Who is Going to Win? You or the Whirlwind?

Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Author @JSBUFORD

 One of the biggest challenges facing anyone (generally speaking) who is climbing the entrepreneurial success ladder, particularly if you're climbing out of a place of obscurity, you weren't born on 3rd or even 1rst base, or lack social capital, is the capacity to think BIG.

Why? A lack of examples or well of experience, images, testimonies, stories, etc., of transcendence or accomplishment can dull the senses or one’s hunger. The shallower the well, the less likely one will be able to endure the dry seasons. Or what I like to refer to as the whirlwind.

Because one of the necessary predicates of thinking BIG, is the ability to to overcome the whirlwind. And what is the whirlwind? It's the urgent stuff. It's also the negative, yet sticky static in your music.

• Stressing about paying the bills, rent, the car note, the cell phone bill is exploding.
• The dog just ran away for the 15th million time. The leaves are falling, and I don’t have a rake.
• The car just overheated.
• It’s so cold outside.
• No one else you know is doing it.
• The dispute with the friend, small disagreement with the spouse.
• The boss or a co-worker doesn’t like you or they’re jealous of you.
• The fit your girlfriend or boyfriend just threw. Someone slighted you.
• The cable just went out, the toilet just quit. You have the sniffles.

Some of this stuff might seem trivial or traumatic depending on your situation. However, all of these matters are smashed together on purpose to illustrate that most people typically drop everything to deal with some of these aforementioned circumstances ….making them urgent.

Here’s the thing. While it may be absolutely necessary to address these challenges, ask yourself one question…. Will putting any of these fires out put you closer to achieving the BIG goal, or simply take you back to square one?

By the time the whirlwind is done with most of us, the big goals and dreams seem so out of reach, so distant, many begin to question the wisdom, or even if they were real in the first place. Fighting with the whirlwind can leave you exhausted at the end of the day, and most just want to curl up in bed, and hope the whirlwind takes a break on them the following day.

I spoke with a young lady who commutes through West Indian Village in Detroit, Michigan frequently, past the mansions on her way to work. We spoke briefly about how driving through that block made her feel. She smiled so vibrantly as she shared how BIG and pretty they were. And as I listened to her, I waited for her to begin to talk about how nice it would be to own, live in, wake up in the morning and walk into the yard of her mansion one day.

It didn’t happen.

I asked her had she ever taken the time to step foot in one of them. Her response was no. She indicated that on rare occasions she thought about taking a tour or just walking down the street to get a closer look. However, in her rush to get to work, stressing out about bills, or just stressing about all kinds of stuff, her commute through the neighborhood often became a blur.

I asked her what she wanted to do, or where she saw herself, what kind of lifestyle she desired 5 years from now. She mentioned that she wanted to be a nursing assistant or work in a group home. I asked her why? She indicated that the pay would be better than working as a cashier in the fast food industry and maybe it would allow her to own a car, and pay the bills in a two bedroom house someday. When I asked her whether she desired anything else, she responded that if she could achieve these things, she’d be ok with everything else. As she shared her testimony with me, I couldn’t help but notice how unenthusiastic she was as she imparted this, and how in-congruent her testimony was in relationship to the excitement she exhibited while speaking about driving through West Indian Village previously.

 When I asked her, what about the BIG house, the exciting dream, and whether this course of action would give her a chance to acquire the object of her heart’s desire, her response was “I just want to hold on.” The mansion, the feeling of exhilaration, the desire to dream was almost dead at the age of 23.

Know, that there is no judgement here. I learned from the information she shared with me, that she was reliable. Vigorous in her belief and execution of the value of clocking into work on time and being ready. Improving her lot in life through education was on the radar. I admired a lot of the traits she exhibited. Doesn’t change the fact that the whirlwind was winning.

So, how do you defeat the whirlwind? Here’s how you begin. Reflect on the following….

What are the goals, objectives, or tasks whereas if you achieved them this year, this quarter, this month, this week, today….they would make the biggest difference in your life? Fill in the blank. If I achieve the goal of ………………….it will result in………………..which would put an almost permanent smile on my face for the next decade of my life. Then define, what would be the fruits of achieving this goal in detail.

What are the big rocks in business, whereas if you could push one or two of them to the top and over the precipice, it would create the BIGGEST difference: create the most clarity, boost your profitability, create an incredible connection or branding opportunity,...really make a BIG difference.

How do you defeat the whirlwind? Start with the answers to these questions. Put them somewhere, whereas you have to look at them more than once a day. Commit to setting aside dedicated time to build on them incrementally. Snowflakes turn into snowballs.

Remember, the number of commas in an entrepreneur's compensation, or the level of satisfaction we enjoy in our lives is inevitably equivalent to number of nuisances, challenges, hardships, and hurdles one has ignored, endured, overcome, and solved.

 This is how you begin, but there's more. To be continued…..

About the Author

JuJuan Buford is a LegalShield franchise owner, entrepreneur, and author dedicated to equipping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners with the tools to improve their quality of life, and live lives of satisfaction.

You can find JuJuan Buford at @JSBUFORD or https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/jujuan-buford-25997a2a