Running any company requires focus. For owner operator startups, staying focused on what matters most is key. It is more than likely that every thing you are focused on matters. Does it matter most; today, this hour?
As I was taking time to recap my last few days and how a specific set back is going to affect my near future I came up with this simple analogy. If success is not optional, if I have to kill a 1,700 lb. brown bear right now or be eaten, what would I choose for a weapon? Would I choose a shotgun or a precision, high powered rifle?
For those of you who know nothing about firearms or brown bears I will explain. Brown bears usually eat salmon and berries. If they want to, they will eat you. If you surprise them or get between a mom and her cubs you just might be eaten. Fully mature brown bears usually weigh well over 1,000 Lbs. They have claws like kitchen knives and are attached to the force of a hydraulic wood splitter. Many have thought to defend themselves against this animal with a well aimed shot between they eyes only to find out that the skull at that spot is very thick and very dense, surprised when the animal over took them without slowing down.
If you want to know more about killing brown bears I suggest an excellent series of books called Alaska Bear Tales. If you need to kill or be killed in the case of a savage brown bear attack, you need high powered, well placed shots. I will not go into a class on firearms but, I'm sure you know the difference between a shotgun and a rifle. If you load a shotgun with a solid lead ball known as a "slug" you improve your chance of survival by over 97% over a shotgun loaded with bird shot. Bird shot is used for shooting clay or actual pigeons and other fowl. Even with slugs, the shotgun is not known for its accuracy.
If you need to be sure you will drop the bear before it reaches you, a high powered rifle with a good scope will be what you want as you aim for softer parts. One more consideration; practice, patience and breathing. Taking a well aimed shot requires patience if only for a second. A well aimed shot requires proper breathing. Shooting like this demands practice.
I want to say that this is an analogy not a class on bear protection. In many cases a shotgun has made the difference as well as the use of bear spray. Please do not take what I am saying about the shotgun and the rifle as your class on bear protection before you travel to Kodiak Island in Alaska for a wilderness experience.
As you focus on the priorities of your day take your rifle, not your shotgun. Focus on too many things at once its like trying to kill a brown bear with bird shot. You'll be sure to hit something of the intended target and 100% certain that the shots will not be effective.
I hope this analogy was helpful as you prioritize your work today.
