Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

FOR THE WANT OF A NAIL

About The Author


James Ladd
(Visit James's Website) JAMES LADD B.A., C.H.R.P., C.P.I.R. Life & Business Coach, author and speaker, who has without a doubt been down the "Road Less Traveled," having survived and thrived after a double lung transplant in August of 2003. Jim comes to this place in his incredible life journey with a dynamic combination of work and life experience. Jim worked as an Organizational & Human Resource Development Specialist for over 35 years in the private, public & non-profit sectors and also managed a provincial government employee assistance program serving over 15,000 employees. He has authored and facilitated a wide variety of training programs covering such diverse topics as; managing organizational change, conflict resolution, performance management, managing and/or coping with stress, interviewing & counseling skills, supervisory & management skills. His most recent publication titled; "THE PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION GUIDE: Raising Awareness of Self to Slay the Dragon," is available through his website. In the community he became an award winning football coach over the course of 25 years (Coach of the Year 3M of Canada, Coach of the Year, Developmental Category, Coaches Assoc. of Manitoba

James Ladd is a Gold author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


James Ladd's

Complete
List Of
Productivity
Articles

Name
Email
If you enjoyed this article, get James Ladd's Complete List of Productivity Articles For FREE!

More James Ladd
LEAN INTO YOUR DISCOMFORT
A BALANCED LIFE
WHAT IS YOUR LIFES PURPOSE
FOR THE WANT OF A NAIL
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
BOYS TO MEN
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS Dont Do It
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS REVISITED
TRYING TO STAY ALIVE JUST ONE MORE DAY
LIFE IS DIFFICULT
Free Downloads


 
 
 
FOR THE WANT OF A NAIL

Remember this great old rhyme?

For the want of a nail the shoe was lost. For the want of a shoe the horse was lost. For the want of a horse the rider was lost. For the want of a rider the battle was lost. For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

When I first came across this rhyme many years ago, I was so impressed by its simplicity yet profound meaning that I went out and bought a large nail (spike) and kept it on my desk at the office as a reminder. I even went so far as to incorporate the rhyme and a bag of nails into most of the training that I did back then. At an appropriate spot in each workshop I facilitated, I would read the rhyme to make a point, and then distribute a nail to each participate. A bit strange perhaps but you had to be there, it really was effective!

This remarkable little rhyme essentially communicates two closely related and powerful points that are worth reminding ourselves of, that is if being successful is important to us.

The first point and perhaps the most important is that; “the devil is in the details.” When you hear that expression, it means that small things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause serious problems later on. EXAMPLE: “I can sketch a basic outline of the plan for you and it may look very simple, but the devil is in the details.” Any goal that you might set for yourself must follow a series of steps or actions in order for it to be successfully realized. Ignore or leave one step or action out, and it could and oftentimes does spell disaster, failure or at least incomplete, shoddy work. Whatever one does should be done thoroughly; details are essential to a successful outcome! Never cut corners, your center of attention should always be on the process, it takes discipline to avoid this type of laziness.
The second point, closely related to the first, is to always remember to THINK that there is a logical and sequential progression to all things or processes. EXAMPLE: “The countdown to the launch of the space shuttle.” It is one thing to remember all steps but they must follow a particular order, to ensure a successful outcome. The natural order of life is another excellent example, illustrated quite vividly through the seasons of our lives.

At the end of the day, it all must be strategic. When it comes to life and business coaching, once my clients reach the stage in our process together of having determined their life purpose, I insist on a “detailed and progressive” approach to goal setting and action planning to help ensure at least from a strategic perspective that there will be a successful outcome in the realization of one’s life purpose or mission! It is a process of envisioning a future for oneself that in its implementation and accomplishment brings a person to a place of fulfillment, approaching self-actualization. "And it all hinges on a horseshoe nail!"

James Ladd
Your Personal Coach

TO DOWNLOAD OR PRINT THE COLOUR VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE YOU CAN GO TO MY WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE "NEWS" SECTION.





FOR THE WANT OF A NAIL - To learn more about this author, visit James Ladd's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback

To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.



Evan Elite Authors
John Power  
Stephanie Robey  
Kim Castle  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Addictive Entrepreneurship Icon Addictive Entrepreneurship
The Leadership Edge Icon The Leadership Edge
Innovative Thinking Icon Innovative Thinking
Business Coaching Icon Business Coaching
Professional Networking Icon Professional Networking
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Social Media Blogs
Top 50 Social Media Blogs
Top 50 Social Media Blogs
 
Write The Press Release
Write The PR
Press Release Builder
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Joyce Mbura Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,
Joyce Mbura
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Erez Zevulunov, $150k to $504k in 2 years
Erez Zevulunov
$150k to $504k in 2 years
Chris Nguyen, 30+ national clients on $0
Chris Nguyen
30+ national clients on $0
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren
Magic Johnson, Johnson Development Corp.
Magic Johnson
Johnson Development Corp.
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Donald J. Trump, Trump University
Donald J. Trump
Trump University
Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start
Guy Kawasaki
The Art of the Start
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     Legitimate Home-Based Business: Finding a Needle in a Haystack?
By Andy Lax
     Top Ten Home-Based Businesses
By Andy Lax

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information