It's Just a Blueprint Until You Build

October 2008

October is here whether we like it or not. The fall season’s creeping in, the third quarter has come and gone, and now we’re looking at the end of the year instead of the beginning. So, let me ask you... Now that these nine months have past, have you made the changes and growth you wanted to?

I’ve been sharing personal perspectives and business insights with you for the whole year and October sort of marks a major chapter in 2008. It’s time to take a look back about all the ideas, plans, and intentions we’ve made or promised ourselves and ask whether we followed through on them, knowing we have 3 more months to squeeze in unfinished matters.

Was your goal to re-paint your store? Put in new lights? Get new fixtures? Spend more time with family? Visit your parents more often? Pay off that credit card? Learn to play a guitar? What were you plans? Did you follow through?

It’s never too late. We all have excuses for coming up short on plans and commitments. In the end, if you’re behind, don’t give up. If you’ve been led astray, get back on your path. Sometimes, we have legitimate reasons why we falter. Sometimes we’re delayed a few days, weeks, or years. We tend to look back and tell ourselves because we missed our timeline, your opportunity has passed. That’s simply not true. It’s simply never too late.

But, in the end, life will always present its challenges. When you commit to anything, you will be challenged! You may have the next great American novel in your head, but until you write it, it means nothing. You may have a new product idea for my GSXR, but until you create it, your idea is worthless. The best building ever designed on a blueprint means nothing until it’s built. A blueprint alone doesn’t breed success. Action breeds success.

No matter what you strive for, I guarantee you’ll have obstacles. And you can make all kinds of reasons why things aren’t working out for you and why you’ve gone astray. Life happens. The only difference between you and that other guy you’re trying to measure up to is that he actually DID what needed to be done. You don’t hear Donald Trump talking about reasons why he’s not successful. You don’t hear that group with the number one hit single complaining. They did what needed to be done.

Take it a step further. Often times, you’ll hear about how someone became an overnight success, but put that idea in perspective. Remember that group with the number one hit single? You may think they’re an overnight success, but you overlooked the years of late night practice sessions in the garage, performing at high school events, doing boring road trips with no pay, stolen instruments, internal feuds, and more. Nobody is a literal overnight success. They did the work. No excuses. It took them 12 years to become an “overnight success.” All these people are focused on producing results, not coming up with reasons where and why they failed.

The question really boils down to whether the end of YOUR day ends with reasons or results. So take a really serious minute and ask yourself — when it comes to your goals, are you all about reasons or results? I think there’s gold in your answer! Stop planning. Start building. No excuses.