"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
We thought it was only appropriate to share a little wisdom from Abe Lincoln, widely considered the greatest president of all time. More specifically, how did Abe Lincoln achieve nation-altering goals?
This brings us to the quote above that kicked off today's email. The question hidden in that quote is...
Are you prepared to accomplish your goals?
There's no substitute for action. To use Abe's example, you can't cut down the tree until you start swinging the axe, but that's a lot of wasted effort if your axe is dull.
Sometimes taking time to prepare before you act can dramatically improve your effort-to-outcome ratio.
Here are three specific questions to ask when pursuing a new goal.
1. DO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION NEEDED?
Let's use starting a business as an example here. It's crucial to know who your ideal customer is, what problem you solve for them, and where you'll connect with them to make them aware that your solution exists.
If you don't have this information, time spent educating yourself on the customer, their needs, and where they spend their time will not be wasted, it will be instrumental to survival for your business.
2. ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE INVOLVED?
To go back to Abraham Lincoln's quote and apply it to modern times. You could update it to,
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four finding a neighbor with a chainsaw to help."
In other words, find people with the skills and tools you lack to help you accomplish your goals. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Making sure you have the right friends, mentors, partner, employees, etc...can be crucial to achieving your goals.
3. DO YOU HAVE THE TOOLS?
You need a sharp axe or a functioning chainsaw if you're going to cut down a tree. No matter how determined you are, that tree will still be standing in 6 hours if you don't have one of those tools.
This goes for any goal you're pursuing. Make sure you have the tools necessary to get the job done.
Don't use these three questions as an opportunity to procrastinate. The wrong action is better than no action, but sometimes a few minutes of careful preparation can be the difference between success and failure.
And while you're contemplating...
Grab a bag of OMYUM right here. It'll help with your focus, productivity, and mood so those decisions are finely tuned.
