The Friday after a holiday. A beautiful day to do nothing. And there I was, working with a new client in the eye-care retail business. The challenge: understand where all the digital initiatives the company had launched were going, in other words, diagnose the strategy used so far.
I took a few sheets of paper and a pen, because I like to think with my whole body: writing, commenting, drawing. When I started explaining a new topic, the client asked me to wait a moment and picked up her notebook to take notes.
My eyes lit up. A silly smile took over my face.
Let me explain why.
Carol Dweck, in her TED talk on the power of “yet,” describes two kinds of mindset:
- Fixed: abilities are what they are. Talented people succeed. Difficulty is a limit, a barrier. Result: giving up on change. (“It won’t work.” “Do you really think this works?” “Is it a lot of work?”)
- Growth: abilities can be developed. Difficulty is a challenge. Result: persistence. (“How do we do this?” “If it worked for someone, how would it work for us?” “We need to involve more people!”)
My client was the second type. When she asked me, smiling, how all of that would serve her business, I felt MY time was really worth it. The years of reading, courses and experience paid off. And I felt this is the kind of client I should focus on.
Now it’s your turn, business owner, independent professional, department leader:
- Is my time really worth it?
- Who am I attracting to buy my products or my ideas?
- Where am I spending my vital energy?
- Which projects are getting these precious minutes of my life?
One more thing: having time to do nothing is also essential.
Are you tuned in to YOUR time? Write in the comments and let’s talk.
Is there a decision weighing on you? Sometimes what’s missing isn’t an answer, it’s a good conversation with someone from the outside. If it makes sense, let’s talk. No script, no strings.