The hardest part is picking a path.
I’ve read a a few hundred business management books and it is amazing the scope of possible options when you face problem x. The hardest part is to pick a path and apply good thought process to your choice. It is SO hard to apply that process and ensure that you are not trapped in the process/framework versus too chaotic and undisciplined! Quick story from a book I’ve been reading:
There is an old story about an Indian chicken farmer who lived outside of New Delhi. For many years, he successfully raised and sold his chickens to support his family. One morning, when he went to feed the flock, he found several dead chickens. Not knowing what to do, he packed a bag, took a train into the Himalayas, climbed a high mountain and found a guru.
“Oh, guru,” he wailed, “some of my chickens have died!”.
“What do you feed them?” asked the guru. “I feed them corn,” replied the farmer. “You must change their diet to wheat,” declared the guru. The farmer descended the mountain, took the train home, and changed the feed from corn to wheat. For several weeks, everything went fine. But one morning, he went to feed the flock and found several more dead chickens. So he packed his bag again, took the train, climbed the mountain, and found the guru.
“Oh, guru—more of my chickens are dead!”
“How do you give them water?” asked the guru. “I have wooden bowls that I fill with water,” replied the farmer. “Troughs!” declared the guru. “Go home and build troughs.” Again the farmer returned home, built troughs, and his flock thrived for the next several months. But one morning, the farmer found more dead chickens. Back to the guru!
“Guru! More chickens are dead!”
“How do you house the chickens?” asked the guru. “I built wooden chicken coops for them.” “You need a new ventilation system,” declared the guru. Back home, the farmer spent his savings to build a new ventilation system. For two years, his business was better than ever—until, one morning, he went to feed the flock and ALL the chickens were dead!
Back at the guru’s cave, the farmer cried, “All my chickens are dead!”
“That’s too bad,” said the guru. “I had many more solutions.”
Advice isn’t useless, but it isn’t a magical solution. Every path is different in life/business.
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