At the risk of being a bit cliche for coming up with metaphors for life/business while on a motorcycle ride, I am hoping to share with you a thought I had this weekend while enjoying the long curvy roads here in the US Pacific Northwest.
Life and business are like riding a motorcycle: it’s a balancing act, of often times seemingly contradictory elements.
- DIRECTION: Before you suit up and head out, you pretty much have to know where you’re going to end up (a destination).
- FOCUS: Once you’re out, you have to be singularly focused on the road directly in front of you, around the corner doesn’t matter if you don’t swerve around the roadkill 5 feet beyond your front tire.
Lola
THE FINE PRINT
Now, I would be dishonest if I said that you’re completely ignoring what’s around the corner when riding, of course you’re not. But that’s where the balancing act starts, that dance in your head between intensely focusing on the pavement in front of you, while also downshifting for that exit you happen to know is just around the bend. Also direction is a fluid thing, it cannot be taken as something fixed or immovable. Both in business and in life (just as in riding) I’m a huge proponent of experiencing the journey, and I’m especially fond of heading out the door with one agenda, only to change it as you go. Business plans, likewise, have to be living, breathing entities (see my thoughts around adaptability). By design they have to be able to evolve, grow and remain useful as a tool to help anchor and remind you of your vision, your purpose. As a wise friend recently told me, ‘anchors can be lifted and dropped someplace new, that’s what they’re made for!’
The folks at eMyth know this and I’m especially fond of their business plan templates for their brevity and soulfulness. Yes, soulfulness. There is so much business advice out there, my rule of thumb is generally, any business framework that has at its core, the idea that businesses should fulfill your life’s passion, is probably worth a look.
Peace.
