Just because other businesses grow large, employ lots of people, have a chain of retail shops, or become household names, doesn’t mean that’s the pinnacle goal of all businesses – however successful they might be.
The ONLY thing that matters is where you want to be, where you want to head for and what you want to achieve.
Here’s a little story to illustrate the point:
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.
“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs…I have a full life.”
The American interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!
“You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
“Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise.”
“How long would that take?” asked the Mexican.
“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the American.
“And after that?”
“Afterwards? That’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the American, laughing.
“When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!”
“Millions? Really? And after that?”
“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings with your friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs…”
So what does success mean to YOU? What are your dreams and aspirations? I’d love you to share in the comments box below.
That is a good story. It does make you think.
I saw a documentary on Marbello last night – there were hillsides of enormous mansions that stood empty for 11mnths of the year. The millionaire owners had the money to buy them but not the time to enjoy their luxuries. – go figure.
Thanks for your comment Vicky. That’s so sad. Sometimes I think it’s so easy to be so focussed on what you’re trying to achieve and forget about why. It’s like making the most amazing cake and forgetting to eat it!