by David Hancock
As we said in the last post, the goal of the Performance- Driven Thinker is the journey itself.
But this has not been the way with most entrepreneurs, even if they value this way of thinking. Why?
In addition to our love affair with entitlement, at least ten additional reasons explain this situation. We’ve been led down ten garden paths that lead to the economic and social swamp in which we find ourselves mired at the moment. The time has come for us to make ten U-turns. Forget what the signs say—and what your parents and teachers said about those supposedly one-way streets. U-turns are highly recommended for any traveler who wants to reach the destination, not to mention thoroughly enjoy the journey.
If you cease believing in these ten dirty lies, you’ll be well on your way to dreamland. Amending your beliefs begins with recognizing the myths you subscribe to. Once you do that, I doubt that you’ll need me to puncture the myths for you. No doubt you’ll see the bright light illuminating the truth. Here are the lies you must stop believing.
1. Time is money.
This is a blatant untruth made up by those who are on hourly wages, frequently minimum wage. Time is far more valuable than money. If you run out of money, there are many ways to get more. If you run out of time, you can’t get more.
2. Owning a business means workaholism.
People who are workaholics prefer work to every other activity, including spending time with friends, family, and interests beyond work. Workaholism is the direct result of poor planning. Owning a business should not mean that a business owns you.
3. Marketing is expensive.
Actually, bad marketing is expensive and good marketing is inexpensive. Performance-Driven Thinkers wouldn’t think of using expensive marketing, but they know they must get the word out about their business, so they utilize inexpensive marketing with skill and fervor using time, energy, imagination, and information instead of the brute force of mega-bucks.
4. Big corporations are like wombs.
Big corporations used to be like wombs, but these days many are like tombs. They employee the living dead who work with devotion, yet will be squeezed out kicking and screaming because of merging, downsizing, cost-cutting, restructuring, and bankruptcy. If you want a corporation that functions like a womb, form it yourself.
5. Youth is better than age.
People who believe this one are usually young. Getting old means trading in some abilities to acquire others. It means losing some body power, but gaining mind power, and not making the same mistake twice, or even once. It also helps you understand yourself and realize what wisdom really is
6. You need a job.
You need work, no doubt about it. And a job, structured by someone other than yourself, is one form of work. The truth for most people is that you do not need a standard nine-to-five job working for someone other than yourself—and if you do, expect to pay a high price in abdicating your freedom and the discovery of your unique essence. But you do need to work. Work should help you enjoy your freedom and discover your essential talents. Performance-Driven Thinkers love their work, but they’re usually jobless. They establish the structure of their work rather than rely on an employer.
7. Heaven is in the afterlife.
Heaven is here and heaven is now, if you know where to look for it. Living your life as though heaven existed somewhere else and in some other time means missing the point of your life. Instead, live this life so that the heaven that follows has a lot to live up to.
8. The purpose of education is to teach facts.
The real purpose of education is to teach people to love learning. The more you love learning, the better informed you’ll be throughout your life. Constant learning will always be your ally. Performance-Driven Thinkers realize that times are always changing and that growing up is a process that should never end.
9. Retirement is a good thing.
Pay close attention here: retirement can be fatal. It often leads to inactivity, which can lead to an early demise. If you desire longevity, don’t consider total retirement. People who completely retire shut down vital systems in their hearts, minds, souls, and spirits. It’s okay to cut down on your own workload, even cut down drastically, but never eliminate it. Don’t forget that the way of the Performance-Driven Thinker is characterized by balance. Retirement can lead to imbalance, not to mention boredom.
10. If you want it done right, do it yourself.
This is the battle cry of the terminal workaholic. The battle cry of the Performance-Driven Thinker is, “Don’t do anything you can properly delegate.” It is usually unwise to think nobody can do things right except you. Such a mindset means you lack the ability to train or to link with others, mandatory skills in today’s economy.
Once you’re free of the shackles of these ten lies, you can focus on your goals, one key to succeeding as a Performance- Driven Thinker. (See chapter 10 for a list of good goals, or signposts, for Performance-Driven Thinkers.) To reach your goals, you must not only be aware of them, but also acknowledge that goals change.
One more thing. While striving for your goals, you will form a friendship with an ugly ally, one you’ll try to avoid. As an entrepreneur who takes risks, you will not be able to avoid it forever. This ally is called failure. Get to know it—for if you take pains to eliminate it entirely, you will live a boring life indeed.
Failure is part of the deal when you’re a Performance-Driven Thinker. I have failed so many times, failure grins in recognition when it sees me. Just because failure is instructive and has a lesson neatly tucked into it doesn’t mean it’s any fun. But Performance-Driven Thinkers learn to construct safety nets in the form of alternative sources of income, so failure isn’t the ogre it used to be.
Performance-Driven Thinkers in the coming century will not have a single career like Grandpa (or maybe even Mom) did. In Search of Excellence author Tom Peters said, “I believe, along with British management guru Charles Handy, that a ‘career’ tomorrow will most likely consist of a dozen jobs on and off payrolls of large and small firms in two or three industries.” The way of the Performance-Driven Thinker generates several streams of income to support his life. If one stream dries up, financial nourishment comes from another stream. No single stream may produce enough income, but together they create a mighty river. This enables the Performance-Driven Thinker to tap several of his or her abilities.