Let’s Sell Everything and Move!

Credit: Bill Gillespie

From time to time Her Ladyship and I discuss moving. We love our place but nothing is holding us here. Our kids live out west. Any work I do, I do from home so the country is wide open.

We agreed that I would share our thinking with a local real estate agent. She's a family friend and quite successful in this area. Being the wordsmith, I like to think I am, I decided to write down some details about our place.

I wrote it out and it was beautiful. It wasn't just beautiful...it was literature. It's a great piece of property and my words only made it better.

I read it to my wife. When I finished we looked at each other. In unison, we said, "we've been looking for a place like that for years." I kept my description but filed it with some of my other personal pieces. We never called the agent.

Does that ever happen in business? Do you ever question your job? Do you tell think “Anything would be better than this?" Go ahead and nod yes. We've all done it. Ownership has too.

I had a really cool conversation recently. A very smart guy, successful too, is pondering next steps. His age and a career crossroad have him doing a gut check. We spent a few minutes on the phone brainstorming.

I shared my story. I remember being 40 or so and questioning whether I wanted to "smile and dial" for the rest of my career. I was tired and consistent problems were frustrating me.

A mentor pal of mine said, "Billy, make a list. Write down what you like and don't like about what you do. When you're finished, highlight the don't likes that you think are unique to where you work. The rest of the stuff, good or bad, goes with the industry."

I did as he suggested and it was eye opening. Very few of my frustrations were unique to my employer. It led me to look eyeball to eyeball with the industry I was in and examine my role.

There's more. When I got real with the facts, I conceded that employees (including me) are hired to solve problems. If problems didn't exist people wouldn't be needed. The stuff I was complaining about was the very stuff I was hired to fix or manage. I was complaining about opportunity.

With that attitude shift my world changed. I looked at hurdles differently. That included the selling process. I was no longer frustrated. I was challenged. It brought out the best in me and numbers followed. Looking in the mirror helped me make a prudent and profitable decision.

I've said it more often than any other phrase. "Do what you love doing and do it where you love doing it. The money will take care of itself." It's the best advice I can give.

I'll add only this. Don't resent the process or problems. They are what make you valuable.

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