Every business likes to boast of their awards and achievements. They should, it’s a good credibility-booster. It can also be a great PR vehicle.

But awards can grow stale and when they do it’s time to put them away forever.

I recently upgraded my life insurance policy and was instructed to visit a Port-O-Medic facility for my physical check-up. (Interesting that their name suggests a mobile service yet I had to go to them.)

After I checked in I sat in the lobby browsing through a 2001 edition of Family Circle waiting to be called in by the nurse. I looked up and noticed a prominently displayed arrangement of award plaques on the wall. As I am always interested in businesses that succeed, I got up and walked over to take a look. They all had a reference to, “Outstanding Branch of the Year”. I was mildly impressed.

But then I noticed the date of the awards: 1992. That’s was 15 years ago!

Immediately, I wondered what’s taken them so long to repeat that accomplishment. I had to wonder what the heck was going on in that branch. It got me a little nervous about what I would find behind the door. That stale award had an instantly negative impact on my view of their business.

So, go ahead and brag about your business accomplishments. But take a look at the dates. If your only accomplishments worth bragging about date back more than a couple years or so I suggest you to two things: First, stop bragging about them and put the plaques and certificates in storage, because now it’s old news. Second, go do something worth bragging about again. It’s about time.

Growing a business is tough business! There are so many distractions and tempting off-ramps. The real trick is simply maintaining focus.

As entrepreneurs we all fall into these business traps from time to time. We forget what it is that got us into the business of entrepreneurship in the first place and that creates what is known as “The Entrepreneurs Dilemma”.

Can you easily recognize when you’re caught in this subtle trap? This is something you need to be able to identify easily.

Here’s some useful insight on this topic:

Check out these great posts for more information on this topic:

Quit Coffee to Reduce Procrastination

5 Reasons You Procrastinate and How to Overcome Them

7 Habits of Highly Successful Small Business Owners

Tips to Staying Motivated While Working From Home