In “the before times,” I met with a business owner who wanted help to sell his business. On the surface, his business looked like a highly commodified local business. The kind of business that is mainly undifferentiated from dozens of firms in any large city, and therefore, is pretty hard to sell. But when he showed me his financials and how he did business, another story emerged. A story that made him one of my business heroes! His business is remarkably profitable. He has margins that any business would call outstanding! Unheard of for a local company that has dozens of direct competitors. He built a robust system for how work got done. Each stage of the process is defined, … [Read more...]

So you’ve got just a few goals for this year, and you must accomplish them. You want to increase your commitment, but you feel resistance. Even though these goals are critical, you’re not sure that you will follow through. What’s that about? Commitment is scary Going all in on your goals means that if you fail, it will hurt. If you put your best into it and still can’t do it, what does that say about you? Worry starts working in your brain; you start looking for excuses. (Before you’ve even started!) To fully commit means leaving all the exit ramps behind; you’re going ahead no matter what. It means facing fear. You love freedom Most founders went out on their own because … [Read more...]

After Tuesday’s message, you’ve narrowed down your expectations for 2022 to just the most critical initiatives, things that have to be accomplished. Good work! Now let’s make sure that they happen. How have you done in past years? Looking back over past years, what percentage of your annual goals got accomplished? Not how many did you make progress on? How many got done, finished, accomplished? In those same years, how many times did you half-ass a vacation or scramble at the last minute to celebrate a birthday or anniversary? Did you get your taxes filed? We’re they filed on time? As an old mentor of mine used to say, “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.” Maybe … [Read more...]

Do your goals for this year involve starting a bunch of new initiatives? Expanding your marketing efforts? Landing new clients? Offering new services? Of course they do! I’ve never seen a company founder whose goals were, “Let’s do the same things as last year – just a little bit better.”  What do you think your team wrote for their goals? If you could get a peek at the goals that your team members wrote for themselves, how many would you have in common with them? I’ll bet a lot more of their goals looked like, “Same as last year, just better.” Your team is focused on delivering services to clients in a consistent and valuable way, with the least effort. Employees are … [Read more...]

None of us got to the point where we were working non-stop because we thought it was a good idea! We did it because there’s so much work that needs to be done! Or so I thought. As I’ve been learning to slow down, I’ve discovered something unexpected. Most of the work I thought was incredibly important isn’t. Most of it doesn’t even need to be done. Marie Kondo your to-do list When I stop and let the snow settle in the snow globe, I can see the one or two things that are essential that I do next. That clarity means that I can put my entire focus on doing just that, making tremendous progress with a lot less activity. What gets left out? A lot of stuff that sounds like “I … [Read more...]

When I was a kid, my dad would frequently tell me, “The time to rest is when all your work is done.” It was a good lesson for a teenager prone to lying on the couch reading a book all day! But as an adult, I’ve found that the reverse is true. The time to work is when I’m fully rested. When I’m fully rested, my mind is sharp. I have energy and focus. Most importantly, I can see what’s essential and what’s not with a clear head. I’m not working smart and strategic when I’m “running and gunning”! At best, I’m shooting from the hip while making tactical judgments focused on what’s right in front of me. At worst, I’m overwhelmed, tired, and my brain is running through the mud! What if … [Read more...]

Shake up a snow globe, and the flakes swirl around and obscure the view. Let it sit, and things settle down. The view clears, revealing the scene that was there all along. When I run around, busy all the time, my brain keeps track of a thousand things. All those thoughts, loose ends, and unrealized ideas cloud my view of the life, people, and projects that I have right in front of me. When I slow down and let my mind settle, I see which things are essential and distractions. What practices do you have in your life that help you let the snow settle?   … [Read more...]

I’m going to take the next couple of weeks off, so you won’t be hearing from me again until after the holidays. I used to be anxious about taking time off at the end of the year. Will other people be grinding away while I’m baking? What will I be missing out on? I’m going to miss my chance to get ahead! Now I know, that there’s nothing more important than some time off; baking cookies, sitting by the fire, and hanging out with family and friends (in a COVID-safe way, of course). That time away brings me back so much more refreshed and energized – by the second week of Jan I’ll be doing laps around my using the holidays to get ahead past self. Slow work is good work One … [Read more...]

Do you ever stop what you are doing and listen to the chorus inside your head? I just took 10 sec, and this is what I heard: Did the person on that last call like me? Did I impress them and give them good value? I missed my workout this morning; I should go for a walk this afternoon. Is anyone going to read my emails during the holidays? There was something else I needed to add to the shopping list…what was it? What do you notice about this list? How do you think I would react if someone walked into my office and started blurting that stuff out to me? Those voices in your head are not helping you! As I go through my day, I generally think of those voices as “me.” I’m … [Read more...]