Stop Doing It the Same Way

Stoic Quote of the Week

Under the comb the tangle and the straight path are the same. -Heraclitus

What I learned this week:

Albert Einstein said that if you continue to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, that is insanity. How many things have we done in our lives and thought it would be different this time? The same thought is true for a man with a hammer; everything he sees is a nail. We must be willing to look at things from a different point of view and look for a different tool set. I’ve done plenty of projects and fixes with baling wire and duct tape in my day, but none of those fixes ever lasted. They were only short-term solutions until the problem could be corrected permanently with the proper tools and parts. I’ve also muscled my way through plenty of projects with the wrong tools. Sure, I got the job done, but it took me twice as long just using a hammer vice the tools that are made for the job. The same holds true in business. You can spend tons of time using the wrong tool, working the wrong path, or trying to muscle your way through it. When you do that, think to yourself, how much would the right tool or expert have cost? Then weigh that against what you spent in time, effort, and frustration to get to the same point. I bet there is a significant gap. I know for us at Tribe+Purpose, some huge lessons have been learned in this area. Not everything is answered with a Facebook ad or some other post. Just because it worked before or for someone else doesn’t mean it works in your business or your situation. When you bring in an expert or have someone you can ask you for ideas and recommendations, you can leap ahead and over the problem. Sometimes handing off the problem to an expert is the way to go. Sometimes, asking for advice and review is the way to go. Either way, you will move forward faster than trying to figure it out on your own. Stop doing it the same way and expecting something different. Reach out for a tool that is made for the job and succeed!

Planning thought of the week:

Course of action development is one of my favorite parts of the planning cycle. This is the free-thinking wild idea time to come up with solutions to solve the problem. When done right and with a team, you will be amazed at the ideas that come out. Some may be a little crazy, but what if that crazy solution has a component that will fit right into solving the problem? Open up the aperture and let all the ideas flow out.

Business idea I heard about or thought of:

What do you think about sub-leasing subscriptions? Here’s what I’m thinking. We all sign up for things we end up not using, but in the interest of saving a nickel or two, we always buy the annual subscription vice monthly. Then three weeks or a month plus into the good idea subscription, we no longer use the tool or product. Now, I’ve paid several hundred dollars into something I will no longer use. Yep, sunk cost fallacy, but what if I could get back 50% or more of my “investment” by passing the product on to someone who wants to use it or try it out? I’d do that in a heartbeat. Everything from streaming services to SaaS, some cash back in my pocket is better than nothing. We just need a website built to do this, and maybe a subscription to that sight? ??

Veteran opportunity of the week:

If you’ve been reading these newsletters, then you know I love the opportunities for veterans turned farmers and ranchers. Here is the latest good news! The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)?National Institute for Food and Agriculture?(NIFA) recently announced an award of $5 million to community farming programs for Veterans! This is awesome, and we need more of this!

Someone I met this week:

One of my favorite judges of character and metaphors is whether someone will pick up the shovel and get to work. When someone new shows up to a group meeting for the first time and brings their own shovel (This is a metaphor, not a reference to Heraclitus above), I love it! I had a Marine join us this week in one of the veteran calls I host, and she brought it. Not just contributing to the meeting but the actions taken following the meeting. If you are looking for someone that isn’t afraid to guide you in action and help you and your business grow, link up with Ask Aileda Lindal here.

Please follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook, Tribe + Purpose.

Link to current The Cam & Otis Show podcast episode, Preventing Violence at the Source with Valencia Peterson (Coach V) Open Door Abuse Awareness & Prevention Ep 176.

Thank you for your support.

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