The Most Valuable Strategy to Apply to Anything That You Do
Update: I have written the companion piece on How to Create Your Five-Year Plan here. Enjoy!
I sat down for breakfast late last summer with a man I knew very little about. I took the appointment at the urging of a friend. This friend told me he was a successful businessman and a wealthy benefactor. I knew that he sat on the board of directors at the school where my friend works. That’s it.
I took the meeting anyway.
I didn’t know exactly why. I had no idea what I was getting into. What I did know was I needed some direction — some guidance for my next move. I was searching for career answers. I desired inspiration and ideas — the lifeblood of any successful venture. What I found was the most beneficial information I’ve ever received from a networking conversation. I’m here now to tell you that story.
We met at Goldberg’s Bagel Company and Deli, a place that purports itself to be an “Authentic New York Deli.” In the heart of Atlanta.
Sigh.
While it took me awhile to recover from that insult to my intelligence (I am a native New Yorker, after all!), I shook it off and then shook his hand. He smiled and introduced himself. I could tell right away I was chatting and dining with a very confident, self-assured man. Little did I know, he was already retired for 13 years. He looked young.
Despite my deli concerns, I dove headlong into my everything bagel with cream cheese. Pretty good, actually.
He asked me how things were going and told me a little more about himself. He launched a start-up venture with a partner over 25 years earlier. They offered a niche marketing service for financial companies that provided tremendous value and incredible sales leads. Something like that. Oh yeah, one more little tiny piece of detail:
They sold it 13 years ago for just north of $100 Million to a German financial services company.
My ears perked up. He already had my attention but now — I was really all in.
He explained that he and his partner founded this company with the sole intention of selling it to make a profit. He said that before they even officially launched the business, they went through a painstaking amount of planning, detail and fine-tuned specifics to lay out precisely what they wanted this business venture to become.
He didn’t just have an exit strategy. He had a comprehensive road map and plan that addressed exactly how they intended on growing the business and then marketing the company to find a buyer.
Cool story. But I still hadn’t profited from the experience.
I listened more as he asked me what I saw as my next steps with my coaching career and writing. I told him about my upcoming book and many of the dreams I’ve been living out over the past several years. I could sense we were nearing the end of the conversation. He turned to me and said:
“Well, Chris, I’m not really sure I can help you all that much, unfortunately. I’ve been out of work and retired now for 13 years. I’m sorry.”
Oh, well. At least I got a free breakfast out of it.
Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had missed the hidden message. I was thinking so much about me and not enough about what he had said. I pivoted, realizing I was onto something, and quickly asked him, “What is the best advice you can give me, particularly considering all of your business success?” I needed him to go just a tad further. He did. Here’s what he said:
“You sound like you have a lot of great ideas. But great ideas alone won’t take you where you want to go. You have to GET SPECIFIC. I recommend that you write out in very specific detail how you envision the next five years of your life unfolding. Write out your objective. Write out your goals. Write out very specific steps of your process for EXACTLY how you plan to achieve success.
This will help you envision success. It will provide meaning for what it takes to reach your goals. You may not want to launch a start-up company, but you do want to become a successful author. You need to put together a bulletproof plan, in extraordinarily specific detail, for exactly how you will do this. Not just for your book, but for every area of your life.
I know it will work. It’s exactly what I did when I was your age. It’s the only reason I was able to launch, run and sell a successful business. I literally spoke and wrote my dream over my life and it became my reality. Give this a shot, I hope it works.”
I peeled myself out of the wooden booth. I committed the moment to memory and burned his sagacious advice into my thoughts. I thanked him for his time and we went our separate ways. I immediately went home and started writing. Later that weekend, I began — in earnest — my efforts of completing this five-year plan. It took me a few months but I nailed it down.
I live today and every subsequent day executing the tasks from this plan. I’m much more confident and determined, as a result. I used to be wishy-washy, flying by the seat of my pants in both my day job and side hustle. No longer. I needed a wake-up call and that man provided it. Hopefully, this is yours.
You’re going to start moving in the direction of your dreams the day you cut out the B.S. and get specific on exactly how you plan to achieve your big dreams and goals. GET SPECIFIC for all of your plans. GET SPECIFIC about all the things you want AND, just as important, all that you don’t want — no matter where you are in the process.
Lukewarm and “in the middle” will get you nowhere. You’ll stay in the same place, which is actually worse than moving backwards. We must move forward in life. The surest way I know how is to get specific and do so with a positive attitude and intelligent work ethic. It’s worked for me and it sure worked for that millionaire. What are you waiting for?
Start Your Plan Today!
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