Tag: entrepreneur

BRAIN EATERS Part 3: Ideas

“An idea is salvation by imagination.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! We can do this, and then we can add that. And then this, and then that, and then…On and on I dive deeper inside the rabbit hole of ideas. These brain eaters are more fun than my big three but they too can drive me mad. My mind is haunted by a million ideas that won’t stop multiplying. They won’t stop spinning in my head long enough to grab hold of one. I can’t stop long enough to focus on any one thought or idea.

It must be the entrepreneur’s dilemma; the inability to innovate and focus on one thing at a time. I simply can’t do it; it’s too much to ask.  This idea is great but what abbot that one?  How can I make them both work? Should I start two companies? Can I make a hybrid and have the best of both? Should I do one at a time and hope no one thinks of the other before I can get to it?

If I’m lucky enough to stick with one my brain goes down another hole where that one idea spawns a thousand more. Again, spinning, and bouncing, and banging, and thrashing from side to side; idea whiplash.

Maybe it’s just part of being an entrepreneur, or maybe it’s just me. I have listened to many entrepreneurs and believe it’s the first. I must admit, I love it; it drives and inspires me but it is also maddening. Fortunately, I have grown and matured as an entrepreneur, for the most part. I am still taken hostage often by a million ideas but today I have learned to focus better and slow the wheels a bit.  I have learned that I can only one, maybe two or three, things at a time. Beyond that, no matter how good the idea, the execution suffers.

For me this comes with guidance, practice, and experience.  I look to those that have come before me and I practice what has worked for them. As I continue down my path I gain experience and continue to practice what works for me. I used to want to do it all by myself. Whether it was pride, fear, convenience, impatience or something else, it made it much more difficult to navigate alone.

One of the best things I have done was to work with mentors and coaches.  Another was to build a team and a network of people with complementary skills and personalities.  Just think what it would be like if you filled your bus with a bunch of yous!…

Can you imagine what it would be like in that rabbit hole? You’d never make it out, at least not with your sanity. Besides, I already argue with several imaginary Kevins as it is.

We don’t need to do it alone, as with the negative brain eaters, isolation allows them to grow, fester, and take control.  An idea without action can drive one mad.  I can easily become lost in the rabbit hole and alone it’s hard to find my way out. With the right people in our circle we have a much better chance at surviving the brain eaters. We are the visionaries and need to fill the circle with people that plug the holes created by our weaknesses. People that can keep their heads out of the clouds, stay out of the rabbit hole, and keep their feet firmly planted on the ground for daily execution.  They can help formulate the tactics to get the idea from concept to reality. They help contain us so we don’t get lost in the rabbit hole when we need to push the current idea forward.

Ideas are great and it’s good to be creative, but like most things in life, anything in excess can be bad, Moderation is key and not easy for an introverted visionary like me, but just like fear, too many ideas can cause paralysis.

When there is too much going on in my brain overwhelm takes over and I do nothing.

I think I speak for many entrepreneurs when I say that if I can’t do the things in my head I go to a bad place. Entrepreneurs are thinkers and doers, if we are stuck we can’t function.

If you are indeed like me, surround yourself with the right people because we can think and do all day, but if we can’t focus all that thinking and doing, it just drives us deeper down the hole, eating more and more of our brain.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W. @Leap272
Owner – Operator

You have to leap if you want to live.

BRAIN EATERS Part 2: The Mind Killers

” We’ve got nothing to fear but fear itself.” – Neil Peart / Gary Lee / Alex Zivojinovich, RUSH

There are all different kinds of brain eaters; some are negative and some are positive. Life is full of the good, the bad, and the ugly and so is my head. I prefer to get the bad and the ugly out of the way first. I call these the mind killers; fear, judgment, and resentment. As you read those three words I am sure you can think of more that you can add to the list. Of course, I can too, but I am distilling them all down to the core or root of each one. We can often put different labels on our thoughts and actions but if we really peel the layers and get to the core, many of them belong in the same bucket.

Are any of these words worse than the other? I think that really depends on who you ask, and probably when you ask them. Some people might have stronger opinions on one than the other. Others might be impacted themselves by one more than the other, and yet another person’s mind might be more consumed by one than another. In my experience they all seem to feed the other but throughout my life, fear and resentment have been in a constant title match for the belt. I think fear might have squeezed by and pulled out the victory.

