The old man was
determined to get
to the top of the
mountain.
That's where he
could live out the
remaining years of
his life quiet
reflection and
contemplation.
That's where he
could work out his
legacy in peace...
where he could write
his book of wisdom,
for the generations
that would follow.
This would be the
crowing achievement
of his life...
it would be THE
thing he was born
to do.
This was his passion
and his purpose.
He was determined
to do it.
He loaded his little
wooden cart with only
the most essential
things he would need
for living and working.
Nothing extra.
He knew if would be
a hard journey.
His rickety little
cart would be pulled
by his faithful old
mule, and the road
was winding, rocky
and treacherous,
indeed.
He set off at sunrise.
Along the way, a
young boy asked him
if he would buy a
loaf of bread.
The man hesitated,
but could see the
boy was honest and
sincere.
The bread was certainly
good... and the man
would, after all, need
to eat.
He had some food, but
decided to add the
bread to his load.
He put it in his cart
and continued along.
Some distance later,
a young woman approached.
She noticed the wheels
of his cart were old.
She convinced him to
buy a spare one, in
case of an emergency.
And so on and so on.
The man slowly added
to his load.
He kept buying things
along the way that he
simply couldn't do
without.
More and more things
were heaped onto the
cart.
But he was careful to
buy only essential
things... and some of
his new cargo had even
been given to him for
free, by villagers
anxious to help him
make his journey.
Half way up the windy
mountain road, the old
man could see that the
old donkey was beginning
to slip, puff and drag.
He knew the load was
just too heavy.
He would never make
it to the top unless
he made a very difficult
decision.
Something had to go.
So he tossed out a few
tools.
And the donkey climbed
higher.
But, again, he tired.
The man threw out some
books.
As he continued up hill,
he had to keep throwing
things overboard, so to
speak.
Eventually, all the new
things he had added along
the way, had been discarded.
But the donkey had been
so tired and worn from
the ordeal of carrying
such a heavy load, that
it became necessary to
toss out some of the
truly essential things
that had first been
initially loaded
into the cart.
Finally, the old man
reached his destiny.
He was atop the mountain.
But the donkey had suffered
a lame leg, and was of
little use to him anymore.
Essential food had been
discarded and even some
of the tools he needed
to sustain his rugged
lifestyle.
But he was still determined
to adhere to his mission.
He worked hard every day,
but with little to eat,
and unable to make badly
needed repairs to his
humble mountain abode,
he grew weaker every
day.
He knew he would not be
able to survive, unless
he returned to his
home in the village.
He abandoned his work.
He abandoned his dream,
his mission, his passion
and his legacy.
Life was kind to him.
He barely survived the
ordeal, but was able to
make his way back home
with no cart, no provisions
and no accomplishments for
his ordeal.
He and his poor donkey
did make it home, though.
Back in the village, the
old man lived out the final
days of his life in quiet,
accompanied only by regrets
and lost dreams.
It's important to focus
clearly on whatever you
want to accomplish.
I assume you are trying
to build an online business,
or you probably wouldn't
be subscribed to my
newsletter.
To make that dream come
true, there are things
you need to do, things
you need to invest in,
and things you need to
include in the "blueprint"
you will work from.
Hopefully, as part of
this Friday Focus Group,
you will write your
blueprint for next week,
each and every Friday.
As you move forward, you
will be tempted to make
things more complicated
and involved than they
need to be.
Many of those things that
you think are "essential"
or "push button" or "sure
to work"...
will only distract you
from your single clear
focus.
I would like you to do
this, today, as you
write your Friday Blueprint
to work from next week.
After you've written all
the things you WILL do,
think of at least one
thing you're doing now
that you can eliminate.
For example:
Maybe you're spending
hours a week writing
Facebook posts that are
not helping you move
your business forward.
Maybe you've been doing
that for 6 months and
can't imagine NOT doing it.
That's not good enough
justification for
continuing on with that
strategy.
You can't do everything.
Lighten your load where
it makes sense.
Maybe your Facebook
strategy is working fine,
but you don't need to
be writing a blog post
every day.
Or maybe it's something
else.
Consider carefully what
you are doing to try to
make your business succeed.
Then...
I suggest you drop just
one thing that's not
working, but is eating
up your time and diluting
your focus.
Just one thing, this week.
If you find that lightens
your load, but doesn't
take you off your path
to the top of the mountain,
you might try tossing
something else out next week.
You see, heaping one task
on top of another may feel
productive, but it may
be just the opposite.
It could be, that to reach
the top of your mountain,
you need to start letting
go of some things.
That just may help you
travel more easily, and
sharpen your focus as
you move along the rocky,
windy, road.
Let me know if you've
found something in
your cart that's been
slowing you down.
I look forward to
hearing from you.
Just hit the Reply
to this email :)
Have a great weekend.
Talk soon,
Donna
-Donna & David-
Whirlwind Success
================== >>
==> My "Friday Focus Group"
================== >>
This is not a "group"
in the official sense.
I didn't wake up and
say "I think I'll start
this thing..."
But I've been talking
some lately about how
I use Friday as a focus
day.
I create my Blueprint for
the next week each Friday.
Then, starting Monday
morning, I know exactly
what I've got to do in
order to accomplish my
goals for the week.
On a larger scale, I see
my weekly goals as baby
steps toward achieving
my "Big Goal".
I usually set a "Big Goal"
as a 6 to 8 week goal that
I really want to reach.
That, of course, is a milestone
toward achieving my big, big,
big goal... operating a
successful online business.
Now, to operate a successful
online business, it is necessary
to constantly strive to reach
my "Big Goals."
So you see, it's all too big
to do unless I put all my focus
on one week at a time.
That's what my Friday Blueprint
is for.
It keeps me from developing a
"wandering eye" or "jumping
the fence" for each new thing
that looks intriguing or easy.
==> Here's the thing.
I'm rambling.
Let me stop and tell you what
this email is about.
Lots of folks who are on my
email list = thanks for your
loyalty :) =
Lot of folks on my list have
been replying to my emails to
tell me about their goals and
their own "Friday Blueprints."
Then they follow up and tell
me how it's progressing.
A few people have been doing
this every single Friday.
They tell me their goals for
the next week one Friday.
The next Friday, they report
back and tell me how they did,
plus... what their new Blueprint
is for the next week.
So they've kind of established
an accountability relationship
with me right from this email
list.
And I've seen them grow through
doing this, plus, I give some
feedback from time to time.
(Hey! I usually charge for my
email coaching, so you get a
little freebie here for being
my loyal sub, heehee)
That's it, really.
You wanna play?
Just reply to any of my Friday
emails and tell me what your
Blueprint is for next week.
Then, make yourself accountable
to me (and to yourself)... by
letting me know how you made out
with it, where you slacked off,
where you exceeded your goals,
etc.
Nothing formal.
Nothing to sign up for.
Just do it!
I'll be happy to be your support
and accountability partner.
Send me your Friday Blueprint
right now.
I love my weekend reading :)
Talk soon,
Donna
-Donna & David-
Whirlwind Success
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