Lessons from Dr. Suess

I'm currently enjoying some family time.  I hope you are as well.  Hopefully your Christmas was a great one.  In the mean time, I scheduled this meandering for you reading pleasure.  Enjoy, I'll be on sporadically this week.
  
One of my favorite books to read my son is, Oh, The Places You'll Go!, by the good Dr. Suess.  As I was reading it to him the other day it struck me in the parallels it has to running your business.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

What better way to start your day, life, and business with some great positive words.  Dr Suess can really tell you how it is. It's a very empowering message to people.  I think it really tries to teach people personal accountability.  You are responsible for your own actions and choices.  This is something that I feel is lost on so many people in today's culture.  I think it's refreshing when I see people who still believe in personal accountability and don't believe they are entitled to anything.  Same thing goes for starting your own business.  It's up to you to succeed or fail.  You chose the line of work, you chose how it's run, you chose every details so it's on you to take it where you want. 

THAT'S scary!  Knowing that everything lives and dies by your hand is an intimidating realization.  But to me, it's empowerment.  It's my motivation.  Right now, I'm very proud of my products.  My photography, not so much.  I know there is lots of room for improvement, but my focus hasn't been on improving my photography right now.  You have to pick your battles.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

 

Right now, that battle for me is inventory.  I'm working hard to increase my inventory significantly over the coming months.  By doing so, I will increase my visibility and hopefully lead to some sales, even with my not to so hot photography.  Baby steps, right?  Rome wasn't built in a day, so I should expect my world dominance to.  (psst, that was a joke, sorta!)

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

Once things start going, I know everything isn't going to be peaches and cream.  There are still going to be bumps in the road.  But as long as you take those hiccups in your business with stride, eventually you will succeed, or as Dr. Seuss says,

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

So I'm off to start moving my mountain.  I know I won't get there today or tomorrow, but here's to taking steps to get there.