Newsletter for February 2005:
Fire and Focus - The Twin Pillars of Success
Contents:
- This Months Thought
- Fire and Focus: The Twin Pillers of Success
- Quotes of the Month
- Strictly Business: What’s the Plan!
- Humor: Basic Sibling Rivalry
This Months Thought
The trick is to balance the twin pillars of fire and focus. Honor
the fire in your belly! Trust that your passion, your dreams and
your imagination know where they are going, they know better
than your logical brain what you are capable of achieving. Trust that and go for it! But, be smart. Get a map, know your objectives, have a plan, and day by day, work the plan. Inch by inch, step by step, anything's a cinch!
Fire and Focus: The Twin Pillars of Success
Have you ever thought about “Fire and Focus” as twin pillars of success. If not, you may be someone who is or has been extremely frustrated because you didn’t make the connection between "fire" and "focus".
Some people have tons of passion. They have a dream, a vision or mission and they are on fire for it. They get up early and work and try all day long, struggling endlessly to "make this happen." Unfortunately, they often become profoundly frustrated that their hard work has produced so little in terms of lasting results. They lack "focus".
The other group is people who have defined their goals, created plans and know precisely how to achieve their objectives. They have mapped their lives, complete in every detail. They typically accomplish a lot, but are bored, restless or just tired. They have successfully reduced life to a "paint by the numbers" routine. They lack "fire".
Sometimes we map our lives so carefully that, in reducing risk, we remove all the mystery, all the drama, romance and wonder. We get up, get dressed, go to work, run errands, come home, have dinner and do it again tomorrow. That stability may be rewarded with money, promotions, even prestige, but it often lacks a sense of being "real life". It's like reading the lines of a play, in which we are assigned the role of an executive, entrepreneur, parent, or whatever. Boring!
The opposite, of course, are the "drama kings/queens", whose lives defy any sort of organization, consistency, or tranquility. They live for the flash and the fire, every day. They can see and do amazing things, but are always under the gun, scrambling to stay on top. If they are good jugglers, they may also be rewarded with money or fame, but the secret is that their lives are stressed to the max and they fear that one day they'll drop the ball and everything will fall apart.
It seems to me that the key to long-term success is a balance between these two extremes. Highly successful people DO have a sense of fire. They are passionate about their goals. They are excited, determined, creative and restless, but they are also focused.
They are able to discipline their energy and finish projects on budget and ahead of schedule. They know that systems and routine and simplicity are the keys to productivity. They know that in the fable of the tortoise and the hare, the slow, steady, predictable turtle wins the race.
There is a reason we love roller-coasters, suspense novels and scary movies. We NEED adventure in our lives. When we are too careful and reduce life to a formula, we deny ourselves the wonder of pushing the limits and pursuing our dreams "flat out", full-speed-ahead. If life is boring, go faster, aim higher, stretch yourself!
But if life has become too dangerous or too stressed, don't be afraid to slow down, to "drive safer" or even stop and ask directions. A life based on too much fire, passion, and drama may create short-term success, but I'm told it also leads to heart attacks, strokes and tragedy.
The trick is to balance the twin pillars of fire and focus. Honor the fire in your belly! Trust that your passion, your dreams and your imagination know where they are going, they know better than your logical brain what you are capable of achieving. Trust that and go for it! But, be smart. Get a map, know your ojectives, have a plan, and day by day, work the plan. Inch by inch, step by step, anything's a cinch!
Quotes of the Month
"Follow your bliss." -- Joseph Campbell
"People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be." -- Harvey Mackay
"Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin." -- Grace Hansen
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." -- Helen Keller
Strictly Business: What's the Plan?
Most businesses have clear, written business plans, but it is amazing that so many professionals and entrepreneurs neglect this vital task.
The following is an example of the contrast between two professionals who have great skills and a desire to do well (make money) by providing superb service to their clients. Both have earned solid reputations in their field, and both understand that their professional "practice" is really a business and must be run as such.
The difference is that one has a plan, and the other does not. The results could not be more dramatic.
One knows the market, and has a plan, a budget and a time-line to contact prospects once a month for 12 consecutive months. The other does not. One has a variety of price points and a "funnel" so new or hesitant prospects can sample the work with minimal risk. They offer a money-back guarantee. The other client has none of this. They offer their services at their hourly rate, take it or leave it.
One has already scheduled personal time off throughout 2005, and it is marked on calendar in their office. This client also has a written budget for new equipment, up-grading their office, and hiring people to help with over-flow work. The other client has a "budget in my head, sort of", but nothing in writing.
Which client has created the best conditions for success? Which client is likely to make more money, attract more business, have more time off, less anxiety, and more satisfaction at the end of the year?
Create and use a written business plan. It's your road-map to success.
Humor: Basic Sibling Rivalry
Following is a "smile maker"
It was late at night and Heidi, who was expecting her second child, was home alone with her 3-year old daughter, Katelyn. When Heidi started going into labor, she called "911." Due to a power outage at the time, only one paramedic responded to the call.
The house was very dark, so the paramedic asked Katelyn to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby.
Very diligently, Katelyn did as she was asked. Heidi pushed and pushed, and after a little while Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom, and Connor began to cry.
After wrapping him in a blanket and giving him to his mother, the paramedic thanked Katelyn for her help and asked the wide- eyed 3-year old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.
Katelyn quickly responded, "He shouldn't have crawled in there in the first place. Smack him again!"
Rodger Blaker works with small business owners who want to grow their business and people who want to take their profession to the next level! For info on resources for your success, visit: http://www.rodgerblaker.com
GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND! Please forward this copy to your friends and colleagues! That's how I grow!