I consider myself pretty “lucky”.  Things just work out for me most of the time, I usually always get a good parking space, I win a fair amount of door prizes, and I usually always make all the stop lights when I am traveling.  Seneca, a first-century Roman philosopher, allegedly said, "Luck is where the crossroads of opportunity and preparation meet."

One day recently I spent a good deal of time driving, and I was in a hurry.  I was on a two lane divided highway, and I was following someone in the left lane who obviously had no place to be….ever.  I couldn’t pass on the right, because there was another car there, and then it hit me.  This guy was keeping me from achieving my goal of getting to where I wanted to be on time.  As a matter of fact, I was going to be late because I was getting stopped by every single stop light.

Doesn’t that sound a lot like business?  You’re moving along at a good pace, and then BAM up pops an obstacle in your way that is keeping you from reaching your goal.  What do you do?  Some people will just keep going.  They keep the steady pace they were at knowing that eventually they will get to their goal, but there is no hurry.  There is no urgency, they are doing what they have always done.  It’s all they know how to do.  There is no preparation for an opportunity here.

Others will move to the right, move to the left, but darn it, there is no way to get around, so they spend a lot of time moving, but not gaining any ground.  Maybe they even re-route themselves going far out of the way to reach their goals.  The only thing I can see being accomplished here is the same as the first scenario, they spend a lot of time moving, but not really getting any closer to their goals.This is how I handle it.  I am going straight through my obstacle.  It can either move or be part of my “grill”.  I am going to be behind it flashing my lights, honking my horn, and yelling, “Get Out of My Way I’m Going Somewhere!”   I have prepared for the opportunity, and the very moment I can get that obstacle out of my way I am off again like lightning. 

By the way, the guy in front of me did move pretty quickly to the right lane, probably because there was one determined woman behind him, flashing her lights, honking her horn, and yelling, “Get Out of My Way, I’m Going Somewhere.”  Of course, I did it in a very polite way.

If you find yourself doing a lot of “moving” but not really ever getting ahead, I would like to recommend a great book for you, The Go-Giver by Bob Burg, and John David Mann.  It’s about Joe, and no matter how hard Joe works, he is not getting to where he wants to be.  It is a great quick read, and it teaches The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success.  If you have read it I would love to hear your comments.