This time of year is very special to me. There are several reminders to celebrate life. But first, let me bring you up to speed…
At age 5, I drowned for the first time in a family friend’s swimming pool.
At age 16, believe it or not, I drowned again. This time on a lake.
At age 19, I had a blood infection that put me in the hospital for 57 days.
And finally, at age 24, I was working on a roof that collapsed and sent me 30 feet down, landing on the cement floor. This wasn’t exactly what they call a soft landing.
You see, life can be unexpected and things can happen beyond your control. Therefore I do not wait for the big landmarks to celebrate. Every small victory (personal or business) means a lot to me.
This week was Ana’s birthday – aka, my wife! Not a “big one” but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that her support of my workaholic lifestyle makes all the difference. As professionals whether or not you work for yourself or as employees, there will be times when you’re constantly under pressure and deadlines to meet.
Working extra hours or even holidays and weekends is inevitable. So having support from your family is huge and it would make all the difference in the long run.
Family is the fuel that motivates you to get out of bed each morning.
So, I encourage you to recognize and acknowledge those precious moments with your loved ones like graduations, birthdays, and baseball games. Small gestures and big rewards.
Also this week, on June 1st, I celebrate 22 years of living in America. This was the best decision of my life. Here’s the thing: I did not know what I was going to encounter or face when I landed in this country for the very first time. I had lots of hopes and dreams and I was determined to succeed.
I washed cars.
I drove trucks.
And I delivered pizzas before I even got in contact with the window covering world for the first time.
My determination kept me (and continues to keep me) looking for opportunities.
Perhaps you are struggling right now. Perhaps your business is not generating enough cash. Perhaps, you are stuck in a plateau. Maybe you need an installer? Maybe you need to train your installer. Perhaps you lost your job and don’t know what to do with your life. Perhaps you wanted to start your own business…
Each one of us has our own dreams and our own struggles. I cannot help you with yours but I can say this: there is light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, it is hard for us to see that when we are buried deep in the problems.
Perhaps you need to be brave enough to step out of your comfort zone. Maybe you need to seek help from a professional. Or, who knows? Just talking to someone not too close to you where he or she can give you an honest opinion could be all you need.
I am happy to share what works for me: my drive for knowledge and curiosity. I love talking to my wealthy clients and learning what they do, how they do it, and why they do it. Not trying to be nosy but simply curious to learn from other people’s experiences.
I also don’t like to stay in my comfort zone.
When I feel that life is getting too easy, I push the envelope again.
This has proven to work for me because I am always looking to improve in my personal and professional life.
I will leave you with this last thought. Ana and I love Mexican food and we decided to have a couple of margaritas to celebrate her birthday. On the way to our favorite restaurant, we noticed another Mexican place on the same block as the original one and decided to stop by and check it out. Guess what? The new place was brighter and cleaner, the staff was friendlier, the food and drinks were better and the price was about the same. As a result, we are not going back to the old place. The owner of the other restaurant was too comfortable and let his business slide.
Clients are the same way. Just because they bought from you before doesn’t mean they are automatically coming back for more. Same scenario for installers too. Just because someone used your services for a long time doesn’t mean they are necessarily going to continue doing so.
Innovation should be the name of the game.
Keep it fresh, keep it moving, and don’t get too comfortable.
And always remember: Never Stop Celebrating 🙂