A client came to me wanting to solve all of the company’s problems at once.
I confirmed with him: it was time to choose what mattered most. He chose three things:
- Focus, to stay on his goals.
- Persistence, to get things done.
- Patience, to calmly wait for whatever needed waiting.
I said: “There’s a place where all three exist at the same time.”
“Really?”
I told him about a deserted island. Nobody lives there. Nothing pulls at your attention. You can go and come back whenever you want.
On the island, you decide to build a hut. No rush: you sit down, think about the materials, the size you want, the time you have. If you get tired, you stop (without feeling you’re giving up) and come back. If bamboo runs short, you remember how much the hut matters and find another way, with branches, leaves, roots.
With dedication and calm, the hut is finished. You sit, rest and fall asleep. You dream that someone very important comes to visit and you show them what you built. They look you in the eye, moved, and hug you.
When you wake up, you find a note in your pocket, written by you:
When I find out what I really want, focus happens.
When I believe I can and deserve it, I go all the way.
When I go all the way, I wait in peace for what’s needed.
Everything has its time. It’s all okay.
(Yes, it’s a story. I’ve used tales like this with clients for a long time, because the image reaches where the argument can’t.)
The next challenge isn’t personal. It’s collective: aligning what we want across teams, companies, families. What story will we tell to bring hearts closer and walk at the same pace toward the same place?
What would your island be, and what would you take there to build?
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.