Float A New Boat

“Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.”

– Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, CEO

Are you patching the same leaks in your life or business over and over?  Too many of us turn a blind eye to stuff that isn’t working well for us, chronically thinking that if we just work harder, try harder, get better at ________, things will change.

This kind of approach doesn’t work.  If I dropped you right now into a leaking rowboat, chances are you would immediately jump out of it and find a new boat to journey in.  Why is life any different?

Use that survival instinct to your advantage.  Take a long look at stuff that isn’t working for you any longer and jettison it.  Life is brief and too many of us waste precious days putting up with stuff that isn’t good for us.  So take action today, and get rid of one thing you’ve been trying to patch for too long.  Go float a new boat!

By fiona, June 14th, 2010   |   in   Business Development   |   2 comments

2 Comments so far

  1. Phil Culhane June 16th, 2010 1:42 pm

    I’m of two minds on this one, Fiona. One part of me supports the Open Space principle of “when its over, its over – move on.” The other side – the tougher question – is how do you know when its over? The life lesson might be about rejuvenation, reinventing. It might also be life’s way of telling you that the useful change has to come from you. And its often easier to change your address than it is to change yourself.

    So…when it’s over, it’s over – absolutely – move on. It might just be handy to take a good look and be sure that an external change is the one that will make the difference.

    Best wishes,
    Phil

  2. fiona June 17th, 2010 9:13 am

    Interesting points you bring up, Phil. I agree that cutting and running every time something gets tough is not a good idea. However I also see many people who keep trying to make something broken work. Sometimes it does mean a personal change, but quite often, rather than keep trying to ‘improve’ oneself, you simply need to leave. And people hesitate due to fear or lack of confidence.

    I think when you really listen to your gut, you know what needs to be done. Thanks for a great comment.

    Cheers,
    Fiona

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