In society today, we value options, whether in trading or careers or even relationships. We want to keep our options open. And options do have value in certain situations. But they also have a price! Starting with relationships, if we keep our dating options open, it keeps us from the beauty and depth of a long-lasting marriage. There is no way I could have the wonderful 29-year marriage I have if I had kept my options open. It is the same trading. We can hold the option, or the stock but not both. The option give us the right to buy the stock at a certain price at some point in the future, but we don’t own the shares with the option. If we want the shares we must give up the option. Maybe the place we like to keep our options open the most in our careers. Even in university, we don’t choose a major, so we can keep our options open. When we start out in our career, we try this and then that to see what it is like and to keep our options open. That is very useful in that timing, and if we want to actually grow in our profession, we must first choose that profession and then spend some time with it. As the Russian Proverb says, “If we chase two rabbits at the same time, we are sure to catch none.” Today, I was talking with Jan Griffiths from Gravitas Detroit. https://www.gravitasdetroit.com and I had an “aha moment.” I left my corporate job almost a year and a half ago. I am having a great time advising, coaching, investing, writing, and podcasting. And I still struggle with accelerating that as much as I would like to, especially in the creative and coaching space. Jan helped me to see why today. In my mind, I am still keeping my options open to return to a corporate job. I am chasing two rabbits at once. This is unproductive and stressful. Today, I am burning the boats! I love the connections, purpose, and freedom I feel in my current business especially coaching and podcasting. I love the listening and story-telling that helps me an my clients and friends grow. It is time to just chase that rabbit. With that focus, I can be of much greater service to my clients and clean in my purpose. I feel energized!
Where in your life do you need to burn the boats? To choose left or right? Marriage or single? Smoker or not? This job or that? Whatever you choose, go for it fully at least for a time and see the freedom, focus, productivity, and fun that creates.
Have a great weekend,
Art