Simplicity, Patience, Compassion...

...and other things we don't do well.

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What a complex world in which we live. Messages come at us through so many channels it can feel like we're drowning. We also pump messages into the system hoping beyond hope to be heard. You. Us. We. Me. Me. Me. Won't somebody just listen, right now! It is into this world that Mark Neeper suggested that our true goals should be Simplicity, Patience, and Compassion.

Don't worry the first two allow you to focus on yourself, the second is the outward focus to the world. In our businesses, the concepts are so completely antithetical we might dismiss them as "Wouldn't that be nice." or "I wish I had time to be patient." or "Once I'm taken care of I can care for someone else." I know I've tried to through off the truth inherent in these concepts with many such excuses. Since it never worked for long, I thought I might try examining why they just might hold some light to the pathway toward success.

Simplicity. Really? Could it even be possible? Today? Simplicity doesn't mean stupid, lame, easy. It means focused. When you substitute Focus for Simplicity, the truth becomes self-evident. You already know that focus is key to success. You can't be great at everything. You can't multi-task and be great at any of those tasks. Simplicity, focus, is essential in a complex world. Know what you do well and do that. Don't try to get better at 10 things you don't do well, do one thing really well.

In design, simplicity is implicitly part of the things you find most beautiful. Apple designs products with clean lines, easy purchasing systems, beautiful interfaces, intuitive features, and they have become the 2nd largest company in the world. Zen rock gardens are simple, beautiful. Think of a relaxing day at work. Probably it was a day without distractions, without interruptions. You could focus.

Simplicity in your life comes from reduction. Just like you reduce the liquid while cooking to make a culinary reduction, you must boil off extraneous responsibilities, tasks, and distractions. A few years ago, I sold my Internet Service Provider business because it was a mental distraction. I hired an account and purchased Quickbooks Online to efficiently manage our growing operation. We've reduced the number of programs and choices in our birthday party and group tour brochures to make choosing easier. I created a daily schedule that allows me lunch and a (fairly) defined end time to reduce the stress of thinking about what, when, and how to do work during the day.

More farms hire us every year to create not only their corn maze designs, but to cut them, create games, create educational information, and deliver products directly to them. Boil things down and keep only the richest flavors. Keep doing the things that you, and only you, can do. If someone else could do it, let them!

Patience. Don't you just love patient people? Everyone loves patient people, yet somehow patience escapes us. We get so wrapped up in our over-scheduled lives we don't have time for patience. One of the hardest connections to overcome is that patience in our culture is tied closely to humility. Americans don't do humility. We view humility as weakness, therefore patience is weakness.

This couldn't be further from the truth. I bet people you would list as the most patient, you would also list as the strongest. Patience is strength. Inside we know this to be true because we know that strength, the discipline it takes to be patient. We intuitively admire this in other people because we know how easy it is to be impatient.

Patience pays off. Impatience in spending leads to debt. Impatience in planning leads to projects over budget. Impatience with customers yields fewer customers. Impatience with employees breeds animosity.

Patience is a muscle. You have to build your patience over time. It takes patience to build patience. I've chosen just little things to slowly build my patience, from nearly ZERO by the way. In my car, I choose to defer. At stop signs, I wave the other guy to go first. On the highway, I let people pass me. In the parking lot, I park further away. Silly? Maybe, but it's slowly helping this "speed" addict learn patience. Choose your own exercises, then wait patiently for the results. Patience in you will grow, young Skywalker.

Compassion. Sympathetic concern for the suffering of others. Everyone's suffering in this great big world and a little compassion goes a long way. Customer service is all about compassion. My dear, now deceased friend Greg Skinner told me, "If you help enough people get what they want, you'll end up with what you want." Everyone's suffering in some way and if you care outwardly for your fellow man, be it customer, employee, family, you will become highly valued in his/her life.

Simplicity, Patience, Compassion. I have to be honest. I don't have this all worked out and under control. I'm not preaching from my ivory tower, but strive to get a little better each day. With broad, life-changing, visionary goals for your life such as these, it's not a matter of reaching the goal, but the process of striving for it.

You can never reach a goal for which you do not strive. With Simplicity, Patience, and Compassion even just a little closer each day is a victory.

Have a great week.
-Hugh

Find Hugh McPherson, The Maze Master:
www.cornmaze.com
www.mazecatalog.com
www.mazefunpark.com