I was noticing the trees get a do-over every year; they drop their leaves and start fresh in the spring. They don’t have to start from scratch though – they already have a foundation to build on.
What do you need a do-over on?
More Trail Talk videos
I took Amanda out hiking for her birthday today. I decided a few years ago that I would make my family my priority so I don’t work on their birthdays. Amanda actually remembers things we’ve done together over the past few birthdays with surprising clarity.
Her wish was to go hiking today; just her and I. I cleared my schedule and we hit the same trail I walk nearly every Friday.
I noticed a few things about 4-year olds. First of all, they talk . . . a lot!
Second, I noticed Amanda rarely looks down. She kept pointing out things all over the place. Birds, trees, squirrels, caterpillars, rocks, sticks, acorns, pinecones. Over the past two years I’ve logged about 1,000 miles on this exact trail and I’ve always missed these things. I’m looking at my feet, making sure to step somewhere I know I’m going to get a firm grip.
Kind of like business. We try hard to stay in the lines. We go where people before us have gone. We don’t look up because we’re afraid to fall.
Amanda didn’t get hurt though. She tripped a little bit here and there, but I guarantee she saw a lot more of the forest than I did.
This isn’t a ‘stop and smell the roses’ kind of thing. It’s more of a ‘do your own thing and take some risks’. You may end up more successful if you’re not worrying about every step you’re taking, and it will surely be more fun.
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Kevin Miller is the son of Dan Miller, author of 48 Days to the Work You Love. He’s the host of the Free Agent Underground with me and the founder of the Free Agent Academy (where I’m a professor).
His dad used to bribe him with food when he was young to read books like How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Kevin’s been self-employed most of his life. When he was 15, he tinted windows of cars. He didn’t even have a driver’s license back then.
Kevin never went to college. Instead, he spent money becoming self-employed and learning on his own. Listen and learn how Kevin and his wife Teri dealt with debt and failed business.
One of Kevin’s businesses was financed with credit cards before the business went belly-up. They were in debt to about $50,000.
Kevin partnered with someone to build a business which they then sold to a dot com. He was never passionate about the work. We talked about what it all mean to his relationship with his wife Teri.
We talked about how Kevin finally found and connected with his true passion; something he’s really excited about.
I realized that Kevin and I were both asking the same question, “wouldn’t it be great if I could do _____.” Then he got out there and started doing to see if it was a good fit for him.
James Dibben asks “What kept you from losing confidence in yourself through all the mistakes and the consequences that follow?”
“Truth is simple, application is brutal.” – Kevin Miller
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Christopher Browning (@careerpirate) joins me to talk about his journey to help men become better in their lives and in their work.
Christopher is the COO at the Free Agent Academy and a Career Coach, living in St. Louis, MO. He’s been all over the place, both in travels and in careers.
I mentioned a book I’m reading, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.
We had a good discussion on failure and why it doesn’t bother Christopher. There is a difference between short-term failure and long-term failure.
“Your pain will bring you your best moments.”
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Justin Lukasavige is a storywriter. He helps individuals and businesses tell better stories that attract customers and change the world. Read more about Justin...
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