When I was in the Army, we would receive an “anti-suicide briefing” every time we would get ready to go on Christmas leave. Apparently, the holiday season was prime-time for depression and thoughts of suicide to run high. The Army hoped that having these briefings, usually conducted by an Army chaplain, would help any of us who might be struggling with depression to get through the holiday leave and back to work safely. At one of these briefings, a chaplain gave some great advice that I think can extend to all parts of your life, including your business. He called it the “Twenty Year Rule.”
The Twenty Year Rule was this: If it won’t matter twenty years from now, it’s only a minor thing. Don’t sweat it. Focus on the things that will matter twenty years from now and while you should deal with the minor stuff, don’t stress out over it. The beauty of this rule is that it really forces a person to focus on the big picture. Too often, whether it be in our personal lives or our professional ones, all of the annoying small stuff can get in the way, making it difficult to focus on the bigger picture. Instead of laying out long term strategy, we get caught up, and over-stressed, as we run around putting out little, annoying fires. The Twenty Year Rule makes it a little easier to put things in perspective and keep focused.
This rule can also extend to your marketing efforts. A good marketing plan always starts with a goal or long term strategy. However, as I’m sure most of you’re aware, it can be very easy to lose sight of the overall goal and get caught up in all the little stuff. Distractions. Conflicting advice. Meetings. The “hot new trend” in marketing. And all that similar such stuff. Your marketing should look to accomplish one thing: Connecting with your target audience and ultimately increasing your profitability and your competitive advantage. Everything else is just peanuts.
So my point is this: In every aspect of your business, pay attention to the little stuff, but remain focused on the big picture. Doing this will help you make better decisions, will help ensure all of your decisions are consistent with your long term business goals, and that you don’t have a minor (or a major!) mental breakdown because your swamped with lots of annoying, little stuff. Remember: If it won’t matter twenty years from now, don’t stress out about it now. Have a great day, all!
-Dan Cheek
www.LaserBurnMedia.com
dan@laserburnmedia.com
