Originally posted on Facebook HERE
It’s a beautiful day here in Wisconsin today. As always, I have a lot on my mind. This morning I was watching some videos from Broken Juggler, who is a fun guy to follow on Facebook and Instagram — and thinking “this is my life”… what he’s doing with objects — juggling a bunch of stuff while throwing a pillow over his head into a basketball hoop behind him, for example — is how I run my days. I have this thing over here I have to do, and don’t forget that appointment — I also have a package to ship, and don’t forget to prepare for the gig next week, you need to schedule time to see these people, too — and, oh — by the way, there’s about two weeks of work backing up here you better get to asap as well — are you still considering that other project, too? And there’s artwork for the new album release and two books already written that need to go to the editor, and… you get the idea. Twelve balls in the air and two hands to work with. I’m reading a book right now called WHO NOT HOW that is somewhat eye-opening on this. Why do we always try to juggle everything on our own? What possible good can come from trying to maintain twelve balls in the air using only two hands? It’s especially prevalent with entrepreneurs — I think we’re wired to want that control, you know? But really, don’t we all feel this way sometimes? So, we think “how can I possibly figure out how to get this all done on time?” — instead of “who could I get to help me get this done on time?”… because it’s easier for two people to juggle twelve things than one person by themself. And even easier with three, especially if one of them is really good at juggling, right? The cost is often what holds us back. In order to get help, we often have to hire someone — an assistant, a housekeeper, or a business partner for example. So, on the surface it’s easy to worry about the cost in monetary fashion. That’s never been my belief, I guess. I’m one of very few financial advisors who has two assistants, and they are extremely valuable to me. I have no desire to do the work they do for me. I think I compensate them fairly for what they do. I try to make sure they know how important they are. And — some advisors might look at what I’m spending in monetary terms and just totally freak out. Many of them, actually. But — it frees up time for me. I need that time to focus on the things that I love to do, and that makes the entire office run smoothly. I need them so that when I want to take time off, I can do it without any worries about what’s going on in the office. And so — to me, when the balls in the air start creating stress and anxiety — and even worse, if one or two gets dropped totally — it’s time for another “who”. And the awesome thing about it, once you realize you need help — is that when you have the position in mind and start the search — you’ll see possibilities everywhere. Just like when you buy a new car, you start seeing them everywhere because you’re thinking about it — same thing. I think if we can find the right who for the job, the monetary cost (if any) will be well spent to free up our time. We don’t have a lot of time, you know. It’s really our most valuable asset. And once you’ve freed up some time, it usually leads to less stress and anxiety, better overall health, and I’ve found that in business, anyway — higher production as well. Is there a who that could help you? Looking back on my life, I can name many of them. I needed help to get sober, and the right people showed up — thank you so much, not sure I’m sober today without your presence in my life back then. I needed the right person to push me to write my first book — and Alisha M. Wielfaert helped me make that dream a reality. Thank you, thank you, thank you — you’re an amazing person. No way I get to where I’m at with my business without the help of my two assistants… and many, many more over the years. Don’t try juggling it all yourself if you can get a who to help you… free up the time instead. Then use that time wisely, doing the things you love to do, both personally and professionally.