That said, I will start at the bottom of my mind with judgment. Judgment used to occupy a large part of my mind.  Every time I entered a new environment or someone entered mine I started judging. I would start picking them apart, sizing them up, and assassinating their character. I would do this for both people I knew and didn’t know.  As I have grown older and, hopefully wiser, I no longer practice judgment like I used to. I have learned to accept people for who they are; including myself whom is often the hardest person to be non-judgmental about. When I assess my own judgments of others, they are usually based on my pride or ego. I am feeling insecure, less than, or judged myself so I judge others to bring myself up. I think it is human nature and our natural instinct for survival and security to assess and evaluate our environments. I believe judgment is simply taking that natural instinct to an extreme.

Resentment rears its ugliness in so many ways, disguised with so many masks. Sometimes subtle and sometimes intense, but always negative. Outward anger or rage is obviously negative, but the quiet, subtle bitterness, indignation, animosity, hatred and the like are often hard to detect and see their full scope of damage. It is often that quiet festering that leads to the loud or violent outbursts. That has been my experience with resentment. In the past I have allowed it to fester, almost receiving a twisted satisfaction from the silent scorn. In the end if not dealt with and erased those outbursts would come and were never fun. But my mind is the great manipulator. As resentment eats my brain I allow it to grow and fester and I find a way to justify it all.

The root of it all in my own mind is fear. Fear is the one with many names and faces. Whether we call it worry, doubt, fright, terror, panic, dread, to name a few, it grips us and takes control. Brain eaters feed on fear and fear feeds resentment and judgment. Once fear takes control the vicious cycle begins.  When I am resentful or judgmental, I usually discover that it is really fear masquerading about. Something externally has tapped an internal fear and has been projected outward as anger or judgment. This is after the fact, of course, as I analyze and process everything.  Have you ever walked into a strange room, afraid of what the people might think? Afraid they will judge you, so you instantly go on the defense and start judging them? That judgment is justified because your fear has convinced you they are judging you, and thus you become resentful; a big, ugly cycle.

The voices of fear, resentment, and judgment feed my mind like the devil on my shoulder; these are the three negative brain eaters that occupy my mind.  Not as much as they used to because I have found ways to deal with them as they crop up (stick around for the entire series to learn how I do so). I no longer allow fear to consume me to the point that it takes my mind and body hostage. I no longer allow resentment to fester and dictate my behavior. I no longer allow judgment to be my first line of defense. Do I still fear, resent, and judge? Absolutely, I am human.

Today I try not to allow them to eat my brain and control my thoughts and actions. Nor do I deny or justify them, I simply acknowledge them and do what is necessary to clear my mind and work through them.

And, when the brain eaters start to gain control, I stop feeding them and I write it out or I grab a coffee with a friend, mentor, or coach and share the secret and sort it out because the brain eaters’ biggest weapon is isolation.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W. @Leap272
Owner – Operator

You have to leap if you want to live.

BRAIN EATERS Part 1: Introduction

“The brain is wider than the sky.” –  Emily Dickinson

Going to the left. Going to the right.
Do this, do that. No, not that.
The voices, the voices, won’t you stop?
Fill my head with constant thought.
he chatter, the banter.
How many of you are inside?

What eats your brain? Hopefully not the creatures that attack the mind, turning you into zombies like the classic film of 1958. But does something? Please say yes as I don’t want to be alone. Of course, I’m never alone with all the voices in my head, but I want more. It’s just not the same.

In this series I am not writing a science fiction horror bit. I am going to let you inside my brain a bit and share what eats at my brain. Take you inside the world of an overactive, entrepreneurial mind. Not too far, though; I don’t want you to get trapped my Land of the Lost in Space.

For me, there is always something eating my brain; good, bad, indifferent it’s always something. Maybe it’s a Pisces thing, maybe an introvert thing, but it definitely a me thing. I have always been quiet on the outside and louder than life on the inside. I am usually the quietest one the room making the most noise; all in my head. I am always thinking, processing, creating, evaluating, writing, playing…Humming riffs, creating riffs, writing songs, writing poems, thinking up headlines and ad copy…Creating strategies, marketing material, benefit bullets, ad infinitum.

The activity just accelerates during a time like the present. As I write this sentence we are ten days into August of 2020 which will definitely become a standout year in the history books, or wherever history is documented in the future. This has been quite a year to date, but the biggest event has been the coronavirus pandemic by far.

