Wait a minute… I always heard “quitters never win and winners never quit”

So did I. Sounds good but perhaps not the greatest advice.

What do I mean you should quit? Well, what goal are you trying to achieve? What’s your burning desire?

What other activities are you also doing that are draining your energy and taking up space in your schedule?

This is where quitting comes in. In order to be totally focussed on your main objective you may need to quit, at least temporarily, some of your other activities.

I believe work-life balance is a lie. You can have perfect balance but it’s unlikely you’ll achieve excellence in any one area. It’s a matter of what you’ll be excellent at NOW. You may choose something else tomorrow.

So don’t be afraid to quit the things that don’t serve your ultimate purpose.

Recommended reading: The Dip by Seth Godin.

Technorati Tags: Seth Godin, success thru quitting, The Dip by Seth Godin

I’m just running out the door, but I wanted to thank all the mothers out there for all that you do. We love you and honour you.

Sunset in Alberta. Courtesy of Talie

I’ve been thinking a lot about trust. Specifically trust in business relationships.

My VA, Erin Blaskie, is building me a new website based on a blog platform. This required giving her access to my wordpress account, shopping cart, and domain management accounts.

I didn’t give it a second thought until yesterday. I didn’t think of it for any negative reason, it just occurred to me that I’ve put an enormous amount of trust in her by giving her access to some vital business systems.

Why would I do that and not even bat an eye? I think it comes down to what Stephen MR Covey calls the Speed of Trust. In the book by the same name he posits that Trust is the most important feature of any business relationship as it literally affects the speed of any transaction.

Basically:
Low trust makes things slower
High trust makes things faster

I met Erin through another colleague, Michael Port, who is a business author and coach. I’ve also had the chance to visit with her and talk and I’m glad to call her a friend. This creates a high trust relationship. So, when she asks me for access to a system relevant to the work we’re doing, I don’t even give it a second thought.

How is the trust in your business relationships? Do you take the time to cultivate positive emotions? I don’t me to suggest that you have to be on everyone’s Christmas card list, but do you have unwavering trust in the people you depend on, or do you feel you have to maintain complete control?

In my next post I will discuss the difference between Delegating and Abdicating which I think will help you let go some of your control issues, if you’re holding on so tight that your sub-contracts can’t operate at high speed.

Technorati Tags: Andrew Mugford, business relationship, blogging, blog website, blog platform, Erin Blaskie, virtual assistant, Business Services ETC, trust in business relationships