I know Nate, who’s in network marketing. He’s so excited and wound up all the time, he gets easily distracted and can’t focus on vital things that will make his business grow.
I know another guy I’ll call Tyler, who owns one of those mailbox businesses. He’s so logical and meticulous he finds absolutely no joy in his work. And sometimes he spends days on end getting nothing important done.
Neither of these fellas makes very good money.
How come?
They’re out of whack. Out of balance. They both need to learn one key lesson:
Dream like a little kid — focus like a grown-up.
If I were Nate or Tyler, I’d write that phrase down on a dozen index cards and post them all over my house and car.
There’s no question that dreaming big and having a childlike vision of your business will keep you motivated. And it will, at least for a while, help you bulldoze through the hard times, the challenges, and all the rough patches in your progress.
But left unchecked, unrestrained enthusiasm can also sidetrack you from making decisions. You might expend so much energy on dreaming that you have none left for the business itself.
Likewise, approaching your business rationally and systematically will assure steady growth. It’s a surefire formula for success.
But when you concentrate intensely only on systems and nuts and bolts, you run the risk of sucking pleasure out of your work. And that, in turn, can cut your productivity.
So the secret is balance.
When you start your day and begin new business tasks, jump into them like a child — with gusto and wonder.
But then use your adult-like knowledge, experience, and intuition to make the decisions necessary to a truly productive day.
Your business will be the better for it.