We have had mandates, legislative orders, and martial law. We have been quarantined, forced to wear masks, and left toilet paper-less. This is a year for the books indeed. How about we make it an election as well. That really throws fire on the flame. The point is, with so much extraordinary external events in the world today, my brain is ripe to eat me alive.

It does make for some great content. However, if I can just capture it and find a good way to package and deliver it. So much of this activity happens while driving, riding, running, or walking, and most has vanished by the time I get somewhere to write anything down. Maybe I am just forgetful but I believe that these brain eaters have cannibalistic tendencies. Thanks to voice memo apps I can stop and record my thoughts and ideas anywhere. The problem is, most of the time I am so consumed with the brain eaters that I forget to do that. But, successful entrepreneurs are not focused on problems, they are interested in solutions

Don’t leave the table just yet; the next tasty course is on its way…
You don’t want to miss this tasty little treat.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W. @Leap272
Owner-operator

You have to leap if you want to live.

COME TO REALIZE Part 6: I Don’t Know

Once again I thought this series was complete but another one of my realizations popped up when I sat down to write. And, that is that after years of schooling, training, reading, life experiences, and a plethora of others things, I have come to realize one very important thing; I don’t know…

I don’t know everything.
I don’t know the answers.
I don’t know the questions.
I don’t know the next great idea.
I don’t know how things will turn out.
I don’t know if this will work.
I don’t know if I’m right.
I don’t know if you are wrong.
I don’t know if tomorrow will even come.
I don’t know what anyone, anywhere, anytime is going through.
I simply don’t know.

That realization can be a hard pill to swallow. It can be even harder to admit. What I have come to realize, however, is that with the admission comes a great freedom. The beauty is I do not need to know everything, nor do I want to know anything. Can you imagine the burden of truly being omniscient? No thank you.

So why do I so often fall back into the Mr. Knowitall trap? Because the ego wants to be right every time. Pride once again steps in and grabs the reigns.

One of these days I will come to realize how to let those reigns go for good.

Bonus realization: remain teachable. The more I can remember that I don’t know the more my mind remains open to learn. Once I believe I know it all I have closed my mind to all learning. Then there would be no reason to pick up a good book, have a deep conversation, dig deeper to discover more, and so many other things I love.  That sounds horrible; I will focus on keeping my mind open for more knowledge.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

Doubter & Shouters

“I really get motivated when I have doubters.” – Shaquille O’Neal

Have you ever hung up the phone and have the overwhelming urge to scream at it? Walked out of a meeting and all you can think of doing next is banging your head against the wall? Finished a presentation and said to yourself “they just don’t get it.” Left anywhere and said to yourself “I’ll show them!”

That last one is the right attitude.  Not necessarily in a spiteful way, but in a self confident, I believe in what I’m doing kind of way.

No matter what you do or aspire to do in life there will always be doubters. And, the doubters always seem to be the loudest shouters. I have come to the realization that they must be put in our life to test us and make us stronger. They appear in our life at pivotal moments to provoke us and to question ourselves; our motives, beliefs, and convictions which clarify and strengthen our “why.”If, and only if, we do not succumb to the doubts they shout about.

I have also come to believe that we are our own greatest doubters. We have the loudest voice in our head, we have the final say, and we control the volume dial. Self doubt is normal and natural, what is not normal and natural is actually believing what we say and allowing it to drive us. Or paralyze us. Once we begin to believe the lies we tell ourselves, we are doomed.

We cannot and must not take action based on doubt, in my experience, those decisions only lead to regret and unhappiness. Doubt is just a form of fear that we must acknowledge and push trough. It is important to remember that this kind of fear does not exist in the present moment. Fear is something our minds manufacture about something that might happen sometime in the future. Does that sound like solid information that we should base major decisions on?

The best thing we can do is act like Shaq and use the doubters, ourselves included, to motivate us to try harder. The best way to deal with the doubters is to prove them wrong. Put the ear plugs in and just keep moving forward.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what anybody else says or thinks. Can you put your head on the pillow knowing you were true to you and did your best?

If so you past the test…Get up and do it again.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

COME TO REALIZE Part 3: Hope For The Best, Plan For The Worst

“I love it when a plan comes together.” – John “Hannibal” Smith, The A-Team

I share that sentiment. It feels great when a plan works and I can place another check mark in the success column. I love to plan for the best, who doesn’t? Isn’t that what we are all shooting for? I expect to hit my mark, every time. That is the expectation when I give it my all. Otherwise, aren’t I just copping out and selling myself short? Why wouldn’t I expect the best outcome when I put forth my best effort?

