Our lives are amazing tangible products of our own manufacturing. We create our future with every current act or decision, molding our likable personalities by implementing a daily practice of thoughtful kindness, guided morality, and a genuine interest in others. We sculpt the bond of our families by investing in time with each other and sharing activities and experiences together. We construct a sturdy financial foundation by working hard, investing wisely, and spending responsibly TODAY! AND, we build sustainable companies by doing all of the above.
Sometimes, in our search for success, we compromise in areas that should not be compromised. A man who claims family as his most prized asset and highest priority, but spends 20 days per month traveling for work, is not practicing actions aligned with his stated values. Just as the company CEO who states his employees are their most valued commodity (aside from customers, of course), then instead of rewarding them, spending quality time with them, organizing activities to entertain and decompress them, is constantly in offshore meetings, acquiring new businesses, upgrading the facility, expanding the branches of operations, and planning new ways to grow bigger, better, faster. This CEO is making a choice that is going to compromise the quality of the product/brand they are advancing and, in turn, violating the principle of valuing what is claimed to be their most prized and highest priority.
It is so easy to forget what’s really important to you, if you don’t constantly remind yourself of exactly what that is. Experts and scholars on the topic state that only three percent of the world’s most successful people actually write these things down on paper and keep them in accessible view. When your own words remind you of what really matters, you may also be reminded to perform tasks and activities in line with these values. Business View Caribbean, I’m very proud to say, is the preferred read of some of the most successful businesspeople in the world (yes, I’m talking about you, but don’t get a big head about it). Now, if I were to ask you to write down on paper “what is most important to you in life?” I feel confident in saying not a single one of you would write “money” or “business!”
If you’re not sure of what is most important to you, feel free to implement this exercise right now. The key is to write it down within five seconds of asking yourself the question. That thing you write down is more than likely your most prized asset and highest priority. Yes, you should do this for your own personal life enhancement, but since this is a business magazine, I’m asking you to apply this to your business life. Do it three times, in order to find out the top three aspects that are most important to you (write down each within five seconds of asking the question). When you see what you’ve written, take some practical measures to implement regular procedures that will confirm those values that are core to who and what you’re about. When you do, I’m certain you will see your business grow in the most organic, healthiest ways imaginable. Let’s get back to basics!
Until next time, plan, build, and continue to prosper.
Andre Barefield