When I was a boy in Melbourne my grandmother used to take me ‘into town’. We’d dress up and go in on the tram. It was like going ‘downtown’ in the US.
There were many treats and special things we did but one of my all-time-favouries was to vist Downyflake in Swanston Street. It was donut central! A major donut establishment with the freshly cooked donuts tracking around the store and all along the front window on what looked like a little toy train track.
I would look in the window and salivate for as long as I could stand it and then Sammy (my own nickname for my grandmother) and I would go in and make our choices. Yummm! I still specialise in donuts to this very day.
As I was munching through my second donut, happy now, and the feeding frenzy was beginning to subside I would always look up at the very big colourful mosaic mural which displayed a huge donut and the following words of wisdom:
As you wander on through life, whatever be your goal,
keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.
This week is POW WEEK or Problem/Opportunity Week.
I want to get you thinking about what are the Top 3 Problems and the Top 3 Opportunities in your business, career or life right now.
This week we are not looking to solve the problems or to harvest the opportunities – just to identify and list them. That’s all!!
Problems and Opportunities
A problem is a situation which may require a solution, a way out, an option, a fresh start, a cure or a new approach.
An opportunity is a situation that may need to be explored, a plan that needs to be worked out, an idea that needs to be developed, a possibility that needs testing or researched.
Your problems or opportunities are often personal, business, family, recreational, academic, scientific, physical, or philosophical.
When we ask about their problem/opportunity areas business people nearly always say:
– career or purpose in life,
– time
– stress,
– getting a better balance between professional and personal life,
– money issues,
– bringing more creativity and flexibility into their company.
DFQ #16:
Choose between the following and cut and paste your choice below:
– I tend to focus more on the problems in my business/career/life.– I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life.
I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life.
– I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life.
– I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life.
– I tend to focus more on the problems in my business/career/life.
Business – not having s Business to develop, sustain & build
Career – not making enough to start a business
Life – more unhappy than happy
– I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life.
When I opened today’s link, there it was in all it’s glory..
a beautiful scrummy BVS donut
I tend to focus more on the problems in my business/career/life.
thats all beginning to shift hugely in the last few months..to opportunities. Previous to that i generally i mastered putting off everything off, so be up to where i am is good for now. CVSTOBVS and beyond..
I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life. I deal with concerns or problems as I see fit. However, I tend to focus much more energy, time and effort when a positive opportunity that gains my attention arrives. There are times when a negative or problem actually becomes the solution. I always consider that any problem identified and solved is an opportunity for something positive and productive in the future.
– I tend to focus more on the problems in my business/career/life.
– I tend to focus more on the opportunities in my business/career/life.
it was not always so, but I am now the king of positive affirmation!
I apologize that I can’t make a definitive choice between those two.
In a CVS to BVS frame of mind, what was presented as a problem can quickly become an opportunity. So I will change my focus or not accordingly.
Thinking, management by exception; problems usually take priority and need to be focused upon and remedied so that you can turn towards seeking and focusing on opportunities. I realise that’s not the choice you asked for but it’s my thought-through answer.