Be Determined Not Delusional

Be Determined in Your Pursuits – But not Delusional

This month’s article follows the same theme as our previous conversation – centered on words beginning with the letters ‘DE’. As a reminder, this Latin prefix indicates privation, removal, separation, negation, descent, reversal, departure, or intensity of action.

As we undertake any new project, assignment, business venture, or personal pursuit, we must be determined to remain focused on the long-term objective and committed to established procedures, tasks to be completed, timelines to be met, etc.

However, we must also be pragmatic in our approach, and in the objective evaluation of benchmarks achieved or missed, and we cannot – we must not – be deluded into thinking that a positive outcome or end result is guaranteed.

Being DELUSIONAL Can Lead to DESTRUCTION

Several years back my wife and I partnered with another couple to acquire a property in our local small town. It was a small farm located within town limits, and our plan was to develop this property into a residential community.

I immediately got to work on drafting a development concept, consisting of three duplex townhouse units and 8-12 single family homes. The design located residences around a small existing lake, and the more I worked on the concept the better I liked it. In fact, I became almost obsessed with the project.

As I went through meetings acquiring informal agreements from local government entities and contractors regarding infrastructure, and securing funding commitments, a realtor friend suggested I meet with a seasoned developer she knew (he lived and worked in the largest city in our state) who leased land in our county for hunting and outdoor activities.

This gentleman was the quintessential outdoorsman, from the way he dressed and the vehicle he drove to his rugged presence and stilted speaking cadence. We walked the property for an hour or so, then sat for a spell as he reviewed our plans and discussed various topics.

He sensed my enthusiasm and anxiousness to get started, which led him to share an important lesson he learned the hard way: “Do not fall in love with your property or project.”

DETACH Yourself from the Project to Make Objective DECISIONS

This admonition applies to not only real estate, but to any business plan, service concept, or product development. While it may appear that you have a great idea, a solid plan, and the initial support of investors, partners, suppliers, etc., you must take pause and ask yourself highly critical questions, such as:

• Is there a demand for the product, service, or development?
• What are the economics of the area or market category?
• Is the market ready?
• Is the timing right?
• Is there a backup plan to be implemented if needed?

DELAYS can be Beneficial

Seeking answers to some of these questions, and obtaining more information and research, led to our project being delayed by months. These unexpected delays turned out to be a blessing in disguise – 2008, 2009 and 2010 came along and the real estate market crashed.

Needless to say – the project was shelved. The delays probably saved us from potentially disastrous results…financially, emotionally, socially, and even physically. It could have even led to the downfall of my existing companies.

DETOURS Often Put Us Back on the Correct Course

Delays and detours such as discussed here often present themselves as roadblocks to our moving forward. In addition to market and demand related issues, these obstacles may be actions by competitors, internal disagreements, product design or production difficulties, denials by financial partners, or something as simple as a consistently gnawing feeling that ‘something just isn’t right’. This ‘gut reaction’ is usually caused by our subconscious questioning our actions based on a lifetime of learned (and earned) experiences.

Whatever the cause of the detour, take the path shown, reboot your internal operating system, and continue moving forward.

The DEVIL is in the DETAILS

As with every aspect of our business and personal lives, the old saying ‘The devil is in the details.” holds true more times than not. So, review the most minute details…then review them again. Go over all options available to you, being objective and pragmatic. But do not succumb to ‘analysis paralysis’. Make a decision – and either mothball the project or begin implementation.

The devil is in the details – and in so much more of life – so turn things around and do your level best to get them straight. Life is too short to dwell on what is or what could have been.

Turn the ‘DEVIL’ in your life around and the resulting experiences become ‘LIVED’, which is what each day is about.

Dwight O. Chandler owns Chandler Marketing Group, is the organizing director of the ‘Every Person A Winner’ coaching and publishing program. He is a LevelNext mentor, an artist, author and lives on the farmland that has been in his family’s lineage since 1797.

Contact Information

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwight-chandler-38a46437/

Email: dchandler214@yahoo.com

Header Image Credit: Anna Urlapova. Find it here.