Aah,
comfort.
Comfort
can be delightful. The highlight of my day is going home, putting on my
jammies, and snuggling up with a big fluffy blanket … especially now, as nights
are becoming crisper and autumn moves in to upstate New York. When we're
comfortable, we can rest, relax, and recharge. Our minds and bodies need this,
and I am indubitably a superfan. But sometimes comfort can go too far, and we
get too comfortable.
The
border between being comfortable and being too comfortable is vague and blurry. Sometimes we
cross the line and don't realize it until we're deep into the wrong zone. When
we become too comfortable, we become lethargic. Our energy levels decrease, and
we start ignoring anything that's not essential. We procrastinate. We make no
improvements. Our homes and health go downhill because we just don't have the
umph to get things done. We start becoming blind to what's right in front of
us. We choose to hit snooze instead of getting up and getting active. Our diets
get junky and our looks get sloppy; we stop caring.
The
struggle between comfortable and too comfortable is just as real in business it
is in our personal lives. When we're too comfortable in business, we ignore
what needs to be updated and changed to meet a changing market. We miss
opportunities, either because we're not paying attention or because they seem
like too much work. We become shortsighted, focusing on necessary daily
survival but not taking the time to actively meet challenges that are just over
the horizon. We become reactive, not proactive. We let our power naps turn into
comas; we fall asleep, and the world passes us by.
So
what do we do to break the spiral and get back on a forward track of growth?
It's the same in our personal lives as well as in our businesses: we become
active again. We make resolutions to not hit snooze, but rather get up, get
active, and get our blood flowing every day. We find a buddy to keep us on
track, encourage us, and kick us in the pants from time to time. We get out and
get a change of scenery, so when we come back we can see things with fresh
eyes. And we ask those we trust for their own fresh eyes on our situation, to
make suggestions and give us a necessary shot of reality.
We
must make a concerted effort to break the cycle of lethargy … especially in our
businesses. We must force ourselves to make the uncomfortable changes that are
necessary to move us forward. We must grow, and not get lost in the flow.
We
must wake up.
#Growth #WakeUp #AskUncleMarty
...
Originally published on the AMBC blog on September 27, 2016.
