

This can happen in business just as it happens in athletics. You really can push yourself beyond your natural capacity, and in doing so, you can accomplish goals you never thought possible before.

 

Break It Down

Marathon training is all about breaking down a huge vision into achievable goals. Marathon runners create a program for themselves that allows them to build their stamina and increase their training while preventing injuries, and business people can do the same thing. 

When you think big as a modern business person you can set incredible goals and work toward achieving them. For example, you can take your small business and turn it into a national or international operation, but this takes a lot of planning and ambition.

Just as marathon runners break down their training into months (or even years) of smaller training runs at different intervals, you can break down a huge goal into smaller goals that are easier to conquer.

 

Visualise the Finish Line

Marathon training is no joke. It’s very difficult, and there are times when runners feel they just can’t take another step. The same is true in business. Sometimes the going gets tough, and obstacles pile up like huge roadblocks. At these times, you’ve got to keep the finish line in your sights. If you’re trying to build a successful company, envision the day you hear the trading bell at your company’s IPO. You’ve got to believe it if you want to make it happen.

 

Be Prepared

Marathoners try to prepare for problems that could arise during the race. They eat certain foods to help them along the way (bananas for cramps, carbohydrates for energy), they carry energy gels and other aids, and they wear special clothing to keep them cool and dry as they run.

You can do this in business, too. Do your research and anticipate possible problems along your path to success. Take care of yourself and get enough sleep. Surround yourself with a team of people who have the drive and skills to make your goals a reality. Get the consulting help you need so that the right advice is at your fingertips.

We’re here to help you run your business marathon. When the going gets tough, contact us at Altus Financial for a myriad of helpful resources. We’re on your side.

For insight into the current state of your business' health, try our Healthy Business App by clicking below: