Sucking most of the day

Failure is important...yes yes yes...heard it a million times! What isn't recognized so much is how discouraging it can be. Take for example, a small minor task I had today. I was formatting a final report and it took me 10 tries to get this small (relatively insignificant) graph just to fit on my page. It seemed unfair that I had to try 10 times before I got it right 1 time.

This applies to most things. In fact, most things take longer than 10 tries to get it right. If extrapolated to more of life, it implies that its possible to spend 90% of our time failing at one thing or another. That's discouraging!

Its amazing though, that the 1 right time made up for the 10 failed tries. Life isn't counted in one step forward, two steps back or whatever cliche is used. I think a better one is this:

Life is a pile of failures. The bigger your pile of failures the better. But only as long as you stay on top the pile, continuing to add to it, not letting yourself get sucked down into the pile.

Teaching Inspiration

I was feeling discouraged today. I doubt I am alone in the feeling. Some days are worse than others and for some reason we simply cant find inspiration. I tried many things, exercising, eating my fav food, I even went to a festival. Nothing worked. I reverted to some patterns (breathe, focus my thoughts, imagine) that help me get going. Kinda worked.

Inspiration is a funny thing. Its an energy that materializes out of nowhere. It can spawn world changing thoughts, amazing feats of physical ability or the desire to change one's life for the better. The power in inspiration is endless.

But yet, we think inspiration belongs only in the realm of the arts. We play it down in business. Although thinking of the big idea (inspiration) can be worth a lot of money. Its only in the day-to-day activity that true success is found. Finding inspiration each of these days can be difficult.

The Last Push

Its that extra rep you push out, in the last set of pushups, where you build a body to be proud of at the beach.

Its the work you do at 9pm on a friday, that gets you the promotion.

Its the last kilometre you run, when your legs are screaming in pain, that lets you finish the triathlon.

Its when your terrified and nervous, but you go those extra 10 inches to plant a kiss.

If its worth getting, its likely going to involve discomfort. Why? If it everyone could do it, it wouldnt be worthwhile but most people don't like being uncomfortable. Its like my buddy Tyson says, "Training for a triathlon involves a haneous amount of pain!" I think it applies to most everything worth getting.

Would you be friends?

During a due diligence meeting today, my boss, Brad, asks the president and founder of the company, "Do you have a lot of friends?" He responds,"In business or personal life?" Brad, "Personal."

It seems strange to value something as obscure as whether a person has a lot of personal friends when buying a business. Brad has bought over 8 companies and has been doing this sort of business for almost 15 years, there must be some validity to the question.

He said to me after, "Don't go into business with people that have no personal friends. Why? Because they are the people that will try to screw people once some trust builds up and the moment they turn there back, the try to take take take."

Its a good test. Would you be friends with this person? No. Then why go into business with them. Compassion and trust are too elements that should be in all relationships, if someone lacks these key components, they probably won't be around for long.

Selling A Small Business

This week I have to enter into negotiations to buy a small business. The other side believes that it's worth a lot more than it is. It's my job to convince them that it's worth what are willing to pay. Unfortunately, its often difficult to explain the true value of a business to small business owners, who have invested the proverbial blood, sweat and tears.

The numbers, including some industry standards, show that we are paying the correct price (half of what they are asking). The seller, however, is uninformed of these methods and thus wants a higher price. Small businesses such as this are prone to overvaluing the effort they put into the business. What they often don't understand is that the more valuable they personally are to a business, the less the business is worth. Its simple, once the owner leaves, the value leaves with them. Kinda selfish really.

A small business owner should try to make the business run without them. Its the logic behind systematization. Makes it easier to sell. As Michael Gerber says in the E-myth, there are only two reasons for a business, to sell it or franchise it.

A Cool Business Model

From Tim Ferris's book, The Four-hour Workweek.

Here is a cool new business model made possible by the internet. Steps are listed below:

1. Be a specialist/expert at something.
2. Build a DVD explaining how to do it.
3. Outsource the manufacturing of it.
4. Sell it over the Internet.

Easy. If need be, replace DVD with website, newsletter, whatever. Its easy and cheap and if its good, you can reach a lot of people without a lot of expenditure.

Next project: My mom teaches ballroom dancing for people in wheelchairs. How-to DVD will be coming for Christmas.

A Constant Reminder

Although my dad will surely role his eyes (thinks I can be a bit dramatic) I will go ahead with this blog. I read this theme in two separate books and one speech by Steve Jobs, all within the span of a few days. (Thanks Allen and Tyson!!)

The theme is that death is a constant companion.

It follows you wherever you go, all your life. You cannot outrun it or hide from it. It is always there, ever patient, ever ready. In the light of this, knowing that you could go at any second most things seem not so important. Is it important that you get that new ipod? Or that when you go to clubs you dont meet anyone? Just doesnt seem that important, does it? Family, loyal friends, work that lets you contribute to the world - these are the important things.

Its not simple enough to live life as though you may die tomorrow. I dont plan on dying tomorrow, nor the next day or a long while after that. But I could. So why be scared/intimidated/timid/content - there is so much to do...