There's nothing like a really good book (and a cup of coffee), right? That good book today is "Straight Line Leadership" by Dusan Djukich which demonstrates all of the ways that people justify NOT taking action and NOT getting the results they seek. Like the unicorn in the story you are about to read.
In Straight-Line Leadership: Tools for Living with Velocity and Power in Turbulent Times Dusan Djukich dramatically unveils exactly what it takes to live a powerful and effective life both personally and professionally.
It doesn't matter whether you are a CEO, a small business owner, a parent, or someone who simply wants to make a difference; in this book, you will learn to master powerful distinctions that you can apply immediately to overcome the challenges that you are facing right now. And you will also become adept at assisting others in solving their most pressing problems with precision and grace.
The main takeaway message from the book is zeroing in on what you would like to accomplish, define the action you need to take to accomplish your goals, decide if you are willing to pay the price to do so. If you are not willing to do that, obviously you'll end up frustrated. You then monitor your results and make corrections where needed.
So anyway, the point of this Wednesday Wisdom post is a wonderful story that the author refers to in Chapter 44 of the book, where he talks about investment versus cost.
When straight-line individuals are faced with a potential opportunity, they look at it as an investment. If they intend to participate, they look at the potential return for the time, money and energy they plan to spend on it.
Unfortunately, most people who struggle consistently look at only one thing: cost. They do not get past their obsession with how much they have to pay. As a result, they end up sitting there.
Here's the story that illustrates this. After you read it, reflect.
HELP!
I walked through the wildwood, and what did I see but a unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree crying "Someone please help me before it's too late."
I hollered, "I'll free you."
He hollered back, "Wait, how much will it hurt?"
"How long will it take? Are you sure that my horn will not scratch, bend or break? How hard will you pull?
How much must I pay?
Must you do it right now or is Wednesday okay?
Have you done this before? Do you have the right tools? Have you graduated from horn-saving school? Will I owe you a favor?
And what will it be? Do you promise that you will not damage the tree?
Should I close my eyes? Should I sit down or stand? Do you have insurance? Have you washed your hands?"
And after you free me, tell me, what then?
Can you guarantee I don't get stuck again? Tell me when, tell me how, tell me why, tell me where."
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Well, yeah. That's it. That's the story.
I guess that unicorn is still standing there.
So, the question is, are YOU still standing where you were LAST year at this time of year?
Did you have goals and have not taken action because you are focusing on the costs?
If so, OUCH!
It hurts when you look back and see all the big plans you made but didn't implement and follow through. We've all been there.
Most people choose to struggle with the same issues they had last year simply because they did not make a plan and if they did, they did not take action.
Pretty much like the unicorn. You can see all of the circles and the zigzags in the mind of the unicorn as the opportunity fades away.
Change doesn't just happen. As Einstein once said "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
So, if you want to stay stuck like the unicorn and not move forward because of (insert lame reason or excuse here), then that is a choice, and choices are honored by the Universal Law of Cause and Effect.
But if you do want to accomplish your personal and professional goals, you do need a plan, a vision. It is as simple as that.
Here's the book, if you'd like to read it. Buy it on or
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Wednesday Wisdom is with short bursts of easy-to-consume wisdom in the form of inspiring stories, verse, quotes, anecdotes, reflections, easy meditation, thought-provoking questions and humor. Oh yeah, some days are not so short.
