Pursuing boredom may be unconventional advice, but it’s actually your way to get the results you want.
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August 29, 2021 5 minutes to read
The opinions of entrepreneurs’ contributors are their own.
Does the idea of being bored make you twitch a little? Believe it or not, getting bored can be one of the best pieces of advice you will ever receive.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of boredom.
Related: What happened to the engagement? Find out why employees are bored at work here.
It creates space
Have you ever noticed getting stuck on a phone call or Zoom meeting longer than intended when you have the time? Are you giving a customer a little more time? Or do you need a little longer to complete a task without an urgent deadline? Whatever space is, we tend to fill it. That is why there is such a thing as busy work. Like water flowing downstream looking for a reservoir, we entrepreneurs seem very anxious to fill every space available to us. We could benefit from a little boredom.
Many entrepreneurs sit in this paradoxical space where they want more business, even need more business, but are barely able to handle the business they have because they are already at full capacity. How do you grow then?
You have to make an effort to get bored. If it is (and is) true that something will always be added to fill an empty space, then you should strategically create the space for better opportunities. This is one of the reasons why the fastest route to exponential growth for a business is to only work with ideal customers. That is why the Pareto principle does not work in practice. Of course, we can accept that 80% of our income comes from 20% of our customers, but what really happens is you waste your time with eight out of ten customers. Imagine these non-ideal customers taking up no space. Space in the calendar, production room and definitely head and energy room. Too many companies waste an enormous amount of energy trying to satisfy customers who will never be satisfied. Just stop. Let go of them and make room for more profitable customer relationships.
When it’s busy, you put all of your energy into dealing with what lies ahead. There is no time or plan for marketing. Next thing you know, you’re having a downturn in business, and guess what? You have time for marketing. Had you devoted some time to marketing during your overwhelming employment, you might have made up for the big shift between busy times and slower times.
Boredom is usually not a goal for an entrepreneur. But imagine what you could do with your time. Invite into more business? Are you taking a break? Start a business that runs without you?
The second benefit of boredom will help you be aware of what is filling up the room again.
Related: Boredom is the best thing that can happen to you
Wear what you want
Call it what you will – manifestation, magic, or smart business strategy – but the space you created by pursuing boredom attracts what you want to fill that space.
First, ask yourself what you want. Are there more customers? More freetime? Higher Paying Customers? Adding a new source of income? Be clear and aware of what you want. Otherwise, you run the risk of simply replenishing the space like a basket with dirty laundry and ending up where you started.
Second, to add fuel to the intent, create a picture that represents the filling of the room. Let’s say you want 100 more customers before the year is over. Put 100 line marks on a whiteboard. When a new customer is added, remove one of the line marks. Why start with all the line marks and remove them? Two reasons:
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They know exactly what Full looks like and are convinced of this goal. You see your success, a container full of what you want and feel empowered by the way it is filled.
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It creates a bond. Imagine someone offering you the top ten tips for whatever. When they hit tip 3, the journey to ten seems like an eternity. As you count down from ten to one, stay busy and anticipate what the top tip will be.
Growth and expansion then become a simple two-step process: make an effort to get bored and make room for what you want. Understand how this space can be better used, create a visual representation of its full appearance, and then fill in the space again. When you’re ready for your next stage of growth and expansion, start all over again.
Related: How To Get Excited Again When Bored About Your Business
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