“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson
When I entered the current phase of my career I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what “business improvement services” would look like. And a lot of things have happened that were not unexpected. There have also been a few surprises.
The biggest surprise I’ve found when working with business leaders is the amount of self-pity that exists. Maybe self-pity isn’t the most precise terminology, but it’s the closest thing I can come up with. There are a remarkable number of business leaders (even successful ones) who spend a lot of time and energy reliving everything that’s ever gone wrong in their businesses & personal lives. Not so that they can learn some kind of valuable lesson; just because they are “down in the dumps” and don’t feel like getting out of it.
I’m a history buff, and I have no problem talking about past events & challenges. There is value in that, if you do it constructively. Unfortunately, too many people do it just to wallow in everything that’s wrong. And where they usually end up is convincing themselves that life stinks and there’s nothing they can do about it.
That’s where the problem is. Sometimes life does stink. Sometimes things happen that you don’t have control over. Sometimes you fail in an endeavor. But as soon as you think that the rest of your future is already mapped out and you can’t change it, you’re done.
Flip the switch in your mind. Right now, think about what your ideal “ending” looks like. What’s different about that ending from where you are now? What specific steps would you have to take to make that ending happen? Don’t get so bogged down in stuff that’s already over that you lose sight of stuff that is still to come. And don’t let yourself believe that you have no control over what’s coming.
You may be in a tough situation, or you may have experienced some unpleasant things, but no matter where you are NOW, you can still go WHERE you want. Any argument to the contrary is driven by fear of failure or laziness.
Start your new ending today!
