Look around you the ones you love and have known for decades, when have they totally taken you by surprise and done something really out of the box (i.e. something you would not expect them to do or be able to do—to change, that is)? Moved to India, became a monk…
I know, not that often. And that’s exactly why I’m so horrified. Nowadays we can life close to 100 years but we fix our lifestyles and habits during the first 20-30 years and that’s it. Sometimes even the hairstyle has not changed… How many companies have survived without radical changes for decades? Henry Ford almost killed Ford with his old thoughts and fixed ideas during the consolidation and tightened competition, IBM has went from a single mainframe computer company to a PC manufacturer and now into a service company, Nokia restructured it’s corporate SBU’s as effective this year etc…

We could have multiple careers, social circles, different achievements and aspirations, i.e. different ‘lives’ if you like. World changes and everything around us, why shouldn’t we?

Actually, it’s pretty simple. In business you replace the old business plan with a new vision. With computers you install a new operating system or software. With people you just change the mindset—even overnight. Stop wanting since implicitly you are also saying that you don’t have it if you still want it. So don’t do differently—be different. Start to live the way you want to be. Make the new business plan and act accordingly. It’s that simple—a new year with new opportunities waiting you to create them.

A happy 2004 everyone!

Motivation is an external, temporary high that pushes you forward. Inspiration is a sustainable internal glow which pulls you forward.
Thomas Leonard

Are you in the internal or external loop? I believe that we can only concentrate on one thing at the time. An Internal loop means that you’re improving or working with your current existence either personally or as a business entity. Internal focus can either be for improving and enhancement or for negative flavoured items such as self-pity and a struggle for survival. External loop means that you’re mainly focused on items external to you: your customers, friends, partners, and any outside activity.

Common to these mindsets is that usually when things are rolling and we are in the positive upturn we’re external. We wanna tell the world and explore. Get new customers and grow. And when things turn rough we’re like a hedgehog needles up and wrapped up in ourselves. With the words of Eric Clapton: “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.”

Currently companies are turning to external again. They have been streamlining and cutting down costs so much that it’s more than enough. Current customers cannot provide any more profits. New customers are needed for further growth expectations. But how to do the sales and marketing? How to turn into external organisation again? Stop fearing and sitting tight for your current job. Start being innovative and positive. The management catches up the new mood quickly but the organisation lacks behind. It’s a totally different world and not easy to nurture after a long dark period of uncertainty and negative news flowing in as the ordinary business as usual.

No matter what you believe, it doesn’t change the facts.
- Al Kersha

I played with a thought that we live our lives in batches. Once in a while something big happens and we change the course of our life either professionally or personally. On those moments we are in tangent with the reality. Either by forced or free-willingly we face the reality and see the world as it is at that particular moment. Then we act accordingly and do something new and unexcepted. We reinvent or renew ourselves. We change or should I say adapt to the world that is constantly changing.

Most of the time we are dreaming and fixed to the last impression of the tangent point. We see the world from the old angle and want to ‘freeze’ the point of view. We purely extrapolate and interpret the surrounding world by those old standards. This works for a while and then we drift apart further and further away from the actual reality. And suddenly once again we are too far away from the changed circumstances and the gravity pulls us back. The reality hits us and we are in the tangent again. For a while at least. Batches.

People hate change, we all do. It’s uncomfortable and unpredictable. Old patterns and ways of working may not work. We have to make an effort to analyse and be innovative. That sounds like work. And we hate working (=thinking). We hate to change. Still the only certain thing is the constant change. Why cannot we change gradually all the time? Wouldn’t it be easier and more comfortable to live without big revolutions and crashes every now and then?

The same analogue applies to various occassions and phenomena around us. The economical cycles, businesses, cultures, countries, economical models, fashion, industries etc. We regard things as granted and then they suddenly change. Boom and bust. The greed turns to fear. Only the point of view has changed. Permanently. For some things the change is more evolutionary and therefore not so drastic. It can be observed over time. Fashion is a good case in point. Look those old TV series from the 80’s or 90’s. Miami Vice, Dallas, Twin Peaks – all of them popular series of their time. Today we don’t see them the same way as we once did. They look old and funny. We have changed. Once again.

Can we do anything to be more observative and awaken? I think we can. If you study successful people or businesses they have something in common. They are all humble and open-minded. They are paranoid for change. They have learned that they have to be proactive and sensitive for new things. They don’t know from where or by whom the change will come. They just have to be ready and seize the opportunity. Faster than the others. Therefore they are the leaders. They are never satisfied. They need to change, themselves.