Distractions: The Raw Sausage Problem & Why We Should Never Watch Another Transformers Movie
Call me weird or awesome (definitely that one), but I find raw sausage looks appetizing. Maybe it’s because I love pepperonis and raw sausage sorta looks like them spicy pizza toppings. The brilliant red coloring of raw sausage compels me to eat it.
But the problem is, whenever I actually eat cooked sausage I’m highly disappointed. When I go to eat the grey and greasy meat, it just doesn’t taste very good. Bacon is a much better alternative.
Transformers Fails To Deliver
And like the raw sausage appeal, Transformers movies have the same problem. Every few years, a new Transformers movie by Michael Bay hits the theaters. I see the trailers and wow does it look enticing. But every single one of these movies is a huge disappointment. And yet, when the next trailer comes out, it’ll have me wondering, maybe this one will be different. Maybe the next movie will deliver this time. (By the way, have you seen the trailer for the new BumbleBee Transformer Movie? It looks good!)
How many times do I need to be disappointed before I learn something that looks good doesn’t mean it is good?
Opportunities Spring Up Like Weeds
Here's the deal. As an entrepreneur, there is no shortage of appealing opportunities. It seems they have a way of easily finding us when we should instead be working on ventures that actually propel us forward.
When I entered into freelancing, there were numerous people reaching out to request I work (for free) on the next big project. Learning the lessons of not doing free work (unless its for non-profits and limited) I easily and quickly deflected and deflated these exciting opportunities. Unfortunately for many freelancers and small business owners, they quickly get bogged down by these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Distractions Work Because We Believe In Fairy Tales
The lure never ends. We think this new tool, or that interesting strategy, or this exciting idea could be the thing that transforms our business and changes our lives!
Sorry, if you can't manage the fundamentals consistently well, you'll never succeed. And if you ever had that one hit wonder, it wasn't you that made it successful. It was someone else.
Let's call our temptation for what it is.
A silver bullet.
A magic wand.
A shiny object.
A distraction.
Mickael Cho, the founder of Unsplash, captured this sentiment in a recent shopping experience via Twitter.
We passed 10 people in line because they were distracted by the shiny things before the cash register.
— Mikael Cho 🏗️ (@mikaelcho) August 7, 2018
Reminded me of how important focus is to building a company. The biggest risk to your company is not competition it’s implosion. pic.twitter.com/wlpiUIKv8K
This visual provides a clear picture of the difference between a focused and determined patron and one who is easily distracted along the way. If success is at the end of this weaving path, why don't we simply bite the bullet, do the hard things, and get the mission done?
This is a source of true freedom.
What Really Matters
And as it turns out, we can do much more, much quicker than we realize. Focus requires a clear and articulated goal. And, it requires a full commitment to accomplish it, regardless of what comes our way along the way.
Commitment. Focus. Perseverance. Accountability.
Which of these four ingredients are you missing?
And while you think about your answer, please come to find me later on Youtube rewatching that new Bumblebee Transformers trailer...
Additional Resources
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