Last week I had the good fortune to spend the week fly fishing in Colorado. This is an annual trip I have been taking for 15 years with 3 very good friends. While it is a great time to catch up with dear friends and we pamper ourselves by staying in nice places and eating well, the main event is the fishing. None of us are rugged outdoorsmen and we require patient, capable guides. The guides make sure that we get to where the fish are and that we have everything we need to be successful (flies, knowledge, and technique). It just goes to show you that with the right resources and focus, committed, open minded, determined people can be successful.
My friends and I took up fly fishing together as a theme to gather around. I was quickly attracted to it because it is one of those sports that is easy to get good enough to participate, but extremely difficult to master. Over the years my friends and I have gotten somewhat proficient. One of the things I love about the sport is the focus and concentration required to be successful. In today’s day and age it is hard to find uninterrupted time to focus. A side benefit of our trips is that many of the places we fish are off the grid and cellphones don’t work taking away any temptation for distraction. There is a cleansing, almost spiritual feeling when I am able to focus so long on a single activity. This determined focus combined with the proper guidance, tools, and knowledge, give otherwise novice fisherman a great chance for success.
How does this relate to life and business? You don’t need to be the smartest or most talented person to succeed. Curiosity, hard work, and desire aligned with the right resources gives everyone the opportunity to achieve success.
Fish on!!
PS – A great short book on this topic is Life in Half a Second – by Matthew Michalewicz – Amazon Link
A great gift for all the young people in your life.