Do you remember your first real job?
I clearly remember mine. Even though I had done newspaper routes and a bunch of other little things to earn some money, my first “real” job was as a busboy at North Hills Country Club on Long Island when I was fifteen.
My first night at work was a Saturday, and there was a wedding there that night. I was nervous as I met my co-workers in the breakroom while we were preparing. I would be working in the kitchen most of the night, collecting dirty plates, glasses and silverware to load into the dishwashers. The pace was frantic, and it was a few hours before I even went into the ballroom. When I did, I was shocked to see a familiar face.
Ralph Macchio-The Karate Kid- was shaking hands with a few of the guests. I stared for a moment before I was called back to work. I learned moments later that it was his wedding that we were working at. Heck of a way to start my work life.
Macchio was already a big star, having been featured in the Outsiders, The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part II, which released the previous year. That first year of work was scary, nerve-racking and educational. I learned more than I knew, made more mistakes than I could count and barely earned any money.
It’s funny how similar my first year working also related to the first year of a new business for most solopreneurs. What’s interesting is how many of those solopreneurs beat themselves up for not knowing everything right away. I had a person recently confess to me that they felt embarrassed that they weren’t further along. Why did they feel embarrassed?
“I feel like I should already know this,” he said.
That’s a tremendous amount of pressure to put on yourself when you are just starting out. Can you imagine feeling the need to know everything right at the start of any venture? That statement reminded me of my first night at work, my first job and, yes, The Karate Kid.
Daniel LaRusso, the character Macchio played in the movie, didn’t know anything about karate when he got into a fight on the beach with Johnny Lawrence, an experienced karate student who bloodied and knocked around the inexperienced LaRusso. With the guidance of Mr. Miyagi- an unexpected mentor- LaRusso set out to learn karate and compete in an upcoming tournament.
LaRusso, like many new solopreneurs, wanted results right away. He didn’t have the patience to understand that you need patience- and persistence- to learn the right way to do this. When we are desperate, we crave shortcuts.
It’s the same when we want to learn how to punch out the dude who embarrassed us in front of the girl we are chasing. Mr. Miyagi had LaRusso come to his house every day. He had him spend a day sanding the deck. He had him work another full day painting the fence. Another day was spent waxing his car. And after four days of working with no results, Daniel went to quit.
It was then that Mr. Myiagi taught LaRusso the lesson of a lifetime. With a firm voice and a serious demeanor, Miyagi displayed to LaRusso how all of that hard work had been preparing him for his upcoming tournament. What LaRusso thought was wasted time was the exact practice he needed to be prepared.
For those who have seen the movie, we know that LaRusso uses the famous Crane Kick to defeat Lawrence and win the tournament in the end.
For the new person starting out in business, your victory isn’t happening immediately. And you shouldn’t expect it to. Your victory- whatever it is- comes after you put in consistent reps. It comes after you do the work that you aren’t rewarded for. It comes after you learn from the lessons you didn’t know were lessons at the time.
The amazing thing is- the time (and work) that you think is wasted becomes your most valuable lesson to grow up with and eventually teach others. That’s why the “Wax On, Wax Off” scene is still remembered today. Those lessons, and that scene, are what made the victory at the end so special. Would it have been a movie anyone remembered if LaRusso just walked in and won the tournament with ease right from the start?
Mr. Mayigi taught those memorable lessons, but there were a few more that he stressed that were easily overlooked. Three lessons that should be a part of your training.
1- Concentrate.
When he told Daniel to concentrate, you could see for the first time how serious he was in his teachings. Focus is one of the most underrated skills in building a successful business.
2- Look (in the) eye.
“Always,” Miyagi said, “look in the eye.” The respect that you give others in business will directly reflect on the respect that you get back. Soft skills will often make or break your sales, network and relationships. Sadly, some never take the time to learn this.
3-Come back tomorrow.
After that lesson convinced LaRusso of what he had just learned, Miyagi simply said, “Come back tomorrow.” La Russo needed no more convincing to continue. And so should you. No matter how difficult of a situation you are in, the lesson remains. The ones who keep learning, continue growing and adding more skills and the ones that eventually win.
Most people, unfortunately, lose focus and stop concentrating. They get distracted by the next shiny object. It’s the ones that ‘come back tomorrow,’ with concentration, that eventually win.
Come back tomorrow to do the work that brings your future success.
Have an AMAZING week!
Vincent
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