The Art of Chasing 2 Rabbits The way to have it all is to focus on one thing at a time.
By Grant Cardone Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Imagine you are in the forest rabbit hunting and you happen to see two at once. They both take off and you begin running after them. Hunting one rabbit is difficult, much less two. The rabbits will split directions and what do you do? You can follow one in disregard of the other, or you will lose both. The choice of picking your rabbit in life is what happens when you divide your focus -- a picture of what it looks like when you fail to decide.
The word "decide" means to come to a resolution in the mind as a result of consideration; to make a choice from a number of alternatives. The word decision shares the same Latin root as incision and scissors. It means to cut. When you make a decision you literally cut off your choices. You commit and put your focus on that thing.
When you aren't committed, you go at something less than 100 percent, you are uncertain and you become the hunter chasing two rabbits. You lose time and opportunity while accomplishing nothing. You won't have success until you make a 100 percent, all-in commitment to one rabbit. If you have two rabbits in sight you become unfocused and forever chase, but never catch, what you actually want.
What does this mean in sales? Pay attention to the one you're with, from start to finish. When you are with a customer, don't send texts to someone else. It's not professional to be doing other stuff while you're with a customer. You need to show them how important they are to you. Give all of yourself to the customer you are with, because if you chase two rabbits at the same time both are going to get away.
Commit to the one you're with and don't allow for interruptions. Turn your phone off when you are with a customer live so you can give 100 percent attention. Regardless if they are distracted, taking calls and interrupting, they will see that you are with them all the way. Too often in life people feel neglected. You will make them feel special if you give 100 percent of you, your attention and your focus. People are more valuable than money.
Going back to the two rabbits, when you look back at your life, how many times have you been unable to make up your mind? Indecision is costly. It can cost you a job, an apartment, a spuse and a thousand other things. People make excuses for not making decisions by rationalizing whether or not the job is right, if there is a better apartment out there, or if another love-of-their-life awaits. While you try to decide, someone else gets the rabbit.
Indecision never gets you anything. When you refuse to decide, that in itself is a decision is actually a decision to continue with the way things are. Whenever you can't decide on something, you aren't completely sold. All decisions have a cost. When you pursue one rabbit you give up the other one. You must learn how to make decisions and take actions in life. In fact, indecision is an indicator of one of three things:
1. Lack of information. This can stop you cold. Get more data if you need to in order to make the call.
2. Fear. You can't live in fear of what could or might happen or who may not like your decision. Consider the facts and do what you know to be best.
3. Concern over past mistakes. Look, today is today. Put the past behind you and move forward from right now. Don't get today's circumstance mixed up with some other situation from the past.
Isolate your reason and handle it so you can be a leader in your life. If you can't lead yourself, don't expect to be capable of leading others. Never fear betting on yourself. Making a decision is courageous, brave, necessary and the mark of a true leader. As long as you are chasing a particular rabbit, no other rabbits should exist. If you change from one rabbit to another, you will end up frustrated.
All that said, I tell people all the time that they can have their cake and eat it too. Why settle for one color when you can have the whole rainbow? The truth is, I want both rabbits - I want it all in life. What you need to do is have a target, go get it and then move on to the next target. Get focused on one rabbit, get it, then get focused on the next rabbit. The truth is, you can have both rabbits -- just don't chase both at the same time.
Hope that helps. Be obsessed or be average.
