“The thing about common sense is that it is not all that common.” – Ben Franklin
That’s a good one from Ben and so true, because it seems so many, myself included, fail to practice it on a daily basis. Led by our emotions, drawn to the shiny objects, trying to get from A to Z, but forgetting you have to cross over 24 other letters first. So instead we skip steps, think too quickly, or act too hastily. That’s not common sense.
Feeling overwhelmed? Off track? Is there a great distance between where you are now and what you know is your true potential? Then it’s time to take a peek at the end of the bench in the dugout of your life and get the manager to set you straight. That manager is you.
I am in the midst of a week-long financial adviser training session and had the pleasure of listening to the man who heads the Oechsli Institute, (https://www.oechsli.com/), Matt Oechsli. Matt’s group specializes in research of the affluent market. But it doesn’t matter what the business, his insight is right on target, because what you need to do in business to attract the best-of-the-best, is exactly what you need to do in the bigger picture of your life.
“Practice management is what’s behind the curtain”, says Matt. It’s what goes on behind the scenes. It’s what you do with your business and your life, the systems, the processes and the disciplines that can take you from ordinary, to extraordinary. Do you want to live a life of mediocrity, one where you fail to realize your big dreams? It all starts with a vision. James Allen said, “He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it.” How true. You have to be able to see it, to want it, to want more in your work and in your life to reach the pinnacle of significance.
The cool thing about what Matt explained to our group is it’s only a few actionable steps to take your business to the stratosphere and beyond. It’s not doing twenty things differently or better, or even ten things, it’s only a few things. It’s managing the basics, and just doing it. Want to know what the basics are? In business, in the affluent market, Matt says the research shows it’s not how smart you are, though everyone wants and needs results, but it’s your relationships, how you acquire them and how you maintain them.
I agree and I have said it before, relationships are the foundation of everything. It’s who you choose to spend time with, who you want to work with, who you choose to spend your life with… those relationships define the world you exist in. And it’s not just developing the relationship, it’s the nurturing and management of that relationship. However if you want the best, you have to work to be the best.
Matt says the research shows there are three things which will attract great relationships, especially in business. It’s your personal presence, your people skills and your personal grooming. In other words, every day you need to get up, dress up and show up with a purpose, to become an attractive person, a person other people trust not to just do business with, but more importantly they trust you in the business of their lives.
Your life can be run just like a business, after all it’s a living, breathing thing. But you’ve got to cut out the distraction from the sensory overload all around you and focus on a just a few actions, including going to work on yourself, attracting the best and never forget to treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Be the coach of your own person, your desires, your unique talents and create your destiny, one which is uniquely you. Business philosopher Jim Rohn said it best: “In this lifetime there is no greater project than the deliberate development of our own lives.”
So live your life with common sense, create a remarkable personal presence, announce your uniqueness to everyone. Create meaningful, lasting relationships. Share your gifts, your inspiration and your life’s work with others and bask in the glow of a rich and rewarding life, well-lived. But don’t wait for other people to show you the way, get to work today.
Go to work on the management of you.
Until next time, thanks for taking the time.
Mark
Mark Brodinsky, Author, Huffington Post Blogger (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brodinsky/), Financial Services
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