Newsletter for August 2007: Enjoying Slow Change

We all know that "over-night success" often takes 20 years or longer. I encourage you to move forward as quickly as you can, but also to accept that whatever is happening is apparently the way it should be, at least for the moment. If you can safely and legitimately speed up the process, go for it! Learn new skills, get a coach, form a team, "make it happen." But. "Patience is a virtue" and few of us have mastered it. Sometimes "over-night success" takes time and life can teach us important lessons along the way. Learn to live better in the moment and enjoy slow change.

Most people want success NOW! Or at least they want to achieve their goals and enjoy the fruits of victory as soon as possible. Wiser heads, however, understand that sometimes change takes time.

We live in an "instant" culture. Life moves quickly and everyone wants instant relief and immediate gratification. We want to get ahead, make money, make the sale, lose the weight, or take next year's vacation as soon as possible. I sometimes think we move so fast that eventually we may even get ahead of ourselves!

This week I talked with a potential client who fears life has passed him by. He would like to open a business, make some "major money and retire while I can still enjoy it." He sees younger people passing him by and he wants a coach because he "can't wait another year or two." He wants financial success and he wants it "now." The man is 26 years old.

That call left me sad and even a bit confused. At more than twice his age, I wondered if there was any future for me at all!

Now, before we go too far down this path, let me affirm that rapid success is a good thing. In fact, I'm all for it! If you have a chance to make major advances, I suggest you do so! Seize opportunity whenever you can! When there are legal, ethical and legitimate ways to take giant steps forward, you should go for it. Like "Duh!"

But in her wisdom, I think Mother Nature has something to say about the more ordinary path to success. Healthy, organic change usually happens slowly.

When plants or animals are taken out of their traditional environment, most of the time they don't do well. Rapid changes in climate, diet, or other environmental factors are usually harmful. Veterinarians even recommend that you should be careful about changing your pet’s diet from one brand of dog or cat food to another so as not to upset their system.

Even kids who have dreamed of college can suffer home sickness. People who have saved for years and eagerly anticipated a visit to another culture can still be disoriented by language or customs they didn't expect. We know that people who "win the lottery" often experience a myriad of problems adjusting to their new situation.

Rapid success is not always a good thing.

That's no reason to slow down! It is, however, a reason to persist, to be wise, and to "keep on keeping on" if your success is arriving slower than you would like.

It's a complicated thing. On the one hand, we want to be quick and efficient. I love being a coach precisely because it DOES bring success more quickly and more easily. At the same time, too often we become impatient and easily discouraged. Sometimes, I suspect nature and life are teaching us vital lessons while we impatiently climb the ladder of success.

We all know that "over-night success" often takes 20 years or longer. I encourage you to move forward as quickly as you can, but also to accept that whatever is happening is apparently the way it should be, at least for the moment. If you can safely and legitimately speed up the process, go for it! Learn new skills, get a coach, form a team, "make it happen." But. "Patience is a virtue" and few of us have mastered it. Sometimes "over-night success" takes time and life can teach us important lessons along the way. Learn to live better in the moment and enjoy slow change.

Persist. Work hard. Be patient. Never, never give up! Look for a better, faster way, but in the meantime, trust that life is unfolding as it should and that in time, you will get there. "Inch by inch, anything's a cinch."
 

Life is an opportunity… benefit from it. Life is a dream… realize it. Life is a challenge… meet it. Live is a promise… fulfill it. Life is a song… sing it. Life is a adventure… dare it. -- Mother Teresa

"Every day that you attempt to see things as they are in truth is a supremely successful day." -- Vernon Howard

"One of the many things nobody ever tells you about middle age is that it's such a nice change from being young." -- Dorothy Canfield Fisher

"We have much to do together. Let us do it in wisdom and love and joy. Let us make this the human experience." -- Gary Zukav 

“If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” -- Henry David Thoreau

Many people have pointed out the distinction between marketing (making people aware of you and your business) and sales (closing the deal). It's always critical to know which is which, and to use skills appropriate for the situation.

Recently, I've become aware of lots of business people trying to use far too many different marketing strategies and impatiently wondering why they weren't creating instant results. I recently consulted with one local business that has tried 9 different marketing strategies in the past year, "but none of them worked." No wonder they and their potential customers are confused!

My coaching was that all of the strategies seemed viable, and any of them might work well IF they were used consistently over time. The owner's problem is that (1) he doesn't want to choose because he fears he'll choose the wrong one, and (2) he's eager for his marketing to produce rapid sales, which is a mistake.

Marketing is primarily intended to create brand recognition and give you the opportunity to make sales in the future. Sales is the art of helping a qualified prospect (who is already interested) to buy right now. They are different processes and they require different skills.

Be clear about your marketing strategy. Pick one or two strategies that are natural and comfortable for you. Pick a strategy that comes naturally for you, and that you enjoy. Use it over time - months, years, even decades! - to give yourself the opportunity to make sales down the road.

Then, know and use appropriate SALES techniques when the time comes. When a qualified prospect inquires about your goods or services, know how to close the deal, but don't expect that every MARKETING conversation will lead to immediate sales. Knowing the difference is a key to long-term financial success.

Humor: Lessons from Noah’s Ark

I don’t know for sure where or when I first saw this but it struck my funny bone, gave me a nice chuckle, and made me think. That's a great combination! I hope you enjoy it, and also get something to think about from it.

"Everything I need to know in life, I learned from Noah's Ark."

1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. Even when you're 600 years old you may get a chance to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float a while.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter how big the storm, there's always a rainbow afterward.

 
Rodger Blaker works with executives, small business owners and professionals who want to grow in their business and create an extraordinary life!

For info on resources for your success, visit: http://www.rodgerblaker.com or call me at 214-485-2238.

Please forward this copy to your friends and colleagues! That's how I grow!