By Ahmed al-Akber/Dubai

How often do you hear someone say that they’ll do something important “in the future”? Something that could end up winning them more business and growing their revenue? If winning more business is a priority for you, just like having a better life might be, then the time to start that important activity is now. Not tomorrow, nor in the future, but now.
What’s the problem with saying “in the future” anyway? Why is that so bad? It’s more about what it forgoes. It forgoes the opportunity to take immediate action, which is often less complicated than you think. It’s easy to do the things that supposedly require our urgent attention, like answering e-mails or phone calls. But what about the things that will build your business and grow it in line with your vision? It takes a strong will to say and mean “Now!”
Nobody ever did anything noteworthy by focusing only on what’s urgent. Outstanding books, speeches and movies don’t get created in a day. Famous monuments and buildings, products and technology are never whipped up quickly. They take time. Successful people also take time to learn to be successful – it’s never an overnight occurrence.
When all these things were created, their creators (even successful people “create” themselves) decided that now was the time. They weren’t disrupted by what was immediately on their agenda, they were thinking in the moment and acting on it.
Similarly, growing your business won’t just happen, especially on its own. It needs intentionality. It needs perseverance and it needs not to wait for someone else to raise her hand and say yes. It needs for you to say yes – to commit to doing whatever it takes to growing your business now.
Important things that cannot be pushed to the future include planning and projects that require the use of your creativity. The ones that take you out of your comfort zone and make you somewhat vulnerable, if only for a short while. You may fail the first time you do it, but you’ll be in a much better position to achieve it the next time around. Simply because you’ve learned that doing it isn’t that complicated.
What things have you been putting off that would significantly improve your business? What’s stopping you from achieving them? When is a good time to get started? NOW!

*Ahmed al-Akber is the managing director of ACK Solutions, a firm that helps companies to improve their marketing and sales results by offering more effective ways attracting customers and significantly better products and services. Ahmed has worked internationally in marketing, sales, and strategic planning at companies such as the Coca-Cola Company, Philip Morris International and Dell. Questions or comments can be sent to Ahmed on ahmed@acksolutions.com