Thursday, April 16, 2009

The "Present" is your real catch of the day.

Experiencing the "present" is a choice we all make.... Success is a personal choice as well. Think about your "personal success". Is your "personal success" created & followed through by you, for you & controlled by you?

Success is not just about annual revenue. Real success is about your business and your personal life blending together at their best, fullest and most evolved potential.

I would like to share a fable with you... You may have heard it before, but I think it bears repeating....

An American businessman took a vacation to a small village in Mexico. He was sent by his doctor...to relax & "re-think". The businessman walked onto a pier one morning and saw a small boat with a lone fisherman sitting inside. Inside the boat, he saw what he thought was an amazing catch. The American complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish. "How long did it take you to catch them?". he asked. "Only a little while," the Mexican responded."Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish," the American asked. I have enough to support my family and give to a few friends said the fisherman. "Very interesting", replied the American. "What do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican smiled and said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play the guitar with my amigos. I live a very full and busy life , Senor. "

"The American laughed and stood tall. "I am a Harvard MBA, I can help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. In a very short time you could have a fleet of fishing boats." "Yes Senor, and then what?" the Mexican asked. "You could begin to sell directly to consumers, and open your own cannery. You could control your own product processing and distribution. You would need to move from this small village, go to Mexico City, LA and perhaps New York from where you can better manage your expanding enterprise."

"But how long will all of this take?" the Mexican asked. The American replied, "10-15 years, 25 at most." "And then what?", queried the Mexican fisherman. The American laughed, "Here is the best part, when the time is right you announce an IPO, sell your company stocks to the public and make millions." "Millions senor, and then what?......"

"Then you could retire and move to small coastal fishing village. You could sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take a siesta with your wife, stroll into the village each evening, where you sip wine and play the guitar with your amigos."

I don't think I need to tell you the moral of the story...... We sometimes lose sight of the goal..... What is the "true goal" of your business AND your life? Don't find yourself at the end of your life, realizing you have lost sight of your "true goal". Enjoy the ride.... Make the ride worthwhile & enjoyable. The end goal is a bonus!