Because a business doesn’t operate in a vacuum and I am not perfect. Things do not always turn out as planned for a variety of reasons despite my best effort. There are so many variables at play that can impact the results no matter how good I am or how well I plan. I can compose the perfect plan and orchestrate the strategy of the century. I know it’s good so I host visions of grandeur in my overactive, Pisces brain. I plan for the future and what will come next because I know the best is coming. Until it doesn’t and I find myself racking that same hopeful brain trying to eek my way out of another worst case scenario I left out of the plan.

The reality is simple; we do not plan for the best, we hope for it. We aim for it but we do not plan for it. We plan for the worst, that is why there are contracts, contingency plans, and exit strategies. Besides setting the basic terms of an agreement, the meat of any contract is basically what happens in the event of disagreements or worst the case scenarios. It seldom matters what type of contract it is, 80% or more of the heady legalese that should be considered a second language, deals only with what will happen in the event of…fill in the blank with anything negative.

Hope is a wonderful thing but it becomes dangerous when it is commingled with expectation. We should always hope for the best. If we didn’t we would become pessimists and that is no way to live. The danger lies in the attachment to any desired outcome.  Once we place an attachment on to the outcome we hope for, we are set the dial to failure, or at the very least, disappointment. The attachment narrows our vision in a negative manner that restricts and eliminates the possibly in our mind for any deviation of what we expect as the final result.  We must free our mind from that bondage of attachment and be open to alternate outcomes.

The lessons that I have come to realize in this context from my personal experience in business and life in general are two-fold; one, as I eluded to before, it is rare that things turn out exactly as planned, and two, when they do, revel in it. Take the victory, enjoy it, and then move on without expectation of what will come next.

A bonus lesson; be flexible and enjoy the success whenever a plan comes together. The means and the end might be different than how you envisioned or planned it but if the end result is what you wanted then there’s nothing to complain about. Don’t let the things that don’t matter prevent you from appreciating what does matter. If the plan comes together in one way or another it is a victory.

The road is very narrow in a “my way or the highway” mindset, so do some road work and widen the road.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

COME TO REALIZE Part 2: Expect The Unexpected

“And you may ask yourself, well
How did I get here?” – David Byrne

How did I get here? I often ponder that question; sometimes in wonderment, sometimes in shock, sometimes in frustration, sometimes in regret, and sometimes in utter satisfaction and contentment. The latter is the most rare yet most fulfilling. Nearly five decades, nine businesses, well ten if you count the one I literally registered yesterday with my son because he is not an adult yet. There have been so many events that have transpired that triggers that question during times of reflection.

There have been so many great lessons from these various reflections. Although the times of frustration, disappointment, and regret are my least favorite they tend to yield some of the most powerful lessons for me. When I can weather the storm and make it through the darkness to the other side the rewards are great. It seems to be a universal principle that the times of greatest pain and difficulty produce the greatest pay off if one can endure and make it through.

I have certainly had my share of such difficult times. Some I have weathered well, others I have not. Some I have learned a valuable lesson the first time, most however, I have had to endure and repeat several times to really grasp anything positive that I could carry forward.

So, how did I get here and what did I come to realize? Just as in part one, I am not going for the deep dive here just looking back for a general lesson that can be applied to a variety of contexts. For me that is to expect the unexpected. I have shared in many of my articles that I am a Pisces and have the imagination and daydreaming tendencies of one. I can plan, prepare, and envision how everything is going to end up in my head yet it seldom does. Sometimes the end result is so far off I have no choice but to stop and ask myself “how did I get here?”

Well, here I am; business number two, which is travel related, is on life support as a result of the corona virus pandemic. Business number nine which was purchased by business number three last August is alive and surviving the best it can consider the circumstances. The other handful of active business are alive, they are more investment businesses that require minimal day to day effort so have suffered very little.

As far as number ten goes, time will tell as it is not even 24 hours old yet. I can only hope that I can impart some of the wisdom I have learned from own mistakes onto Nolan as he follows the path of Kerry and I into the world of entrepreneurship. The best I can do for him is to not project any of my past or any of my stubborn opinions and control onto him and simply expect the unexpected from him. Let him do his thing and offer support and guidance upon request. There are more ways than my way to do things and standing in the back and watching is not always my strong suit. I guess I need to expect the unexpected from myself as well.

