-Mario Cortes
In “The 4 Hour Work Week”, Tim Ferriss explains how to free yourself from work and time commitments in order to have a better life. He challenges basic life and time assumptions in the hopes of liberating people from the daily grind. He proposes that we should design our lives so they are fulfilling each day, and let work take a back seat to life.
I couldn’t agree more. And if you haven’t read “The 4 Hour Work Week”, I suggest you grab a copy, it is filled with incredible perspective and new ideas.
In one chapter of this book, Tim talks about allowing small bad things to happen in your business. In Tim’s life, work always comes second to trying new things. He explains that once you make this shift, and design your life around YOU rather than your job, your life will be much more satisfying.
In order to make this work, however, you must be willing to allow small bad things to happen in your business. If you only check your email once every 2 weeks because you are skiing in the Alps and discovering a new business direction, you are bound to miss a few “daily crises”. If you want to live a happy and fulfilling life, you must learn to let these things go, and focus on the amazing experiences you are allowing yourself to have.
If you focus too much on the small things, the phenomenal experiences will slip by.
He states, “Develop the habit of letting small bad things happen. If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things.” If you only focus on the small things in business, you will miss the big opportunities.
I think this is as true in business as it is in life.
If you focus on the little things, the big things will pass you by. Let little problems happen, and focus your attention on the big picture.
Yesterday, I was fired from my very first job out of college. It was awful. Yesterday morning I felt humiliated and like a total failure.
Then today, I stopped and took a step back and looked at the big picture. Losing my job gave me the freedom to follow my heart and pursue my passions. Today, I am faced with more options than I know what to do with, all doors are open, and I am free to decide where my life will go from this point forward.
When I look at the big picture, I realize that what seemed like a “huge, bad thing” yesterday, is only a “small, bad thing” today. And I’m going to accept it as a stepping stone into my new life, a better life. I’ve realized sometimes small things must come crashing down so new, bigger things can fill that space.