Fences Were Made To ... Climb Over?

My gym session was leaving me sweaty, bored and out of breath.  The gym I was in has floor to ceiling windows on three sides.  And one of those sides overlooks a road and a patch of weeds.  Then the ground drops away down a little cliff before leveling out onto the green artificial turf of a playing field.

A tall, sturdy fence with a wobbly top, stands between the weed patch and cliff, obviously designed to keep silly humans from falling off and breaking their necks.

I’d started my exercise session by watching a hiking video whilst torturing my muscles on the ellipse machine.  You know, the one that mimics the movements you use when you're skiing cross-country or walking with trekking/hiking poles?

But the dusty trails I was watching on the video weren’t anywhere near as interesting as the situation I could see unfolding on the other side of the light-filled window.

As I got into a rhythm, striding away, I looked out the window and spotted two young teenaged lads who had just then turned up in the weed patch.  And I watched in fascinated astonishment while they, looking surreptitiously around, tried to climb that tall sturdy fence topped with spiky bits that were clearly designed to keep people out.

I should note that the large playing field I mentioned at the bottom of the little cliff was full of running, shouting boys playing soccer.

Those two boys furtively trying to get into the fenced off area looked like they should have been down there kicking a ball around too.

Instead, they tried again and again and again to scale this wobbly chain link fence tipped with spiky bits on top.  I mean really spikey bits.  The kind you say ouch about if you touch your finger to them to test them out.

No luck.  They couldn’t figure out how to get over the fence without either tearing their clothes or injuring themselves.

So after awhile, they wandered away, looking for another way in.

And it’s a bit like that in business. 

That fence had the same impact on the boys as some of the barriers we hit in our businesses. 

Those barriers might be fear of failure, financial constraints (there’s always financial constraints), or it might be knowing we lack key skills.  Whatever they are, they’re frustrating and they slow us down.  

But just like those boys, we shouldn’t give up.  Because not too many minutes later, they came back, obviously not having found another way in.  And they tried again to get over that fence.

The shorter boy of the two had the first crack.  This time he took one shoe off and dug his toes into the chain mesh and then pulled himself up with his skinny arms as high as he could.

After hanging in mid-air for what seemed like an eternity, he finally managed to get one leg over, only to get painfully stuck.  Very.  I had to wince on his behalf.  Those aforementioned spikey bits were threatening his future chances of having kids.

Eventually he did successfully struggle his way over.  His friend threw him his shoe and he danced around trying to keep his balance and avoid the prickles covering the ground.  Then he disappeared over the lip of the little cliff that was between the playing field and the fence.  

And he was back two minutes later with a couple of soccer balls which he chucked over the fence to his friend and disappeared again.  His slightly taller friend kicked them down the hill and back onto the field.

Ahh.  So maybe they were there to do some good? 

Instead of breaking the unwritten “don’t climb the fence” rule?

Then the taller boy headed back over to the fence and tried yet again to climb it so he could join his friend.

It took him twice as long and MY arm muscles ached just watching him struggle.

But … and here’s the thing … he’d learned something from watching his friend get poked painfully in the unmentionables.  So instead of immediately trying to swing his leg over the top he wriggled up and onto his stomach, flattening those spiky bits with his belly before swinging a leg over and jumping down.

There was a quick fist pump of triumph, then both boys were off again to collect more lost soccer balls.

And it made me think of what it’s like to start a business.  

There are barriers in the way.  Barriers that have the nasty habit of poking us in places that hurt (like our wallets or free time).  But there are four great lessons we can learn from those two incredibly determined soccer ball hunting boys.

Lesson 1: Clear Goals are Everything

After having worked with well over a hundred people to help them start an online business, I know how critical it is to have a really really clear purpose.  A really strong reason for doing what you’re doing.  If you don’t have a clear purpose or vision or goals, it will be harder for you to dig deep and keep going when things get tough.  Those boys clearly wanted to collect those lost soccer balls and that gave them the will to keep trying, even when it seemed like climbing that fence was impossible.   

Lesson 2: The Power of Perseverance

I know from my own experience and from talking to a lot of entrepreneurs that persevering to the point of stubbornness is absolutely vital in order to succeed at whatever you’re trying to do.

I have a saying that I think really sums up the meaning of perseverance.

Success is falling down 7 times and getting up 8.  Failure is falling down 7 times and staying down.

Those boys didn’t give up after the first failed attempts. They explored other options, faced temporary defeats, and kept trying—something entrepreneurs often need to do as they experiment and find what works.

And if you know you need to develop the habit of persevering, it can really help to set small, achievable milestones and celebrate those small wins to stay motivated.

Lesson 3: Learning from Others and Adapting

One of the main things that has helped me survive in the world of online business for so long has been learning from other people.  People have “climbed the fence”, so to speak.  They’ve “been there, done that, got the t-shirt” and now are happy to explain how they did what they did.

You have to adapt of course.  No two people are going to have the same experiences, skills or personalities.  But as the saying goes, “success leaves clues”.  Find those, try them out, adapt and you’re much more likely to succeed as well.

With my fence climbing lads, that second boy adapted his approach after seeing his friend get stuck and figured out a less painful way to reach his goal.

Lesson 4:  Take Advantage of Tools and Resources That Can Help You Move Forward

There are so many tools out there that can help us “climb the fence” and overcome barriers.  Tools that will speed up the process of figuring out what to do and how to do it … and hopefully avoid poking ourselves in painful places.

Coaching is great because they often have the ability to see your situation differently to you.  And a good coach will help you see that difference and discover the barriers stopping you from succeeding.

Courses, books and podcasts are also good because you can do them in your own time, picking and choosing the topics or skills that you need right now.

And communities can be so helpful.  Communities are one of the reasons my business has lasted as long as it has.  A good community will support you through tough times, give you advice and call BS when you’re going off track.

And a course, coach and community package brings all the benefits together, giving you a helping hand and pulling you over your fence.

So if you’re just at the point where you’re thinking about adding something extra to your writing business, but you need help coming up with an idea check out my $9 “Find An Idea” mini-course. This little course has helped hundreds of people come up with their own idea for a business, side-hustle or new revenue sstream. And it will walk you through the process of finding something you can do, based on your skills and experience, but with a twist.

Or you can get some coaching.  I do offer coaching packages, specifically for people wanting to add another revenue stream to their business.  And if that’s not what you’d like coaching on, there are a lot of great coaches out there who have “been there, done that” and can show you the less painful way.  Go out and find them.

If you’re looking for a community, there are a lot of great communities out there for writers.  Or if you’re looking to build an online business, I recommend Pat Flynn’s SPI community (affiliate link), which I’m part of and find really helpful.

Start Climbing

So for whatever barrier you’re facing right now, don’t let “the fence” keep you from chasing your dreams.  Be clear about your goals and break them down into doable, small steps.  And just like those fence-climbing young lads, be stubborn.  Don’t give up.  

And if at first you don’t succeed, go find someone who has and watch what they do.  Or get them to teach you.  And join a community of like-minded people.  It really helps if you learn from people who have gone before you and figured a few things out.

Read books, take courses.  Build the skills you need.  And don’t take no for an answer.

Those boys wanted those soccer balls and they weren’t going to let spiky bits on top of a wobbly fence stop them from getting them.  And just like those boys, don’t let anything stop you from working your way over the barriers to the success you dream of.