To close, the lesson for me is that I can only put in my best effort today. I have no control over how things will unfold tomorrow. As long as I can let go the expectations I have of the outcome and put forth my personal best, then I am in a good position to succeed no matter what end result is. I can plan and prepare all day long until the sun don’t shine, but things are going to happen the way they happen despite my best efforts. Sometimes you just have to hope for the best and plan for the worst.  That way excess disappointment is removed from the equation.

Hmm, another lesson I have come to realize?

Stick around to find out.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

COME TO REALIZE: 1 Self Awareness

“Enjoy your midnight snack at 10.” – Me

I simply do not function well after midnight. I don’t exactly turn into a pumpkin but my brain turns to mush much like the inside of one. This is just one important thing I have come to realize about myself while navigating the labyrinth of life.

I have had many “aha” moments in my life; countless epiphanies, hard lessons, realizations, growth lessons, whatever you want to call them. If I had to pick the most important I don’t think I could. But if it was a gun to my head decision it would be a two part answer; One, that if I do not implement anything learned from those “lessons” then they mean nothing and, two, if I don’t share the lessons with others they mean even less. They simply become another forgotten thought, cast away to the deep, dark, dusty crevices of my brain.

Back to the opening quote. What does it really mean and what is the true essence of the lesson? It means I am not a night owl so I shouldn’t stay up that late and more importantly, schedule important late night meetings or events. The reality is I am not sure how many people actually do that. In the businesses I participate in, it is not very common, although there are some events that can run into the wee hours. I might not have to use my brain but I do have to participate in these situations and hold important conversations.

In my experience, the later I travel into the night the worse my social skills become and my patience and tolerance begins to wear thin. That is the important realization here; when I become tired I become anti-social, impatient, intolerant, and irritable. That is not the winning combination for anything good that I know of. As a result, I become much more reactive to my environment and the things people do and say. The best course of action for me is to avoid these situations to the best of my ability.

Peeling another layer and boiling it down even more, it really comes down to self awareness; knowing myself well enough to avoid situations in which I will not act as my normal professional or social self. Okay, truth be, told I am not that social as it is, but you get what I’m saying. Of course, this applies well beyond late night social or business situations.

What is self awareness? Is it a personality trait? A skill? A behavior? Oh, and aren’t there different types or levels? I don’t want to do a deep dive here and get all scientific and psychological so let’s just stick with it being a skill for our purposes here.

Self awareness is such an important skill to help us navigate life and the various decisions we make and the situations and circumstances we find ourselves in. Perhaps its most important function is to really help us discover and follow our calling. It is so easy to get swept up in the race to become the master of anything that will propel you to the top of whatever ladder you are climbing; rewarding you with endless riches, book deals and master classes that will expedite your journey to retirement. Until all the smoke clears and you are left looking at your confused, unhappy reflection in the mirror. This isn’t what I signed up for!

Follow your instincts and learn to know yourself. Get quiet and discover who you truly are. Self awareness will lead you to your what and why.   

Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

THE THREE KINGS #19: OPEN – PRESENT – PATIENT

May 5, 2020

The Three Kings are simply three things, assets, skills, characteristics, principles, and so forth that I find important on some level. The series or feature is meant to be a short read of easily digestible information that hopefully provides some value and actionable concepts that you can apply to some aspect of your life or business.

The content is inspired and influenced by my own personal experience in life and my career as a business owner. They are three things that have helped or hindered me through my life and career. I have written many of these but I am posting this one first, out of order because of the unprecedented times we are in right now. These pieces are not necessarily meant to be sequential by any means anyway. How coincidental is it that this is number 19? Interesting.

Without further ado, here is the first, non-sequential installment of The Three Kings.

Here are the three things that keep coming up for me during this time of the Covid-19 crisis.

