We congratulate you on being named CEO!
What does a CEO typically do? Well, a CEO does things like create a vision for the direction of their company. They set goals and create action plans on how to get there. They help people to use their strengths to be their best. They build trust in their employees by doing what they say they will do. Then they enjoy the rewards of their leadership. You get the picture.
So what does that have to do with me, you may ask. It’s because you are the CEO of your own life. In your life, you make choices and the decisions you make will craft your life. Here’s a story, titled ‘But Señor’, that we ran across many years ago. It shows some possible directions a person’s life can take. We encourage you to take a minute to see what thoughts this story brings up for you.
An American was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked him how long it took him to catch them. The Mexican replied, “Only a little while, Señor.” The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Señor.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually to New York City where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
“But Señor, how long will this all take?’
To which the American replied, “Fifteen to twenty years.”
“But what then Señor?”
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich; you would make millions.”
“Millions, Señor? Then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire; move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.” – Author Unknown
We hope you enjoyed the story. Notice how the fisherman was the CEO of his life. He created a vision of how he wanted his life to be. He then lived his life each day in accordance with that vision. In his mind, he was successful.
Ironically, the businessman had the same end vision of what success would be – sleeping late, fishing a little, playing with kids, taking siesta with wife, and evenings spent sipping wine and playing guitar with amigos. But there was a big difference in the journey they each felt was the best way to get there.
What, if anything, did the story mean to you? As the CEO of your life, here are some questions for you to consider. When you think about success, what does success mean to you, not what does success mean to others? What is your vision of how to get there? How are you using your strengths, choices and decisions to contribute to fulfilling your vision?
Anne Sweeney, puts it this way, “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”
What about you? We encourage you to reflect on, and answer the questions we’ve listed above. As you do so, hopefully you will gain added clarity to what you really want for your life. This will help you to be even more successful as the CEO of your life.
Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com
© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2022 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.
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