“The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.” ~ Brian Tracy

I tend to pay attention when things show up in patterns or repeating themes. Last Friday, my friend, social media marketing maven, George Kao made a comment on one of my posts by referring the Japanese principle of Kaizen , which advises, “Ask small questions. Think small thoughts. Take small actions.” In his web post today on “Circling the big domino,” Seth Godin advises against going for the big hit, rather, to focus on hitting lots of singles (my metaphor, not his).

So, what does this all mean? Is someone trying to tell me something? As I continue to add things to my plate, while still chewing the last bite.

A few years ago, my friend Brian Johnson, founder of Zaadz.com, said to me (with respect to FLOW) "you guys should really focus on ONE THING. Why don’t you just finish the FLOW book and nothing else until its done." My response was "You know Brian, that is great advise and I really wish we could do that. But I don’t think we can. When you are composing a piano concerto, clearly, you have to focus on writing for the piano. But I think FLOW is a symphony, and requires that we write for all the sections and instruments. When it is show time, they all have to be ready."

It is hard to know whether either of us was more right or wrong than the other, but we took the path of the symphony with FLOW and, upon reflection, it seems as though, my sense was right – and having a broad pallet gave us opportunities to keep moving when some things were stuck. The curtain is not fully raised yet, but it seems like the sections are coming together and the symphony is about to premier (the composers and players are all a bit stretched, but playing together and starting to sound good!). The FLOW book –Michael Strong’s Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the World’s Problems is out an excellent, as is John Mackey’s 2-CD set Passion & Purpose: The Power of Conscious Capitalism, and the Conscious Business, Peace Through Commerce, and Accelerating Women Entrepreneurs Alliances are all being formed and related programs coming together.

On the other hand, the costs have been fairly high – hard to compare how it would have been if we approached it differently. We have been stretched thinly and each of the programs might be farther along if we have focused a little more. I say "might" because, in some respects, even with more attention, they may not have moved faster – projects, like living things, have their own time and process.

I often reflect on the difference between bamboo and an oak tree. The former grows to its full height in 9 months, then requires a few years to mature before harvesting for use. The latter takes decades to reach its full height and maturity. And one bamboo plant will spread widely, creating a clump or more of bamboo, whereas an acorn will produce only one oak tree. The “seed’ defines what it will produce.

Sometimes we don’t know what the seed we are carrying wants to produce, and what it requires of us. But even in the big expansive project or process, we can ask small questions, think small thoughts, and take small actions, stack up many dominos, rather than going after big, tall ones, and focus on each step in the journey of a thousand miles.

“If thine eye is single, thy whole body will fill with light.” ~ Jesus of Nazareth

LINKS

One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way