Time is of the Essence: Today’s Choices Determine Tomorrow’s Reality

Businesses have life cycles, just like people.

When businesses are young, they tend to be energetic, chaotic, and sometimes a little messy. They’re carried by inspiration, enthusiasm—and fear. New business owners welcome customers of all kinds, and sometimes make compromises to keep the lights on. As the business develops, it becomes more mature and stable. Goals generally become clearer and loftier. No longer struggling, and faced with limited time, energy, and resources, business owners must carefully cultivate which customers to nurture and take on.

Let’s face it: growing is hard. When you graduate from high school and head to college, it’s a triumph, but it’s also scary. Similarly when you graduate from college and go out into the world—into a job or graduate school. Development in a business, like development as a human, is stressful, painful, exciting—and necessary! We can’t possibly stay at the same developmental place as time goes on.

“Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.”

—Chinese Proverb

Consider this composite example from my practice (all actual details but from many different people). A trainer—let’s call her Stacy—is approaching 40. She has lofty ambitions for her own riding and that of her customers, and she has a solid clientele. Nonetheless, some of the horses and riders she currently has in training aren’t in alignment with her aspirations. Some of her customers ride for pleasure; they are not so focused on the show ring. Stacy sadly admits that while she loves these folks, the lessons are challenging because her goals and her clients’ are misaligned. She has some other customers who compete regularly, but they aren’t deeply interested in learning and growing. Giving lessons to these clients can also be deflating.

In terms of her own riding, Stacy has some ‘nice’ horses, but needs more upper level potentials to get to where she really wants to be. Her business is too full to take in any of the newer, upper level clients she would really like to work with (and who might invest in top horses), but can’t seem to let go of the clients she has. She feels pretty frustrated and stuck.

It’s important to note that until a few years ago, Stacy was very happy with her business. A busy horse professional who goes to A shows, she has a good staff, and is able to afford a nice life for herself. As she has gotten older, however, Stacy is increasingly aware of the constraints of time and is hungry for more in her professional life. She knows that her chance to ride at the highest levels of her sport will diminish if she doesn’t change course.

Let’s face it: we all want to ignore time, but alas time cannot be ignored. The needs and perspectives of a young adult are different than the needs and perspectives of a middle aged or older adult, because as we age we become acutely aware of our limited time on earth and hence how we want to use it.

In my work with ‘Stacy,’ we start by clarifying and fortifying her intended career destination. I remind her that the decisions she makes today will determine where she ends up tomorrow. All current decisions must align with the intended destination. If she continues to choose to work with riders who are misaligned, she will continue to be frustrated and increasingly unhappy. And she will continue to have a lovely business that supports her, but doesn’t excite her. Bit by bit, Stacy is going to need to choose differently, which for her means decreasing the number of lessons that weigh her down and referring those clients to other trainers who are a better match. It means selling those horses who good but not great, and working with current and prospective clients to develop those with more potential. If Stacy wants to cultivate a top level business, then she has to make top level choices across the board. It will be painful, stressful and will take some time, but as clarity of the vision starts to manifest, she will feel empowered and fulfilled.

The best way to predict your future is to create it.

—Abraham Lincoln