Stop Waiting for Your Ship to Come In
THE WAITING GAME!
The well-known Nike commercials have hammered into our heads the phrase “Just do it!” Regardless of how you view their advertising, there is magic in the words “just do it.” The real key to the message is “doing it,” a.k.a. taking action. Anything you have ever desired is available to you if you will it.
Now, consider those who are constantly washed over by the “tide.” Note that the lyrics in Jim Croce’s song say, “I’m WAITING for my ship to come in . . .” and then, “but all that comes in is the tide.” That sounds like a victim’s lament, as in, “Oh poor me, here I am ready and excited, waiting for my ship to come in, and I get dumped on by the sorry tide. Bummer. How unfair.” Duhh! Helloooo!
It’s easy to see that “action” is the opposite of “waiting.” Yet, it’s so easy to do nothing – waiting passively. Action requires energy, enthusiasm, movement, and objectives, while waiting requires not even a thought.
Whether your desire (your “ship”) is a relationship, wealth, a healthy body, or a new car, you must be the captain, not the port – the “master of your fate,” not a tide-washed, sand-covered beach ball. Life is great! On your next trip to the beach, buy a boat, a map, and a compass, and then choose your own port of call. You’ll dine at the Captain’s Table every day!
Have a great week!
Look Back to the Future to Build Your Roadmap
Filed under: Small Business Owners - Running the Show
LOOK BACK TO THE FUTURE!
Life has been described as a path, a direction in which we travel over time – rather than a single event. Each of us gets to choose the direction our path will take us. By making those choices, we also clear the way to achieving the objectives we’ve set for ourselves.
When we fail to choose the path we will travel, that is also a choice. In that case, the path we travel becomes less distinct with more twists and turns than we would have liked. Each side path we encounter tempts us to change direction. Lacking any roadmap of objectives we might have chosen, we often end up somewhere – else.
Regardless of the quality of our choices, we can get a clear understanding of where we are likely to end up – just by turning around. By simply looking back at the path we have been following, much can be learned. For example, is the path behind us straight, or filled with curves and detours taken? Is it paved with solid, masterfully laid stepping-stones, or filled with muddy ruts that zig-zag around every obstacle?
Chances are that, as teenagers, most of our paths seemed to have had many twists and turns. As we matured and learned from our mistakes, however, it is also likely that we began improving the direction and quality of the path we traveled. The more attention we paid to the path, the more enjoyable the journey became.
Want life to be a most pleasant journey? Build your own roadmap – then start paving!
Make this a great week!
The Power of Time Off
Filed under: Small Business Owners - Running the Show
The winter holidays provide us time off from work to celebrate our faith and enjoy our families. We relax. Okay, maybe we don’t fully relax. We relax in our freedom from work deadlines. Holiday stress — generally self-imposed — is anything but relaxing, and a subject for another time.
As we move through the remaining days of the year, media is replete with new year predictions and end of year reflections. The top 10 this and the top 10 that. I can’t even predict what I’m going to wear tomorrow, so I leave predictions of trends for others to write. I’m good at taking time off.
The Power of Time Off
I’m fortunate to own several time-share weeks on Hilton Head Island, a 5-hour drive from my home. For the price of 2 tanks of gas and some groceries, I can retreat from the daily routine of work for a week or two.
Sleep late.
Read Stephen King novels.
Sun on the beach.
In other words, a vacation.
Other trips are planned sabbaticals.
I pack mounds of unread magazines, books and business notes with the sole purpose of business planning and goal setting. Creative ideas are sparked. Plans are made. Sleeping late is the by-product of creative thinking into the wee hours of the morning. (Not terribly unlike my current routine of working in the wee hours, and yet those wee hours are project focused.)
This year, 2009, marked a strategic and focused change in the direction of my business. Time off from work was work in a different setting.
Barcamps.
Tweetups.
Meetups.
Conferences.
Valuable, yes. Relaxing, no.
Networking and learning are neither a vacation or a sabbatical.
Stefan Sagmeister closes his business for a year every seven years. He splices the learn-work-retire time line to include a retirement year for every seven work years. Watch the video below and discover the creative power he unveils.
My week-long sabbaticals to focus on implementing new strategies for business growth are booked for each quarter in 2010.
Do you take sabbaticals? How do you carve time for strategic and creative thinking? If you scheduled focused time off, how might your business change? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
Stefan Sagmeister TED Video on YouTube
