It’s been over a month now since legendary Steve Jobs passed away, and his positive impact on our lives will likely reverberate indefinitely. And we’ve probably all seen variations of the same inspirational message that’s leapfrogged across social networks around the Internet:
Steve Jobs
Born out of wedlock,
Put up for adoption at birth,
Dropped out of college,
Then changed the world.
What’s your excuse?
There’s no question that Steve Jobs has inspired millions, perhaps billions, with his extraordinary approach to business and innovation. His life is an example to countless entrepreneurs looking to find success in their business ventures. What lessons can we learn from his approach to life and professional development? The following quotes are all attributed to Steve Jobs.
“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” There’s a great lesson here in recognizing your mistakes before moving forward. Many of us expend a lot of energy trying to justify, deny or transfer blame. However, quickly acknowledging our mistakes enables us to learn what is necessary before catapulting onward and upward.
“Be different. Think different. Better to be a pirate than to join the navy.” Steve Jobs demonstrated that standing out from the crowd gives one an incredible competitive advantage. Not being afraid to do so can take great courage, but phenomenal success is the potential reward.
“That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean and make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” Some mistakenly believe that great success comes in complex packages. Not true. In fact, the simpler the better.
“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” This is good advice for any business owner, and if you apply this to your practice, you’ll find that your reputation will quickly become one of excellence.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” Sometimes we can all use a gentle reminder in the importance of following our dreams—in determining what it is that truly inspires us and setting our lives to it like a compass.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. And the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
Most of what Steve Jobs said and did needs no interpretation or explanation. The way he chose to map out his life and career is an example of tirelessly taking risks, learning from mistakes and doing what you love to do. May we all be so lucky to do the same.
How has Steve Jobs inspired you? We welcome your comments!
A Manual on Becoming a Financial Consultant
One way you can build your accounting practice is to add loan preparation services to your menu. Our manual, Financing a Small Business, is packed with clear-cut instructions and terrific resource materials that will simplify the creation of a loan application package. Using the sample loan package included as a model, you can easily help clients apply for a valuable business loan. Within hours you can begin offering your services as a financial consultant. Call Universal at 1-877-833-7909.
