| I was outside yesterday afternoon, enjoying lunch | | | | ocean with big toys, you'd better be well-trained |
| with friends. We were at one of the best | | | | or you could crash and get hurt. |
| oceanfront dining locations along the whole Grand | | | | So, what does this mean to me or you? It means |
| Strand (as our beach is called). From our dining | | | | that if we want smooth sailing in our business or |
| vantage point, we could not only see the waves | | | | even our personal lives, we need some training |
| rolling in to the wide sandy beach, but there were | | | | and some practice. So, first, let's figure out what |
| a variety of water sports going on out there. | | | | we're already really good at, and work from |
| First, there were the jet skis. Then I saw folks | | | | there. I know what my strengths are. And I'm |
| parasailing, wind-surfing, and just plain ol' surfing on | | | | painfully aware of my weaknesses. How about |
| boards of all different sizes. It was a colorful | | | | you? If you need help with assessing these, enlist |
| display of watercraft and sails against the azure | | | | the help of a trusted friend or co-worker. It's |
| blue of the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was | | | | usually not a good idea to involve your spouse or |
| even perfect. Not too hot, and not much humidity. | | | | "significant other" because it might get a little |
| This spring has been awesome, and we keep | | | | tense; it's tough to take criticism from those the |
| waiting for the hammer to drop and both | | | | very closest to us. Maybe if you've been married |
| temperature and humidity will rise to unbearable | | | | or together a REALLY long time and have most |
| levels almost overnight. But yesterday, it was just | | | | of the bugs worked out of your relationship. |
| right. | | | | Now, when you have the strengths and |
| Then, the longer I watched, I began to see some | | | | weaknesses all figured out and written down, |
| disturbing things. You see, riding jet skis into the | | | | think about how you might go about shoring up |
| ocean surf is not the same as launching one into a | | | | these areas. I'll give you an example from my life. |
| calm lake or the Intracoastal Waterway. I saw a | | | | I'm a terrible organizer. I work at it constantly |
| few bodies flying off the jet skis and a lifeguard | | | | because left to my own devices, I'd drown in piles |
| jumping into the surf for assistance, while another | | | | of things and I'd never find anything. I know I will |
| onlooker swam out to the jet ski itself which was | | | | probably always need help. |
| bobbing precariously on the waves. People were | | | | When I first went into business,I found I was |
| literally and figuratively, "over their heads." A | | | | buying the same products twice, and one time I |
| parasailer came down for a landing and hit the | | | | actually went into a mega bookstore here and |
| sand a little too hard. Sea shells aren't the best | | | | bought the same book twice in the same week. I |
| ground cover for falling, and I saw a couple | | | | finally purchased software that helps me keep |
| bloodied knees from that crash. Of course, there | | | | track of passcodes, affiliate links, auto-responder |
| were the typical wipe-outs from inexperienced | | | | emails, info products and eBooks I've purchased, |
| surfers, and wind-surfers. Maybe this wasn't so | | | | and the list goes on... |
| relaxing after all. | | | | Make plans right away to fill in the gaps where |
| Then, as my mind tends to do, I began to | | | | you know you need help. And I hope to see you |
| consider the lesson I could take away from all | | | | all enjoying smooth sailing. |
| this. I think I have it: If you're going to play in the | | | | |