Taking the Long View

Do you have any problems in your business right now?  Of course, you do.  There are always problems!  I was talking about that this afternoon with a very experienced consultant who has worked with a lot of business owners over her career.  And as we talked about this it occurred to me that those who become truly successful as business people tend to overlook their problems.

On the contrary, I’ve noticed that many people seem to go from one problem to the next.  Often solving one thing brilliantly before moving on to another.  But as they go they are constantly focused on problems.  Often they are frustrated and sometimes, it seems, perpetually so.

Others seem to almost glide past the temporary difficulties of life, and business, in an almost glib or cavalier fashion.  Serious people may even look at them with a certain disdain for their seeming carelessness.  Yet, these people seem to do very well.

I think the difference is vision.

Some seem to focus only what is right in front of them and when that is troublesome what they see is trouble.  Others have focused their attention on the future, and while potholes appear in their path, they don’t focus on those rather keeping their gaze far out in front.

The difference is a bit like landing an airplane.  When you first begin to learn to fly, and land, an airplane you are taught to focus your eyes at the far end of the runway and not the part closest to you.  This is the key to a successful and smooth landing.  When you forget that and look where you’re landing you tend to bounce, skitter and slide.

Like landing an airplane, keeping the long view in sight is important to running a business well.  It is what keeps the little bumps that are normal from becoming the focus.  There are always bumps but they will be smaller, and less impactful, if you are looking at the future instead of the present.

When you find yourself beset with trouble, and it seems that your days are filled with problems, try looking down the runway to the end and see if things just don’t go a whole lot smoother.