Macramé forestBusiness lessons from a 1970s fridge magnetMy great lessons for business and life (my BIG gems) come from the strangest places. And one of the strangest of all is the macramé forest.
That’s right macramé. If you experienced it in the 70s, conjure up those images: chocolate brown crocheted plant hangers with burnt orange wooden beads connecting links. My favourite part was the frayed, combed yarn that poofed out the bottom of the hanging planters. If you still own one, PLEASE email me a photo!
It was while peering through a forest of acramé plant hangers that I learned an essential lesson about setting goals in my business. And I was only 10 years old.
As a kid my Mom would take my brothers, my sister and I to her friends’ for coffee. Nowadays we’d call it a playdate...but then it was goin’ for coffee. She had one spirited friend who adored macramé. She also adored wearing brightly colored moo-moo dresses and changing her hair style every month: she reminds me of Mrs. Roper from the sitcom ‘Three’s company’. Google her if you never saw the show.
We’d enter her house through a screen door in the kitchen, weave through the forest of macramé toward the harvest-gold-colored fridge in search of a cold glass kool-aid. And there was the wisdom on a fridge magnet right at eye level for a 10 year old...
“Though shall not should upon thyself.”
I had no idea what it meant back then. No idea that 8 years later, as I entered adulthood I’d say “I should study this in school...but really I want to study that.” When I bought my first house I’d think “I should scrub the kitchen floor tonight when really I want to hang out with my husband.” And when I launched my business I’d fret over marketing-shoulds, product-development-shoulds, outsourcing-shoulds. I’d practically should myself to death!
The Mrs-Roper look-alike had it figured out. Amidst all that macramé was an important lesson. Don’t should upon thyself. It’s never worth it. Now when I hear myself use the world 'should' it's a red flag to pause. To instead choose an action based on what I need to do. What’s worked in the past to make my business successful. And what I get excited about: that’s a great sign that it truly fits me and my business model.
The very same applies to life goals. September (my unofficial new year) is just a week away. What ‘should’ can you let go of? Please write me with your commitment to dump it! Instead DO what makes you excited and what YOU know will make you feel successful.
This is the year to stop trying (and stop shoulding). And the year to start DOING what’s truly most important in work and in life. You CAN do it.
P.S. - Read how my client Gary ditched the shoulds in our latest blog called "Where is your head when the garage door opens?"
Email: Info@RhondaVictoor.com
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