Young children are more than a little crazy (in the good, fun, make-me-laugh way, not the bad, scary, Damien-has-3-sixes-on-his-head way). They laugh at anything or nothing. They shit in their pants and then proudly announce it. On occasion, they’ll insist on eating foods of only one color. They paint the dog. They’re strange little creatures.
But they’re also the best role models around when it comes to learning how to manage the ups and downs of running a business. So, here are some tips from your friendly neighborhood toddler:
Ask why. A lot.
The infamous Terrible Twos are largely identified by one question: WHY? Young kids ask why all the time. And after you answer them, they ask why again. And again. And again. They are masters at digging deeper.
You should do this, too. Why are we using this pricing model? Why did you do it that way? Why don’t we try email marketing? Everybody wants to know the answers, but I submit that the magic juice is in asking the questions. So ask why. And then pay attention to the answer. Hint: “Because we’ve always done it that way” and “Because that’s how everybody does it” are big red flags that should tell you it’s time to shake things up.
When it’s funny, laugh
Young children don’t censor themselves. That’s part of their charm. It’s also their primary method of embarrassing their parents, but that’s a different post for a different blog. When a child thinks something is funny, she laughs. You should, too.
Laughter is good for your immune system, it decreases levels of cortisol in your blood, and it helps to relax your mind. And it’s really hard to be creative if you’re stressing about how to pay next month’s bills. So keep a stash of laugh-inducing video clips, emails, or cartoons at hand that will guarantee you a laugh when you need it. My favorite: The Demotivators web site. Damn, but I wish I’d thought of that.
When you’re tired, rest
You can’t run a marathon at a sprinter’s pace. So take a little time to breathe now and then. You might not want to institute milk-and-cookies time (then again, you might), but it’s okay to take a few minutes to chill out with your peeps. Have a cup of tea, take a walk, talk about last night’s episode of Futurama. Doesn’t matter what it is, but take a rest from the thing that’s exhausting you all. Weightlifters know that muscle growth doesn’t happen when you’re lifting; it happens during the rest period after you lift. So take a rest so your business can grow.
Focus on what’s important
Toddlers may have the attention span of a mayfly, but they don’t multitask. If they’re coloring, their whole heart is into that coloring book until they decide to do something else. If they’re eating, they are completely focused on the food in front of them. Toddlers have the ability to focus all their attention on one thing. We all have that ability, but most of us don’t exercise it any more, because we allow too many distractions. If you can’t tune out the email and the twitter feed, then turn ‘em off now and then, and just focus on one thing for a while. You’ll be astonished at how productive and effective you can be if you do just one thing at a time.
The most important thing you can learn from your toddler
Don’t give up
“Can’t” is the worst four-letter word there is. I mean, really, there are very few situations in which “can’t” is appropriate. I can’t be Miss America (lucky for me, that was never a goal). I can’t grow any taller than I am (that, on the other hand, is a source of irritation when I need to reach something at the top shelf of the grocery store). But I hear people throw “can’t” around like it’s nothing: I can’t lose weight. I can’t learn a foreign language. I can’t go back to school. I can’t start a business.
Bullshit.
Have you ever watched a toddler who’s just starting to walk? They fall a lot more than they walk. But I’ve never heard a one-year-old say, “Man, I’m never gonna get this walking thing down. It’s too hard. I give up. You just keep carrying me around, mm-kay?” No, they just keep working on it until they can do it.
My point is: we’re hardwired not to give up, but we forget along the way. So remember, dammit. Let yourself fall, then get back up and try again.
Comments, please
What other pearls of wisdom have you learned from a toddler?
