Think Deeply…

When WK started, we had very few jobs, but tons of time, energy, and passion.  We wanted to create amazing video and an awesomely successful company.  As such, we spent countless hours strategizing around a giant whiteboard in the spare bedroom of my house.   We had plans to get new clients and increase our equipment.  We had revenue models, market analysis and a 5-year plan that would put MGM to shame.

Two years later we had real clients…. lots of them.  The editing bay was occupied day and night, but the whiteboard sat conspicuously empty.  We used it to write notes to each other or draw pictures.  When we moved into a studio the whiteboard didn’t even get hung up.   We were busy.  Too busy to sit around and strategize.

One day, during a company meeting, we sipped our mate’ and looked at each other.  “What happened to our five-year plan? Are we any closer to reaching it?” That’s when it hit us that we were no longer driving the company.  We were no longer in control.

We had become slaves to the tyranny of the now.

This is one of the chief dangers of being busy: The failure to think deeply; to strategize; to be in charge. If you are not driving your company, who is?  Don’t lose control. Make sure you are going where you want to go.  Take the time to think deeply. This may mean carving a day out of your busy schedule, going on a retreat with your core team or just getting alone in the woods for a couple of hours. Whatever it is… do it.  If you don’t, one day you will look around and realize you’ve arrived someplace you never intended to go.