Could be worse. You could be a baby elephant.

If you think learning something brand new to build your business is tough, just remember: It’s nothing compared to what a baby elephant goes through trying to figure out how to use that two-foot-long thing hanging off her face.

You can tell by watching this video: The baby has no real idea what she’s doing with her trunk. It seems to have a life of its own, and it’s definitely not going where she tells it to.

In some ways, entrepreneurs are simply two-legged baby elephants. We have wonderful, versatile tools and processes available to us. We know they’ll make our lives better, easier, more productive, more successful…and we flail around trying to figure out how to use them.

Face it: Nobody – especially talented achievers – likes to go back to feeling like a klutzy novice. But if you’re unwilling to accept a learning curve, you’ll never create more than you have now.

It’s almost inevitable that, at some point, you’ll find yourself feeling whiny about having to learn something new in order to take your business to the next level. (And, yes, I do know what I’m talking about.)

When faced with the new challenge, just channel this baby elephant. She doesn’t worry about looking inept, or not getting the results she wants immediately, or maybe not being smart enough ever to figure out how to use her trunk well. She simply takes action, even if it’s just flailing around initially.

Don’t doubt. Don’t dither. Just do.

She doesn’t question why it’s taking so long to operate the damn thing, nor does she ever give up. And because she instinctively keeps practicing until she knows how to use her trunk, she’ll end up as a magnificent, majestic creature topping 11 feet in height and weighing nearly four tons. She’ll be able to use her six-foot trunk to slurp up three gallons of water, push over a tree, pick up a leaf, comfort a frightened calf, or protect the herd. None of which would have been possible if she’d given up when she was just learning.

Take a lesson from the elephant. Whatever your “trunk” is, perseverance and intentional action will create the results you want.

(BTW, thanks to CatersNews.com for posting this video on YouTube.)

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