Today I visited a farm with my family.
They had goats, sheep, guineas, chickens, peacocks and turkeys to name a few. It was a relaxing tour. But it also reminded me about a time when things were simpler.
As someone born in Topeka, Kansas the farm is not alien to me. Although I never lived on one, some of my extended family members did. My grandfather’s neighbor grew potatoes and I’d often go help dig them to pass the time. I’d visit my other grandparents where we’d drive out to the farm and return with ‘bushels’ of corn, peaches and snap beans. Regrettably, I still don’t know what a bushel is.
But what is clear about the old way of farming is the work was clear. You shucked corn until every ear clean. You dug potatoes until there are none left to dig. There was time for thought and time for talk. And there were harsh consequences for farmers if they did not do their work.
Today’s work is not so clear – especially if you are working on yourself. Your arms won’t rot off in October because you didn’t harvest push ups today. You probably won’t starve to death in December because you forgot to plant the seeds of your small business in April.
That’s what makes getting ahead these days so persnickety. Consequences for inaction can take years to appear.
The solution is we must all work on our fortune telling skills. It’s not as hard or mystical as it sounds. We can use imagination and logic to see the result of not acting today, tomorrow and the next.
You don’t need a crystal ball to see what happens after 3 years of drinking a bottle of vodka each day. Nor do you need one to see what happens after 3 years of developing a profitable service that helps thousands of people. Successful fortune telling means seeing the future and altering your behavior accordingly.
Leaders call this having a strong vision.
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Great post. Thanks.
Wonderful Post ! I am impress with your great thoughts “Successful fortune telling means seeing the future and altering your behavior accordingly.” It is really the key of success.
You didn’t say it quite so literally, but I think actual visualisations can be useful here – in visualising the results of the long-term work necessary to achieve long-term goals. Also self-advertising is another strategy I find useful.
By the way, you linked to Chris Anderson’s new audiobook in your newsletter today – it’s only available in the USA, not worldwide, so unfortunately I couldn’t access it.
Cheers,
r
.-= Ricky Buchanan´s last blog ..Holidays Without Travelling =-.
Ricky, I agree with you on visualization. Sorry about the audiobook mix up. I didn’t know it was for USA only.
Very nice post. I liked a few things you wrote. First of all, I agree that life is much simpler on a farm. You know exactly what needs to be done, and you do it. I’m guessing it’s hard work, but at least you know what needs to be done. Also, your idea of fortune telling is very simple but also very powerful. I wasn’t intially sure where you were going with it, but in the end I had an “aha” moment. Cheers.
.-= Mike´s last blog ..Bronx Motels =-.
Success never comes without goal.fist set your goal then try to get it. thank for posting.
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