Complaining Is Not a Business Plan
About 35 years ago, listening to Jim Rohn, an idea hit me like a lightning bolt. It’s never left me:
“Complaining is not a business plan.”
It wasn’t just a clever line — it was a complete shift in how I saw myself, my work, and what it truly means to take ownership.
You see, we all have a “blame list.”
- The market’s tough.
- Interest rates are too high.
- The company isn’t doing enough.
- The political party in power is ruining everything.
- My family doesn’t support me.
Sound familiar?
But once you’re done listing everything that’s wrong — what’s left?
Here’s the hard truth:
You can’t build a successful business or life by blaming the very conditions you’ve been given to work with.
Because someone, somewhere — in the same market, with the same interest rates, under the same politics, facing the same challenges —
Is crushing it.
They’re not complaining. They’re creating.
So what’s the difference?
Brian Tracy used to say:
“Well, you’re responsible — what are you going to do about it?”
Not in a condemning way — but in a way that empowers you.
It’s not what happens to you. It’s what you do about it.
Think of yourself like a farmer:
You’ve been given seed.
You’ve been given sunshine.
You’ve been given rain.
And you’ve been given the miracle of life.
The only question is:
What are you doing with what you’ve been given?
Your Challenge This Week:
- Catch yourself when you’re tempted to complain.
- Write down three things you can control and take action on.
- Ask: “What am I doing with what I’ve got?”
There’s no time to waste. This is your season — if you’re willing to work it.
Stay sharp. Stay accountable. Stay growing.
— Mark