Why maintenance mode is killing your results

Let’s discuss how to get out of maintenance mode.

Welcome to the SPS Newsletter.

“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favourable.”

― Seneca

A deadly trap to be in is... Maintenance mode.

You're the Captain of your ship and the mechanic.

Your role as El Capitan is to chart your ship to new destinations and ensure your engine gets you there.

But often, once your ship hits the open sea, you become a full-time mechanic and hide in the engine room.

The heat of the engines makes you feel like you’re working hard. Constantly fixing the pressure of one pipe to help another work. You spend long hours each day toiling away.

You’re in maintenance mode.

After days at sea, you think you must be near your destination. You pop up to the bridge to find out you’re not moving in any specific direction.

Frustrating.

You think of all those long hours.

You think of all the “fires” you put out.

You ask yourself: “Why is this happening? The engine is ticking over, the pressure in the pipes is good, and I’m working hard.”

Well…

You forgot to be the Captain of your ship and give your crew (you) new directions.

You didn’t navigate your way to a port.

You got stuck churning away deep in your engine room.

Low-value busy work and dumb sh*t have overrun your calendar.

I have done this working in corporate.

I have done this working in my business.

It’s easy to do...

Especially if your ship has already visited some rewarding ports.

You think to yourself, if I maintain the status quo, I will continue to hit bigger and better ports and results.

But you and I know that’s not how success or navigating a ship works.

You need to select a destination.

You need to go after bigger cargo hauls.

You need to chart out your milestones and goals.

But how do you break out of maintenance mode?

How do you stop sailing in circles and make meaningful progress?

Well, I’ve got some good news for you:

As this newsletter’s Captain and lead mechanic, I can tell you getting out of maintenance mode is possible.

The 4 easy steps to move from maintenance mode to progress mode:

1) Stop doing dumb sh*t:

I know, I know. I say this all the time. But hear me out. You’re doing dumb sh*t, haha

If you’re stuck in maintenance mode, it’s because you’re doing a lot of things that aren’t moving your business forward.

You’re wasting time and energy on things that don’t matter, and it’s holding you back.

Simple to say but not easy to rectify.

Take a hard look at your business and figure out what’s important.

What tasks and projects are high-vale and high-$$$?

What is moving you toward your goals?

Then cut out the busy work and focus on the important stuff.

You can’t sail your ship to success without doing this.

2) Define what success looks like for you:

Insert platitude: If you don’t know what success looks like, how will you know when you’ve achieved it?

It’s common sense.

But do you know what you want your success to look like?

I am 100% sure if you’re in maintenance mode, you don’t. That’s why it’s crucial to define what success means to you.

And here’s the thing...

Success doesn’t look the same for everyone.

Success is making a certain amount of money for some business owners I work with.

For others, it means a certain amount of free time to spend with their family.

Take time to think about what success looks like for you.

Be specific and concrete. Write it down. And then, once you’ve defined it, you can start sailing your ship toward it.

3) Use emotional triggers to motivate yourself:

Let’s face it running a business is hard.

There will be days when you don’t feel like doing anything.

That’s where emotional triggers come in.

An emotional trigger is something that motivates you on a deep level. It makes you want to get up and take action. Even when you don’t feel like it.

Similar to your big WHY in life.

For example, if you want to spend more time with your family.

Your emotional trigger might be the thought of missing your daughter’s soccer game because you were stuck at work doing low-value dumb sh*t.

That thought should motivate you to prioritize your high-value tasks and drop the busy work.

You work to live, not live to work.

4) Jolt the system with unconventional actions:

Sometimes, the best way to get out of maintenance mode is to do something unconventional.

Something counterintuitive to the norm.

This might mean taking a week off from work to recharge your batteries. Or it might mean saying no to a big client not aligned with your values.

The point is...

You should be willing to take unconventional actions to break free from maintenance mode.

Don’t be afraid to try something new and different. Because doing the same sh*t over and over again got you here. And here is no fun.

Pick a random and new destination and sail your ship toward it.

Conclusion:

Maintenance mode sucks.

It's all hard work and few results.

But getting out of maintenance mode is possible.

It requires you to start telling yourself the truth. Stop doing dumb shit. And take unconventional actions.

It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Raise your anchor.

Chart a new course.

And sail your ship away from maintenance mode.

You got this Captain.