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Experiencing the drama and challenges of a hurricane will forever impact your life in a very meaningful way. You are able to visualize the power of nature first hand and discover that though you may have thought you had prepared, when reality hits, you are never fully prepared.
While some feel Hurricane Matthew was not one of the most destructive storms in our nation’s history, it is still estimated that final numbers could find the storm approaching the $70 billion price tag of Hurricane Sandy. Though frightening, stressful, and uniquely demanding, there are some key lessons that you can gain from this storm’s fury.
Lesson 1: Learn to face reality. Hoping the storm will not come is not a strategy when you look out the window and see the swaying of the trees. It's here and now. What do you do? The same applies to life and career. You have to run toward the issues which confront you daily. You can’t be like an ostrich sticking your head in the sand hoping that if you leave it there long enough all challenges will pass. A life and career focus demands action, and to navigate both effectively requires you to meet and address your reality. Refusing to admit that reality of the moment will most certainly find you scrambling to seek a shelter that too often is blown away by life’s storms. Only strength in the face of uncertainty enables you to be positioned for a final victory.
Lesson 2: Understand that proper preparation prevents poor outcomes. There is a well-known adage that you should not complain about the snapping of alligators if you forget to drain the swamp. Neither can you complain about the loss of power, water and other related comforts that most often occur with hurricanes if you fail to address those issues prior to the storm’s arrival. The same thought process occurs in business and life: if you fail to prepare for the discomforts of business cycles and life in general, you will surely find yourself in a very stressful environment. Compiling a list of necessary actions provides you a fundamental roadmap of what must be done at specific times to “weather the storm”.
Action Step: Click here to download my article "Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance". This will provide an overview of: planning in general, the components of a plan; the difference between a vision, a mission, objectives, strategies and action plans.
You cannot successfully build a business without a plan. It gives a reason for doing what you do.
Next week I'll share 2 more key lessons...
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