(I had originally planned to call this "Planning In A Generation Of Fly-By-The-Seat Of Your Pants Types"
"I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, make the execution of that same plan his sole study and business."
--Benjamin Franklin
“Thinking well to be wise: planning well, wiser: doing well wisest and best of all."
--Malcolm Forbes
"Strategic planning will help you fully uncover your available options, set priorities for them, and define the methods to achieve them."
--Robert Mckain
"Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Failing to plan is planning to fail."
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As I said in my last post, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching these last few months & part of that is an investment in the idea of doing something that will allow me to do what I love to do. Working for someone else is not my idea of a life plan. And in fact there are a number of things I love to do; all of which are centered in teaching & the teachable moment. So the question I’m focused in on has little to do with which one I will follow but rather which one makes the most sense both from the standpoint of feasibility & economics. I am after all enough of a realist to know that I still need to feed my family and take care of my own future. With that said, I thought I would lay out some of the things that I am using in order to put my plans together . . .
1) Location Matters. The old rule in real estate about “location, location, location” being the 3 most important principles holds true in most of life’s endeavors. For me, my wife’s job plays a big part of our household income. Thankfully she works for a company that has branches through out the US
Location also matters because some places are more suited to allow me to live my dream. If I choose to pursue the scuba industry full time (and to be honest I would love to make that happen) I know that I am limited to places where I can pursue the dream and make a living at it. Sadly, there are a whole lot of instructors who neither make a living from scuba nor would ever dream of being able to do so.
2) Get Your Ducks In A Row. I know that in order to pull off what I want, I must have things in line if I plan to be ready for launching full time into my dream. For me, this means working systematically toward the goal; one step at a time. Putting the steps together may be a little tricky but you get the idea. I may even have to improvise once I get started because something I’ve planned doesn’t go as planned. But without a plan at all, it is very difficult (though I suppose not impossible ie. winning the lottery) to reach a destination.
3) Run Your Ideas By People Who’ve Been There. Thankfully I have gotten to know some very bright; very perceptive; very adept people throughout my life. One of my best friends is the CEO of a family restaurant group. I have watched him grow the business, fire family members, get financing, learn legalese so that he could understand the contracts he signs and well you get the picture. I try to run my ideas passed him on a regular basis. His opinion matters to me because he’s been around the bend a few times. He may not know much about the scuba business or ministry, but he knows how things work. In addition, I am always seeking out those in the field who know more than I do. Whether it is my website developer, a scuba operations director or my ministry friends; getting wisdom from those in the know makes a huge difference.
4) Get Your Financial House In Order. One of the most common fatal mistakes people make in starting a new venture is insufficient operating funds. Underestimating how much money is needed is way too common and many have an unrealistic expectation of incoming revenues. Money matters on so many levels. Whether it is starting a new business or planting a church; having enough cash on hand to make the right choices makes a big difference. I learned a lot from the likes of Dave Ramsey about getting rid of your debt; saving up to pay cash for the stuff you want; and if you do need to borrow money, don’t borrow more than you can pay back through your current means. Too often I’ve seen people borrow money on the idea that whatever they absolutely have to have will help them be flush with cash only to see that dream quickly fade into the night. Other peoples’ money might help to get things off the ground, but your own money will always be your own money.
5) Don’t Buy Things That Are Untested, Unneeded, Unplanned Or Not Fully Researched. A business owner I know has this funny habit of jumping in with both feet before he’s ever really thought through what needs to be done; what something will cost or how to best go about getting what he wants. It is one of the reasons he has struggled so mightily over the last few years. Bodies were hired instead of great people found to fill the needs. Equipment was purchased that now sits unused. Wires go to places they are not needed. You get the picture. There was a time when the economy was going gangbusters and maybe you could just do whatever & if it was wrong, throw it out & get something else. It was not good business but when you have lots of money, you can do what you like no matter what the consequences. As my scuba guru Donna Askew always told us, “Don’t be that guy!”.
6) Read Everything You Can Get Your Hands On That Will Build You. One of my favorite professors in grad school was Joe Ellis. He was brilliant on so many levels and told every class the same thing; read everything you can get your hands on & learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. I meet a lot of people who have never read a book about time management or business management or dealing with people. Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” sums up the truth that most of us are willing to settle for mediocrity which is why there are so many mediocre businesses & ministries. I think this happens because no new ideas or big thoughts are ever included. Too many “know not that they know not” & are comfortable in that lack of knowledge. A friend asked me what I was reading & I told him about the latest book, the blog posts & the twitter feeds. He asked when I found the time. Frankly it’s not that hard when you watch little TV & actually enjoy the process. I’ve been thinking seriously about picking up a Kindle or some other such device but for now real paper & laptop screens will have to do.
7) Dream Big. This last thing is what I hope will be the real point you’ve been hoping to find. Do something big. Don’t settle for the ok. Be great & create great! As someone said, “reach for stars & who cares if you only touch the moon”. On the home front, I don’t just want a dive shop or a new ministry work. I want a state of the art; new kind of dive shop that changes the way divers shop for & are serviced by the dive community. I want to be the competition & the measure by which all other shops are measured. A ministry work would be something that fits my personality & really makes a difference. While I am still working out the details on both & trying to figure it all out. I know that if I just started with the idea of being one more of either; while I might indeed succeed; I would never really be happy nor achieve my dream.
One final thought for now…. My friend and mentor Darryl Sprunger said that “only dead fish float downstream.” It takes effort and courage to go against the flow and get places that the weary & lazy only dream of. What about you?
