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Woody Allen once said that 90 percent of success is showing up. The expression is humorous, as it conveys the dire seriousness of actually being present to do something. If I were to be more serious, however, I’d frame the expression from the opposite angle; that is, 90 percent of failure is not showing up. I’ve seen this principle from up close.

 

For example, my wife and I are trying to landscape the front yard. So for the past month, we’ve been in the front yard every weekend, digging out roots, raking up debris, rearranging plants, and, in general, trying to re-shape the front yard and avoid injuring ourselves in the process. Progress is slow because our time and experience is limited. To be sure, the work requires a bit too much of our time and energy, and though it can be satisfying, I’d rather spend my time working on other things.

In a way, it’s fortunate that we live on a busy street where people drive by continuously, and very often, landscapers notice our efforts and stop to talk with us. We’re always glad to see them, as it gives us hope that we may not have to sacrifice all our time on the lawn. With high hopes, we engage with these would-be landscapers and ask each the same thing - give us an estimate of your costs. The instructions are simple enough, and it seems a logical place to start negotiations. So all they have to do is work up some numbers and come back with an estimate. But they never seem to show up again. It’s like the prospect of actually putting together an estimate scares them away. Over the past months, we’ve set up numerous appointments to discuss the estimates with these would-be landscapers, and then we stay home during the appointed time and wait. And wait. And wait. No estimate. Nothing. Eventually, we find ourselves wandering into the front yard and picking up the lawn tools and going back to work. Even in the current bad economy, it’s still difficult to find someone willing to do what Woody Allen said: Show up.

People who work at companies know this to be true: If you don’t show up for work, your paycheck won’t show up on Fridays. So why is it that when some people go into business for themselves they stop showing up? I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing that they don’t have the discipline to boss themselves. I therefore get more than a bit cynical when I see ads online and in print that say something like, “Start your own business. Be your own boss. Work your own hours.” I speak from experience when I say that it is 100 times more difficult to be your own boss than it is to be bossed by someone else. And if you do happen to be your own boss, you cannot choose your own hours. It’s a joke among entrepreneurs that “choosing your own hours” means you get to decide which 24 hours a day you want to work.

So why the rant? Two reasons: 1) I’m tired of people not showing up and expecting success, and 2) I admire people who DO show up and who ARE their own boss. Yes, I’ve had some contractors actually show up and do a great job. They not only get my money, but they get a truckload of my personal gratitude and an infinite supply of recommendations.

And the guys that don’t show up? I recommend they stop fooling themselves and find a boss.

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