Are you still tackling and accomplishing firsts?
When we’re young, there are many things that we’re doing for the first time. Riding a bike, fishing, swimming, reading, writing, driving a car, college, moving out on our own; the list is seemingly endless. As we get older the firsts naturally become fewer and farther between. But that doesn’t mean we should stop striving for new firsts in our life – both personally and professionally.
Pushing yourself to accomplish something new whether it be on a personal or professional level is something that keeps you fresh. It’s easy to get stale, to fall into a rut, if you will, so it’s important to seek out new challenges to expand your capabilities and build your confidence.
Earlier this month, we took a family vacation and during our trip we went mountain 
biking for the first time. Sure, I’ve ridden a bike since I was a kid but this was riding up a ski lift, coming down a winding trail over rocks, tree roots, and small bridges and through a few small streams on a narrow, loose dirt path often between trees. The Rossignol All Track R-Duro is a lot different than my road bike and we needed every bit of its capabilities for the three trips my son and I made down Brundage Mountain.
I’ve been a fractional CFO since 2003 but 2019 is very different from those first few years. Over time, I’ve changed the way I approach clients. I count on my ability to leverage internal resources more than in the past and seek a greater diversity of clients not only to keep things interesting but because the wider breadth forces me to learn more and that’s good for both me and my clients.
On occasion, firsts happen by accident but more often than not they require intention. Here’s a challenge: make a list of firsts you’ve accomplished over the past year. Clearly my focus is on improving business performance but this list is for you so I don’t care if it is focused on your business or personal life. Now, after you make that list ask yourself how you feel about it. Are you satisfied or even impressed? Or are you wondering how you’ve fallen into a rut? Finally, make a list of firsts that you want to complete before the year ends. Since this is my August newsletter (which always goes out at the end of the month) you have four months to achieve some firsts before the end of the year. If you’re doing this on a personal level, it’s OK to keep it to yourself or involve friends and family if you prefer. But, if your list of firsts is related to your business or professional life, it’s important to involve those around you. Businesses rarely break through to the next level based upon a single individual. It takes a team.
I hope you’ll take me up on this challenge. If you do, I’d love to hear from you.
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]
The archive of these monthly newsletters is posted at the Resources section of homza.com
your cash is flowing. know where.®
Ken Homza
Copyright @ 2019 Homza Consulting, Inc.