Several years ago, we were vacationing in Florida and I rented a power boat for a few hours. I suppose my boating skills were a little rusty and I was definitely in unfamiliar waters. As we cruised up to a small island, I didn’t cut power quickly enough and didn’t anticipate how much the waves were pushing the boat toward the shore. Fortunately, an employee from where I rented the boat happened to be there giving a wave runner tour and ran over to give me a hand. Together we kept the boat off the beach and managed to drop the anchors (one from the bow and one from the stern). The anchors served their intended purpose which was to maintain the boat in one place and prevent much in the way of movement.
But those are literal boat anchors. What about the figurative boat anchors some of us are dealing with every day that are preventing much in the way of forward progress toward our goals? These figurative boat anchors can keep us locked in place and time often without us even knowing it. Without attention to them, they have a way of building up and become part of ourselves. So, what does it take to deal with them?
I’d suggest that the first step is recognition. Maybe you can do this yourself but it takes some introspection. Ask yourself, what’s holding you back from progress toward some business or personal goal you’d like to achieve? Your boat anchors may be long held ideas or actual physical items. Ask a trusted friend, your spouse, or a work colleague for their input. The answer might be readily apparent to them while elusive to you. Below are a few examples to get you thinking.
- Sometimes it is a friend or colleague keeping us rooted in our past (it’s one thing to be connected to your past but another to be stuck there).
- I know an executive who is in his mid-60’s. He’s built a multi-million-dollar company with 8-figure profits, yet his self-perception is formed by things his father said to him when he was a kid.
- Do you have a long-held belief that you have never challenged or has someone told you something that you’ve accepted as fact without testing it?
- Over the holidays I shed about half of my business wardrobe replacing it with new. The suits, ties, and shirts all still fit but were dated, seldom worn, and were cluttering my closet.
- Are there tasks that no longer serve a purpose in your life but you perform out of habit?
If you don’t think these non-literal boat anchors are weighing you down, try tying an actual boat anchor to yourself and walking around with it for a few days or a week.
What are the figurative boat anchors in your life that are slowing your forward momentum?
If your business could benefit from fractional CFO services, I would welcome the chance to speak with you. Please give me a call at (314) 863-6637 or send an email to [email protected]
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your cash is flowing. know where.®
Ken Homza
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