This summer my four year old son learned how to ride a two wheeler bike with no training wheels.
super proud dad moment!
I could write about his motivation, determination, tenacity and persistence which lead to conquering the art of the peddle driven recreational vehicle in less then two hours and how we can take a page out of his book and apply it to how we should approach life and business….sigh. All good stuff, however…
a topic mulled over and ruminated among most self help or business literature
so what did he teach me?
Focus
If you have ever watched a three foot tall beginner cyclist, a common observation is the consistent head turned-sideways glances in search of meaningful gestures and gratifying confirmation of a job well done. While this is all well and good, I mean, who doesn’t want their spouses, family, peers, bosses, coworkers approval when we’ve first mastered any craft. We are extremely excited and pumped full of adrenaline that we want everyone to see. The problem becomes when this need for recognition lingers.
and lingers
until it becomes our focus.
Now for my four year old on his bike for the first time without the stabilizing support of training wheels, I’m sure you can guess the inevitable result.
This is a good comparison to our life in (and outside of) business. It is fine to seek some approval and recognition from others; its fine to take note of our environment around us (competition, engagements, criticisms etc) and in fact we need it to stay positive and driven. However when the focus turns away from the drive to our destination, we loose the focus that will eventually lead to our successes….along with earning some skinned knees and scars.
Keep your eyes on your goals and stay focused on your destination. Certainly don’t ignore what’s around you, take note of your surroundings and situations and make the necessary adjustments.
stay focused
we will all fall off our bikes eventually – pick yourself up, dust off, clean your wounds and keep pedaling!