Your Big Steel Ball

I’ve been thinking about the Big Steel Ball, so I thought I’d share that with you today.

Your business, your success, is like a big steel ball.

I’d like you to take a few moments and imagine your business is a big steel ball, it’s as big as you, and it’s incredibly heavy. It’s so heavy that it won’t roll on the slightly uneven ground underneath it. It’s just completely stuck.

Most people give up and walk away. They’re the 98 percenters who will forever be the employees, the worker bees that our society needs, and they will never do anything “great” with their lives.

The other 2 percent – that’s us right? – well the other 2 percent try to push the ball anyway. Success depends on it.

It won’t move. It just will not budge. But you keep at it regardless.

Pushing, sweating, straining, and suddenly, it gives just a little and rocks back into place. Now you’ve seen it move, you’ve had your first success, so you strain against it again, pushing, pushing, and eventually it rocks again and you push harder and it starts to move.

Gradually, the huge steel ball that’s your business starts to move. Now that it’s moving, it’s easier to keep it going, but it’s still taking a lot of work. But you keep at it relentlessly, because you’ve seen that you can do it.

As the ball picks up speed, it’s now easier to keep it moving, and it starts to go faster and faster. Now it’s moving as fast as you can walk, and all you need to do is give it a slight tap now and then to keep it on track.

Eventually, you have to run to keep up. The steel ball is off on its own. It doesn’t need you any more, because along the way, other people (employees, contractors, friends) have joined in, and they’re pushing your steel ball for you.

It’s still your steel ball, it’s just not your responsibility any more. And you have the freedom to go do whatever you like with your life, knowing the steel ball is being well looked after by other people.

That’s your goal, that’s what you’ll achieve, just by being relentless and not giving in at the first resistance.

Isn’t that worth it?

Isn’t it worth making that first decision to push and then getting someone to show you how to push your steel ball to begin with?

Well, that’s part of what my personal coaching is about.

It’s not for everybody, and I no longer advertise it.  But if you really want it, then there’s your first pot hole.  Can you get me to coach you?

– Frank Haywood