“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.”
- Robert Fritz
Jeff Schomay’s recent succinct, yet powerful article: Eliminate Clutter; Increase Response got me thinking about information overload and some comments I’ve made in the past about the old adage of being a “kid in a candy shop”. With that in mind (as well as something to do with preparing my kids for Halloween), I thought I would take a closer look at how we as a society have created the world’s largest candy shop and its implications on us “kids”.
Why?
Because I can.
The Past
The old saying of “being a kid in a candy shop” had certain implications:
- You had a large variety of candy to choose from
- You had limited funds, and
- You had sufficient enough time to make a decision.
Choice here was seen as good, since back in the day we could have a Model T in any color we wanted as long as it was black. As far as funds went, the more limited one’s funds, the less choice of candy you could have; you might have had to settle for the sweet and sour sugar bombs and forego the rich, imported, gourmet chocolate with the unpronounceable name. Lastly, as a kid there always seemed to be more time – often times, too much.
The Present
In today’s day and age of the internet and social media, we have more choice than ever; so much so that our choices have grown exponentially. Therefore, not only has the variety of candy in the shop expanded, but also our choices of candy shops. Additionally, those of us who are daring, intelligent and/or aware enough are realizing more and more that there are an infinite number of choices beyond those that are just presented to us – those we dare to imagine despite others’ cries of “impossibility”.
Sure our current economic situation is not ideal, our funds still limit our choices considerably. Look, however, at how much more is available to us, especially via the internet. There is so much more that we can do for free. Try going to the post office or shipping store and see if they’re giving away free mailboxes – not going to happen. Yet online, you can get your own, if not multiple mailboxes at no cost. You can even store your stuff for free – pictures, data, etc. Your own podcasts? Free. Conference call numbers? Free. Greeting card services? Free. Get the point?
Unfortunately, while our choices increase (or in mathematical terms, approach infinity) and funds become less of an issue, time is still the most precious commodity of all. With the advent of high-speed internet and faster server technologies, sure we can get things done quicker, but it also means there is more pressure for us to do so. No longer can we afford to be holding up the candy shop owner with “ummms” or “ahhhhhs” or we risk losing our place in line or having the “candy Nazi” (for you Seinfeld fans) cut us off for a year. Those in the coaching and training professions call it “analysis paralysis”, and it can cause a lot of damage if we’re not careful.
The Future
So what happens in a world that accelerates at an increasingly-alarming rate towards the future where choice is infinite, whether or not funds exist and time grows shorter? How does one survive?
First and foremost, we must be aware. We must be aware of who we are, what we want out of life, what our mission is, what our goals are and what we will specifically need to accomplish our goals. With this level of awareness we can become decisive in a way that eliminates 99% of the choices, thereby decreasing the time it takes to make a decision.
Secondly, we must be innovative. Innovation is the result of daring to dream beyond what most people feel is possible – to look through the “cracks” of “reality” and challenge the status quo, for if we don’t others will have their way at our expense.
Lastly, we must be willing to help others. We must accept that people aren’t born aware or innovative but must be taught no matter what their age. We must be willing to aid those who struggle to “get the point” through education or through healing. In doing so, we will also educate and heal ourselves, while building powerful and effective relationships.
We must do all of these things to ensure a sustainable future no matter which candy shop we patronize and no matter their inventory.
Why?
Because we can.
Adam J. Kovitz is the Chairman & Founder of The National Networker Group of Companies, which publish The National Networker, provide member services and consulting as well as branding and social media domination.
Hire Adam to speak at your next conference by emailing info@thenationalnetworker.com.
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