PEr Chronicles: Discard the past, move on!

007 version 1 is dead. James Bond actor Sean Connery died on 31/10/20. Add all those numbers together and even in death, he is the definitive 007.

If there's one thing I learned about James Bond, it is never to go down without a fight. Even as he approached seemingly inevitable death by laser in Goldfinger, Bond refused to believe that he would actually, finally, die. Because James Bond never dies. (or ages. Or meets women with normal names). When Bond was left in the middle of a crocodile-infested lagoon in the Louisiana backwaters in Live and Let Die, he's able to escape (again, shocking) by running along the animals' backs to get to safety. The simple lesson is this: no matter how grim the situation, he shows his resilience and turns his problems into a solution. 

Which is to say we are never completely powerless. That's a thought that changes everything, doesn't it?

You have just lost your job. This is exactly what you spend so much time and effort trying to avoid. Or, with a shift in perception, it can be exactly what you were looking for - the chance to build your own empire and make your annual salary, your monthly income. 

Here's the truth. You are not history.

Just because your mind tells you that something is awful or unplanned or otherwise negative doesn't mean you have to agree. Just because other people say that something is hopeless or crazy or broken to pieces doesn't mean it is. We decide what story to tell ourselves. Welcome to the power of perception. 

Change is hard but comfort is an illusion; a fantasy that imagines freedom from pain and suffering if we stay still and avoid change. What most fail to realize, typically until it's very late in the game, is that change happens to us whether we like it or not. When the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone arrives, and it will definitely come, take it. Say no to the sure thing and say yes to a creative challenge. 

The Bond franchise has been successful because while the product has remained the same the packaging is always being modernized. To be successful, you need to be prepared to reinvent yourself. Dreams are the compass for finding your right direction in life. Yes, there will be challenges but if you stay the course, there will be rewards too. Nothing could be sadder than coming to the end of your life and not knowing what would have happened if only you had tried.

A word of caution: don't overeat from the buffet of opportunities. The best companies in the world focus on a few great ideas and say not to other good ideas. If you say yes to every good idea, your resources will be spread out over too many initiatives. Easier said that done, right? 

So how do we make no our new yes? You don't need my help saying no to bad ideas but why is it so hard to say no to the pretty butterflies that fly by? Some of my common reasonings were "That looked like a really, really good idea at the time," "how could we say no to such a great opportunity?" "I have a make-it-happen attitude," "I am entrepreneurial! Of course I must say yes to opportunities."

So nowadays one of my key criteria is scalability. Which opportunities are the most scalable? Scalability leads to faster growth. I am learning to develop the won't power - not to get distracted by new shiny ideas and opportunities - in order to grow faster, smarter and with greater purpose. 

Growing up amongst talented guitarists, I'm always amazed at their talents. I could summarize what I've learned about the difference between music and noise by saying my friends make music and I make noise.

Technically speaking, music and noise are similar - both are created by traveling sound waves that rattle our eardrums. But if I played you a recording of a dump truck backing up, you'd not remember the sound the next day. If I played you an Taylor Swift song, you'd likely be humming it for a week. The brain remembers music and forgets about noise just like the brain remembers some brands and forgets about others.

Story makes music out of noise. This is why we need a filter. The essence of branding is to create simple, relevant messages we can repeat over and over so that we "brand" ourselves into the public consciousness. 

Let's end with how we started. James Bond. Even if you haven't seen the latest Bond movie, you know what you are going to get. Bond is famous for its action packed opening sequence, the theme music and the glamorous women. 

Whether you have consciously created one or it has developed over time, your business and yourself has a brand. Your customers have an expectation of your product whenever they see your logo or hear your name. It's this expectation that defines your brand. 

So forget who you were. Forget what you've done. And forget what others are doing. Heed Vincent Van Gogh words: The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm is terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reasons for remaining ashore.