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Don't Run for the Train
There's a passage in the book, The Black Swan, by Nassim Taleb that caught our attention recently. The author was recounting an incident where he was about to run to catch a subway that was leaving the station. His friend stopped him, saying simply, "I don't run for trains." It made an impression. Quoting Taleb ...
I have taught myself to resist running to keep on schedule ... In refusing to run to catch trains, I have felt the true value of elegance and aesthetics in behavior, a sense of being in control of my time, my schedule, and my life. Missing a train is only painful if you run after it!
To put a slight twist on the message ... missing a train probably won't materially affect your life, but running for trains will.
And don't we all feel the urge to run for the train in a figurative sense, believing that unless we grab for what we're supposed to grab for, unless we keep up with the race, unless we scramble to seize our opportunities while the seizing's good, we'll miss out. We'll be left behind.
Talk about a scarcity mentality, but it's what we default to as human beings. That's quite different from having a sense of being in control of your time, your schedule ... your life.
So what's the opposite of a scarcity mentality? An abundance mentality. There's always another train ...always another opportunity ... always enough of what you need if you just relax and let it come to you.
Doesn't thinking that way - even for just a moment - give you a sense of relief, a sense of peace and calm? And having a sense of peace and calm is what it's all about. It's indispensable to achieving lasting happiness and serenity. Without it, whatever level of success you might achieve from competing in the rat race won't mean much. So, leave the rat race behind. After all, you can't hurry your way to serenity. You can't battle your way to happiness.
Besides, chasing after things isn't likely to produce the results you want anyway, because the very act of chasing affects the vibration you're giving off. It's a vibe of need and urgency and even desperation. Even if you happen to get what you wanted, it probably won't be very satisfying. You pay a high price in terms of stress, and you risk becoming entrained into scrambling as a way of life.
Try this instead. Concentrate your mind on what you want, build up a good feeling about it emotionally, and allow it to come to you. Chasing comes from a place of worry and lack of faith. Allowing comes from a place of trust and peace. When you run for the train, you're letting the quality of your life be controlled by things outside of yourself. When you choose not to scramble, when you let things "come to you," the stress drains away. In the language of the psychologist, you've shifted to an "internal locus of control." The bottom line is you become freer, with the sense that you're living on your own terms, and the quality of your life improves.
We have a mantra. "Things always work out for me." In this context, that's shorthand for, "I don't need to run for trains. I don't need to worry about missing out, because I live in a world of abundance, and things always work out for me."
Believe it ... and watch what happens.
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Ho Ho Ho ... or Ho Ho Hum?
Truly Connecting with Your Clients During the Holidays
Last month, we talked about delighting your clients and said these words: Life's too short and your business is too precious for you or anyone on your team to just go through the motions. Make encounters with your clients special.
So, how does that translate into practical advice as you connect with clients on a personal level this holiday season? How do you make a genuine one-to-one connection that transcends the strictly business relationship in an appropriate yet meaningful way? We have a few thoughts.
Of course, what's appropriate depends on the nature of your business. What's might be just right for a coach or a body worker might be inappropriate for an attorney or a consultant, but the following advice should apply to almost everyone.
Cards: Most of you send cards to your clients. That's great, but people get so many cards this time of year. We'd suggest you not bother ... unless, that is, you take the time to handwrite a nice personal note to express your genuine appreciation and best wishes and give a little something of yourself.
If you're sending a card out of a sense of obligation ... because it's expected, rather than from your heart, people know it! "Oh, yeah, here's the perfunctory card from my _______." Some people have told us they're actually offended by the obligatory card. They wish you'd just save the money and charge them less! So, get into the holiday spirit and make your card more personal and special.
Jumping out of the box, you might consider sending a Thanksgiving card and/or a New Year's card instead of the generic "Happy Holiday" card. Thanksgiving was made for expressing appreciation. It's the perfect fit. And New Years is about fresh starts and new possibilities. If those themes fit what you have to offer in your business, it's a natural. The obvious benefit of doing this is that your card isn't lost in a sea of other cards.
Gifts: Two thoughts here if you choose to give or send gifts to your clients. Choose something that comes from you ... that you've chosen specially. A generic gift basket doesn't say, "you're special." So, what would? A bottle of fine wine for a wine lover? Great idea. But that doesn't mean you have to get something unique for each client. You can buy in bulk. Just make it something that's meaningful to you and something they'll be delighted to get. It doesn't have to be expensive ... just personal.
By the way, sending a gift certificate with a New Year's card works great. If your business isn't one where you can send a gift certificate for your own services, send a gift certificate of someone in your referral network. Two birds ... one stone.
The Personal Call: Just take a couple of minutes and call your clients to say you were thinking about them and you wanted to wish them and their families a Merry Christmas / Happy Holiday ... whichever's appropriate. No agenda. No business ... unless they bring it up. Just a nice call.
Lunches and Get Togethers: Who's been your best source of referrals? Do you have a special client you really owe a lot to? Take 'em out for lunch or some holiday cheer.
The bottom line: Give of yourself. Make it special. |
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"2008 ... That's the Year my Business Really Took Off."
Say it out loud.
How does that sound? Can you believe it? Could it be true? Will it be true? Are you committed to making it happen?
If so, then talk to us ... or check out our BreakThrough Mentorship Program. We're so ready to help you turbo-charge your marketing efforts and take your business rocketing to the next level, we're beside ourselves. And we have a new session starting in January.
Talk about the new year being all about fresh starts and new possibilities. How satisfying would it be to be the owner of a thriving business in 2008?
Well, here's the deal. We have a great program that just flat out works. It gets results. All we're waiting for is for you to say, "YES! No more fooling around thinking and talking about what could be. This is the year. This is when I finally get the professional sales and marketing help I need to turn all my dreams into reality and all my efforts into measurable results."
We can hear it now. It's a couple of years in the future and you're saying with great pride and satisfaction, "2008, now that was a great year. That's the year my business really took off."
Make it so.
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