A
man from the neighborhood walked by with paint stains all over his pants and shoes.
Seems he’s been doing painting jobs. Nothing wrong with that. It’s fine and respectable work.
But I do remember how a number of years ago he had been all excited about an idea he’d hatched up for an import business.
It was a GREAT idea and it was going to make him and anyone in with him a lot of money.
I do recall wondering if he had the skills to pull it off. Wondering if he knew what it would really take to make that business work.
Months later the business collapsed.
—
It’s not just men whose dreams get crushed, of course.
I know a woman who gets excited when something exciting comes along. Finally THIS will be the opportunity that changes things!
And when it turns out to be not as exciting as it first appeared, her enthusiasm wanes. And she’s back to feeling stuck. Frustrated. Lost.
—
I used to hang around the very significant local startup world.
There, you meet all these young upstarts with big dreams. If their company isn’t in ‘stealth mode’ you’ll hear all about it.
But I soon tired of hearing the naive enthusiasm for all those copycat ideas.
The majority, I could tell, didn’t really understand what it takes to hatch – and grow – a dream.
Most just wanted to be one of the cool kids. And the startup world is full of cool kids.
But the ones who eventually succeed are the ones who notice that the real cool kids are the ones who pursue mastery.
—
Dreams are crushed when you don’t realize what it really means to live your dream.
Today, let’s highlight just one aspect of this: Looking for a ‘catch’ vs looking to get good. Mastery.
When you get excited about the business idea – but you don’t invest to master the underlying skills and dynamics needed to make it work.
Whatever your dream is, in your moments of initial clarity, get excited. Enjoy the excitement.
But know that the fog will soon come.
And if you can’t get excited about going deep and mastering the fundamentals…
And if you won’t give yourself the luxury of investing in a mentor who can teach you the skills that will keep you going when your luck runs out…
…Your dream will be crushed.
So what’s your dream?
And what skills do you really need to master so it becomes a reality? What dynamics must you come to understand?
Now, who can help you learn those skills and master those dynamics?
Go sit at his or her feet for a while.
Dov Gordon
PS – If your dream is to build a thriving business based on your expertise, and you’ve done OK, but lately you’ve been stagnating, go here and request a free “Consistent Flow of Clients” strategy chat.
It’s time to learn the dynamics, the skills, the thinking… that will turn your dream into reality.
And this brief chat is a way for us to begin to get to know each other. And who knows where that will lead!
