Turning Inspiration into Action!

Years ago, when my second son was around 8-years-old, he challenged me in a foot race. We had just returned from a family bike ride around the neighborhood. When I got off the bike, my legs felt a little tired. But, I decided to race him anyway because this wasn't the first time he'd insisted that he could win. I figured I'd beat him real quick and call it a day. Now, mind you, I hadn’t run in a race since I was a kid myself, nor have I ever been considered athletic. None of that mattered. I could do this without any preparation or much thought. Right? Right. So, I kneeled down and positioned myself to be ready to take off in a quick sprint. My oldest son, then about age 11, called the race. “On your mark! Get set! Go,” he shouted! And off I went, at least in my mind I did.

My mind said go, but my legs said no!
I fell flat on my face. Immediately after the fall, both my sons came to see if I was okay and informed me that I’d chipped my front tooth. I rushed into the house to look in the mirror to assess the damage, my teeth being my pride and joy. I was devastated and immediately called my dentist to fix me. I had a few other scratches, bumps and bruises but nothing compared to the chipped tooth. The lessons I learned from this experience inspired me to translate them into a few best practices for "running” a business.

Lessons Learned:
1. Know your competition. If you’re in it to win it, make sure your assumptions are feasible.
2. Think, assess, plan, and prepare rather than wing it.
3. Know your strengths and don't dismiss your weaknesses.
4. Know when you need help and get it!
5. Sometimes saying no "beats" yes.

Who won that day? I guess in a way we both did. He won the race, and I learned to never compete with an 8-year-old.

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