Number is not a Dirty Word
Listening to your business. No, it doesn’t speak English
Your business talks to you. It’s true. It doesn’t speak English (or Spanish, or any other language with words); it speaks Number.
Number is a different language. That’s why it can be challenging to learn, just as learning any new language would be. And it’s harder for some people than others.
But we don’t usually stigmatize people for taking longer to learn a foreign language the way we seem to stigmatize those who don’t catch on to Number as fast. Even though Number has a different “alphabet,” like Russian and Chinese. If you were studying either of these languages, you’d give yourself a break if you weren’t fluent after week #1.
If you happen to be right-brained, or you just got off on the wrong foot in elementary school math class, you may have contracted full-blown Number phobia.
If you work for someone else, you can charm someone into balancing your checkbook and handling any other Number transactions for you. But if you own your own business, Number phobia can cause great pain, leading sometimes to the actual death of your business.
What to do if you have Number Phobia
If this is you, here’s your assignment for this week:
1. Remember that learning how to understand Number is the same as learning a new language.
2. Take the rest of the week off from condemning yourself.
3. Return here later in the week for a simple, small step you can take to begin understanding what your business is telling you in Number.
If you have a difficult time looking at, or understanding your business numbers, I invite you to comment. What have you done so far to overcome this issue?
Tags: Business Numbers, Number, Numbers
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