Category: Inspiration

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision only passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” – Joel Barker

There are those who see and those who do. We need both.

The seers view the realm of the possible in all it’s abundant potential. But they must convince others to bring forth reality.

The doers get it done. Their inspiration comes from leadership. But success is often measured by busy-ness.

The World Changers…they capture the one idea from the seers they can accomplish and assemble a team of doers. They can focus on the tasks while keeping an eye on the end game.

That is how dents in the universe happen.

“The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” – Agatha Christie

“The E-Myth” by Gerber talks about working ON the business while working IN the business. You need to spend some time off the clock where you are not bounded by the demands of the moment. Those times are when you are visited by moments of clarity.

Long walks, runs, hikes, bike rides, golf and other time consuming physical activities not only provide these moments but they offer considerable health benefits.

Hobbies like gardening, woodworking, fishing also provide time out of mind opportunities.

The important thing about this is there is never enough time for this. You have to plan it like another activity and make sure it get’s on the calendar.

Oh, and leave the cell phone at home!

“I’m often wrong but I’m never in doubt.” – Scott Case

Confidence is a good thing and it’s infectious. Your passion will sell your ideas… to customers, to investors, to your staff, to your community.

Honest mistakes can be forgiven but no one follows a wet noodle.

“If I can accomplish the objective of running a marathon a year for the next 25 years, it’s nearly assured I will live that long.” – Shawn Carson

You have to have a goal. Jim Collin’s calls it a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). It need to be big. It needs to be compelling. It needs to be attainable. This is true personally and it’s true for the business.

Choose your BHAG wisely grasshopper…

“The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.” – Robert Heinlein from Job

For all of us, our time on the planet ends the same way. You can work to satisfy some other organization’s view of the world or you can create value from your own ideas. The one common constraint is time, the most valuable resource. You get to pick.

“Think for one hour every day.” – Jeffery J. Fox

Get away, get quiet, go run or ride or walk, get some coffee, shut the door, disappear… Shut down the noise for a few minutes and let your mind work.

Sometimes, answers come when you reflect.

You should make time for it. Your day will fill up because there’s never enough time to get everything done, so plan on your thinking time.

Read “How to Become CEO” by Jeffery J. Fox

“Don’t Panic.” – Douglas Adams

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy has already supplanted the great Encyclopedia Galactica as the standard repository of all great knowledge and wisdom… it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper and second, it has the words Don’t Panic inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.” from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

If you’re an intergalactic space traveler who encounters strange civilizations, cultures and species…not all humanoid… this is pretty good advice.

So it is if you are an entrepreneur.