Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

Are You Being Persistent in the Right Things?
Here's a favorite quote from Friedrich Nietzsche:

"Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal"

All of us are capable of great persistence. The problem is that we often choose the wrong things to be persistent about. We set our minds about a certain way of doing things and then set about doing them in the most ineffective way possible.

The other day, I took my wife and son out to one of his favorite restaurants before he left from his brief stay home between ending his time in the Marines and heading back to college. The restaurant had two locations, on opposite ends of the metro area.

We went to the closer one and found that their computer was down. They could accept only cash. I immediately turned us around and had us set off for the other location, all the way across town.

Why? Because I've been trying to track my spending more precisely and have found it helpful to put certain categories on spending on my check card. That way I can see those expenditures all in one handy report each month.

I could have easily gone one block, gotten approximately as much cash out as I expected to pay for the meal, and listed the withdrawal as Dining. But, instead, I drove them nearly 20 miles (surprisingly without complaint from either of them) just to go to the other restaurant that would accept plastic.

I have to say, this is not the first time I have been this persistently inefficient in pursuing a course of action instead of the goal behind it. I've held onto unprofitable business strategies for too long because I fell in love with them. I've continued to pursue failed opportunities long after I should have abandoned them.

Examples of being persistent about courses of action rather than the end results are many in my life, as I suspect they are in just about anyone. We get emotionally attached to the means and forget about the ends.

I invite you today to take a look at your business and life right now. Are you pursuing your goals? Or just the path you hope will take you there?
Jeff

Labels: inspirational quotes