I wasn't sure what to blog about today so I thought I'd solve my dilemma by taking a walk around the block to get some fresh air.
I stopped for a moment at a children's playground and sat on the bench and watched them. Inspiration strikes at the oddest times and I thought of something to blog and returned home.
From the few moments I spent near that playground, I give you 5 Things I Learned about Business at the Playground.
- If you fall, get back up. I wasn't there for more than 10 minutes and I think that every child there stumbled at least once. They got back up and kept playing. We'll make mistakes in business and if we're not making mistakes periodically, we're not trying very hard.
- Find what you love to do and do that. Some kids hogged the swings. Others couldn't be pulled away from the slide. Whatever it was they loved to do, they did again and again and were joyous each time. Your business should be something you love to do.
- Imagine the possibilities. They say that youth is wasted on the young. I think that imagination is wasted on the very young. If only I could imagine such great possibilities as readily as those kids. I think the great entrepreneurs of our time imagined with boundlessness.
- Savor every moment. The kids were having so much fun and they made a big fuss when some had to be pulled away. That's the kind of fervor we should have in everything we do, whether we own a business or work at a “regular” job.
- Play fair. Okay, this doesn't always happen on the playground as much as it should, nor does it happen in real life… but a little extra helping of it is always welcome. It's okay to be competitive to build your business but pay your people what they're worth and share the wealth when you have it.
