The Business of Chasing Lizards

She wanders over to me and nudges my leg. I’m focused on the task at hand so return the nudge with a quick pat on her back. Clearly she knows something I don’t; she nudges my leg again, this time with greater urgency. Two quick pokes accompanied by two imploring whimpers. Obviously to her, it’s time I take a break. More importantly …

It’s time to chase lizards.

 

Sadi1Our boxer, Sadi, loves to chase lizards, Fortunately for the lizards, she’s not quite as nimble & wily as they are. It was during one of these lizard hunting expeditions that I was struck by the parallels to business & entrepreneurship.

When Sadi is chasing lizards, it’s serious business:

  • She’s clear about her mission. She’s singularly focused, almost to the point of obsession. She radiates pure joy. Most entrepreneurs I know who are pursuing their purpose & passion exhibit a similar attitude towards their businesses. They have clarity of vision. When you don’t, you can easily be derailed by setbacks & obstacles.
  • Sadi2She knows it’s not time to chase our cats or play with her favorite toys. She’s on a mission: Chase Lizards. She’ll keep at it until it’s time for the next activity – a water break, a nap, play time. Successful entrepreneurs have mastered the art of scheduling blocks of time for projects & activities. They are disciplined, take action & stick with a task until it’s time for the next.
  • Bright shiny objects won’t distract or deter her. She may give you a cursory glance if you say “treat” or toss a ball in an attempt to break her concentration, but she stays in the lizard-chasing zone. While successful entrepreneurs may or may not notice bright shiny objects, they don’t allow themselves to be distracted or deterred by them. They are focused.

 

Sadi3

What is your business or entrepreneurial equivalent of “chasing lizards”?

What are you passionate about? What brings you joy?

 

About the author, Kelly

Kelly Galea is a creative, multi-passionate entrepreneur and luminary blessed with a unique combination of wit, grit, intellect and intuition. She helps you navigate the work-life maze of ever-shifting priorities and transform your life through holistic self-discovery techniques and immersive, fun and magical mini-quests. Working with Kelly will inspire you to unveil, express and celebrate your vital personality and lifestyle preferences to create a more harmonious life.

6 Comments

  1. Penny McDaniel on 07/27/2013 at 4:20 PM

    Aww, Sadi is a cutie! We can learn so much from our pets about life and business. When we are focused, we can accomplish anything! Thanks!

    • Kelly Galea on 07/29/2013 at 10:36 AM

      So true, Penny. Off to find some more focus! 😉

  2. southernmessmom on 07/27/2013 at 10:52 AM

    GREAT post! I love how you used something cute and funny to make us understand business a bit more. 🙂

    • Kelly Galea on 07/27/2013 at 11:32 AM

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. I think we’ll all be hearing more from Sadi as she is just full of great success lessons!

  3. Lisa Mallis on 07/27/2013 at 10:44 AM

    Awesome post, Kelly! I just recently had a conversation with a coach I’m partnering with as we are creating a group program. Ideas are bouncing all around – enthusiasm is high – creative juices are flowing. Then, it was time to create some action steps – and we realized . . . if we included everything we talked about, our 5 week course would be a 5 year course. It was time to simplify and focus on the key components of our workshop. Once we were able to do this – we could stick to our focus and chase lizards. The other ideas (our bright shiny objects) we captured them on Google Drive – and they are waiting for our next program. But, they aren’t allowed into our field of vision as we create this program. It’s lizard chasing time, and only lizard chasing time for us right now!
    Thanks for putting our process into words! Love the validation! You are awesome!
    Lisa

    • Kelly Galea on 07/27/2013 at 11:34 AM

      I love how you took this idea & ran with it, Lisa! May your lizard chasing program be an extraordinary success!! 😉

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