OPEN-MINDED:
When this crisis first hit and Idaho was advised to stay at home I was immediately consumed by fear. Optimism, trust, faith, and other things needed to make it through tough times cannot co-exist with fear. When fear takes over the others are absent. I have experienced this over and over in my life and thought that I had learned my lesson, but apparently I have more to learn. I’ll give myself a break as this is an unprecedented situation

Regardless, I have found that I have to be open to new ideas and different ways to run my business. If I choose to stay in fear and let it dictate my thoughts and actions I will be very unproductive and negative. There is no room for a solution without an open mind. For example, at the pie shop, we had to be open to a new way of doing business because the old way was no longer an option. We lost all of our dine-in lunch service which is a significant part of our revenue. We quickly began offering takeout and delivery of course, but we also began focusing on dinner by creating meal packages centering on our savory pies. That has saved us.

PRESENT:
Problems only exist in the present and solutions only work in the present. Of course problems can last for a long time and solutions can and should be created and implemented to address the future, but that is always unknown. Solutions can only be created and implemented today so that is where I must focus the majority of my efforts. Future tripping only perpetuates a state of fear so I try to practice being present as much as possible.

PATIENT:
If you know me or have read any of my content I am sure you know I am a naturally impatient person. I love instant gratification. Fortunately, I have learned that instant gratification is often short-lived. Real progress and sustainable growth takes time as does working through a crisis. The strategy to navigate through the current crisis does not instantly cure all the negative effects, it takes time.

Our dinner strategy we created for the pie shop took time to create and execute and it took time to start yielding results. It is currently keeping our doors open and for that I am grateful, but I do not know what the future holds. I am sure that a crisis like this will have some long term effects so we will have to practice all three of today’s kings today in the present to prepare for the unknown that lies ahead.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

Short Sale

“Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and they underestimate what they can do in two or three decades.” – Tony Robbins

Ready. Set. Go!…CRASH!

How often have I set out with great intentions to work toward my auspicious goals. Hour after hour, day after day burning the midnight oil well beyond the strike of midnight to accomplish the impossible. But don’t tell me that. Nothing is impossible. I can do whatever I set out to do. I can be whatever I want to be. I just need to apply myself and go for it. My mother told me so.

Well, how true is that? Would if I want to be a Nigerian prince, could I? There seems to be so many, it must not be that hard to become.

I am sure it is true, with limitations, however. I can be and do many things but I believe there are limitations beyond my control. Some things take more than hard work and dedication to accomplish. There are many factors that can legitimately fill that side of the column; genetics, government, laws, and living environment, to name few. I could continue the list but there is a fine line between the columns and an even finer line in our thinking and judgment of what we put on each side.

I have no desire to discuss what we claim to be holding us back and preventing us from attaining our goals. When I see a long list in the right side of the column, the holding me back side or the beyond my control side, I begin to believe that they are really just excuses.  I am more interested in discovering how we move beyond those and move them to the left side column where they are converted into assets that make us stronger.

The truth for me when I look back to reflect on my journey, the opening quote by Tony Robbins is so true. I totally overestimate what I can do in the short term. That can be a year, a month, a week, or even a day. Just placing this in the context of a to-do list holds true. No big life changing goals I’m trying to accomplish, just a simple daily task list. I never cross everything off.  When I look back five to ten years and compare where I am to where I thought I would be, I am often further. Yet when I look assess my six month goal I often find myself short of the mark.

Why is it? Am I too ambitious in the present and short term? Is the future just too far out and unknown to really imagine what can be accomplished? Are there too many daily obstacles that steer me off course in the short term? Am I just too lazy?

Maybe it’s a mix of all the above. What I have learned for me is that the more I leave uncrossed on my list, the more discouraged I become. As an owner and operator, there is always unfinished business. There are always things to do and as one thing is completed another to-do materializes. It’s just the nature of running a business. What I need to do is learn to not become discouraged or overwhelmed, and for me, the key is acceptance.

Acceptance that time is the scarcest asset. Acceptance that everything is never done. Acceptance that the quote above is true. Acceptance that I am good enough. Acceptance that I’ve sold myself short, again.

The really lesson for me is that I am good enough, it’s the goal that is not. Failure is part of the learning process. In the short term I am overzealous and in the long term I don’t give my ability enough respect. Time is a tricky thing. Ten years seems an eternity and a year seems like more than enough but appears in a blink of an eye. So, being good enough only matters in the present. I can’t be good enough ten years from now and what was good enough yesterday might not be today.

Regardless of where in time I place my checkpoint or finish line, the steps that get me there are taken today. Therefore, the essence of this lesson for me is to learn to live, and work, in the present because when I become too caught up with time, goals, and those never ending to-do lists,  I miss out on life and  sell myself short.

Talk Soon,
Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live