Consider the Negative

Today I listened to a radio interview of Harvey Mansfield, author of Manliness, in which he calls for a turn from the feminization of our society to more manly men. Without getting into the arguments surrounding this issue, I thought that it was interesting how it didn't seem to matter what Dr. Mansfield wrote or believed, it's what he said that influenced the radio listeners. He may have laid out very logical arguments for some of his points, but because he occasionally made comments which he did not provide the logic for and which, on the surface, seemed extremely controversial, that was what people repeated and held on to. If you have an idea that some people will disagree with, it would do you well to sit down and consider what their arguments against you are going to be. Then come up with your answers to them. This isn't just marketing. This is good business practice in every aspect. If you were to go to a potential investor and they present you with a question or concern that you had not considered, you will look very bad. If you haven't considered what the arguments against you are, there would be no way someone would hand over their money to you. If you hadn't considered what he arguments against your ideas are, an audio interview will certainly bring them out and you'll be stumbling for answers, giving the appearance of someone who isn't sure. If you have considered the arguments and can give your reasoning for continuing anyways, then your confidence will be felt by those that are listening to you.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Focus

I really liked Scott Young's example of the power of focus as he discussed the importance to not set too many goals this next year.

"How long would it take to set a piece of paper on fire in midday sun? The paper could stay there for hundreds of years and never catch fire because the heat never reaches a critical threshold. But if you put a magnifying glass, the paper can start to singe in just a few minutes."

The sun has intense power and when focused, it can certainly light things up. But if you spread out that power, nothing catches on fire. So, don't spread the power that you have over to large of an area. Set a fire and move on to the next area. (I am not advocating starting fires, it's an analogy for creating change in your life and increasing your desire to do things.)

Good luck this next year. You're a great person.

Powered by ScribeFire.