Are YOU A Being A

There was a short story written quite some time ago called, “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty”.  It’s a very entertaining short story, but it’s also got some lessons for business owners.

As he works through his errands, we are taken inside his mind several times.  And what’s going on there is anything but boring.

In one scene, Mitty imagines himself as the fearless, calm Commander of a navy vessel in the worst storm ever.  As his crew panics and wonders what to do, his calm bravery guides them through the dangerous situation.

Next, he envisions himself as a skilled surgeon who single-handedly fixes a crucial piece of machinery in the operating room.  Then he successfully steps in when the world-famous specialists can no longer save the patient.

Then Mitty imagines being a menacing, yet calm killer on trial in a courtroom.

Finally, he sees himself as a fearless, hard-drinking bomber pilot.  While others around him panic, he decides he will fly the bomber alone through the dangerous enemy skies to take out an ammunition dump to stop the artillery barrage that’s threatening his own men.

The story is quite humorous. 

But there’s a little sadness in it too.  Walter was someone who always envisioned being someone else.  And while he longed to live a greater life, he never actually attempted to make any changes to improve his real life..

And that’s the same as a lot of business owners.

Many times business owners feel like they need to try something radically different, or make some significant changes to improve their business and make more money.  And the sheer size of those perceived changes intimidates them to the point if not even trying.  They simply stay stuck in the rut of doing the same old things, the same old way.

Imagining a better business all the while they remain stuck in their reality.

But the best way to make any type of improvement in any business is to make a series of small, focused changes.  Small changes, to the proper problem areas, usually are what create huge increases in business performance.

So if there’s a little bit of Walter Mitty in your business, get rid of that attitude. 

Stop just continually imagining a better business. 

And start making some small changes that will start you and your business down the trail to actually creating a better business.

Being a Walter Mitty wastes a lot of effort, talent, and money.  And it never really results in any changes or improvements.  It can be very demoralizing.

It’s no coincidence that at the end of the story, Walter Mitty is imagining himself in front of a firing squad, about to be executed.