Perspectives That Serve # 27 - Self Starting

The perspective of the self-starter is, “I’m going to make something happen”. The self-starting perspective doesn’t look to others for motivation. They look within. This is fundamental to entrepreneurial endeavors and any kind of outside selling where you don’t have to report into a manager regularly.

This perspective was formed in me from day one. My dad and both grandfathers were self employed most of their adult lives. When my dad was 19 he owned a gas station. At 23, he build his first house and was off in the building game for 30 years. Then he purchased a temporary personnel franchise. My mom’s father bought 4 ranches and farmed them until the day he died. My dad’s father was a produce broker and then sold real estate toward the end of his life. I grew up in this wonderful atmosphere where everybody loved what they did and went to work in an environment of their choosing. My uncle’s owned their own businesses as well.
I started my first business when I was 18. When I went to work in sales, my managers were always hundreds of miles, sometimes thousands of miles away. No one ever had to tell me to get up. No one ever asked me to write this material. No one said, “get up early and write”. No one asked me to be writing this at 7:16 am on Saturday morning*. It comes from within.
If this doesn’t come natural, you need to start cultivating a shift in perspective immediately. Everyone can be a self-starter and work from that mental model daily. You can see yourself as self-employed no matter who signs your paycheck.

The self starting perspective must drive your Servant Selling Orientation as well. This must come from within. The Servant Heart that is required doesn't come from some manager following you around and holding you accountable. It must over flow from who you are at some deep level.

*I wrote this post on a Saturday even though it is being posted on a Friday. Most are written in advance and tweaked at the last minute.