By the Ocean
Cloudy and Breezy 74 Degrees
7:43 a.m.
During college, I was supposed to practice my instrument, the pipe organ, for four hours a day. I probably hit that a few times, but not many.
I was too busy trying to get my future wife to pay attention to me to have much time left for practicing. (Let the record show I’m persistent! We have 10 kids! And no, we’re not Catholic, Mormon or Amish.)
The real reason I wasn’t motivated is probably because I didn’t really want to do that for a living. I didn’t know that then. I didn’t even know that years later. But looking back, it’s clear now.
HUMANS DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. That’s a pretty consistent part of their nature and it’s smart to remember that if you hope to eat in the world of business.
What I wanted to do back then was to NOT practice.
The Matrix says I lacked discipline, I say I wasn’t in touch with my real self and was just doing what I was told in every area of my life.
Knowing yourself in business is non-negotiable. You need to understand how you’re wired to succeed.
One of the most important points of clarity you have in business is to figure out if you’re here to be a hunter or a farmer.
These are fundamentally different mindsets that lead to very different types of action.
I’m a farmer. I plant “things” (relationships) in the ground, I nurture those things, I watch them grow, I express gratitude as they bear fruit.
That describes my “business.” It’s slow, methodical, sustainable and the most valuable education I’ve ever received.
Some people came to hunt. They want X, they go out and look for it, they “kill” it and they drag it home. That’s how they view their business.
The problems start when you’re one type and try to act like the other.
You can hunt. You can farm. But if you’re a hunter and you try to farm, you’ll be really frustrated. If you’re a farmer and you try to hunt, you probably won’t enjoy it at all. And there’s a good chance you’ll come home with nothing.
Trusted advisors aren’t in the hunting business. If they try that, it’s a real mess. They end up looking weak and needy as their “prey” runs away in response to being chased.
When “hard core closers” try to farm, they blow a gasket. “Who can wait around for this sh*t to grow! I need to eat NOW!” Unless you’re a psychopath, you can’t really hunt AND be a trusted advisor at the same time. Those two things are not compatible with each other.
The work I do is for farmers. It’s for people who want to plant, grow and pick the fruit when it’s ready. That’s why I guide and mentor business owners for years. That’s why I can stay in someone’s life for a long time. It’s not because they’re dumb, it’s because I’m helping them grow and improve their farm! That’s why almost nothing I make, with the exception of things that offer a mindset shift, promise an instant result. In farming, nothing good is instant.
We’re not hunting here in my Universe, we’re building your own version of the Garden of Eden…for you…based on you…in service to others.
Farming is the only approach that is infinitely sustainable without having to leave your property.
The secret is to stay put long enough, to dig deep enough, to plant the field well enough and to have the patience to watch it grow.