GOOD FENCES MAKE US RICH

I've been thinking about the line from Robert Frost that
"good fences make good neighbors." I'm convinced that the
most over-looked essential for success is the skill of
"good boundaries."
High achievers do one thing at a time. They are focused,
determined and persistent (a polite word for stubborn). But
more than anything else, success requires that we are not
distracted, that we don't waste our time and energy chasing
non-essentials. Most of us do too much of that and wonder
why we don't achieve more in life.
This week I've had several conversations about this key
issue. One friend laughed out loud when I asked him to set
limits on his work and "just say no" to outrageous demands.
He argued that he would lose customers, that he prides
himself on responding to his clients and that, "I just
couldn't do that." As a result, he works long hours doing
trivial things that are "urgent" for other people! He's
exhausted and, of course, he is not building his own
business.
I was reminded of Michael Gerber's famous dictum to "work
on your business rather than in your business." In my
friend's case, my fear is that neither his business nor his
life will flourish because of the time and energy he spends
on petty interruptions.
Highly successful people build tight fences around their
work. They define what they do, decide what you won't do,
and they stick to it.
A second essential is to "fence out" new opportunities.
Yes, you read that right. We live in a world of endless
opportunities. You can go to school, start a new business,
travel the world, or buy a rental property any time you
wish. Opportunities abound! Television may be our most
common distraction, but I'm convinced having too many
opportunities may be our most expensive distraction.
The key to success is to do one thing well. And do a lot of
it. And sell it at a price that is a "bargain" for your
customers and profitable for you. Failures are always
chasing the "next big thing." They are experts at "starting
over." Successful people are narrow-minded and they
persist. They put good fences around "opportunity."
A final boundary is to put boundaries around our friends
and loved ones. This is tough! And, obviously, I'm not
talking about putting limits on the quality of our
relationships. Love and friendship is what life is all
about! But, I don't answer my phone every time it rings.
One of the toughest things in life is to be disciplined
about balancing our friendships with our work. "All work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy." We all know tragic
stories of people who spent their lives working and ended
up alone and bitter. Don't do that! In my work, however, I
see more instances of people who are so caught up in their
friends, family, or community that they fail to focus on
their work. That, too, is a failure of boundaries.
We want to be "nice." We value our relationships. Our
friends and family are wonderful people! No wonder we "put
them first." That's a good thing! But so is fulfilling our
work, pursuing our passion and building our business.
Balance and boundaries are the key.
Robert Frost observed that "good fences make good
neighbors" and I would add that good boundaries make us
rich, in every sense of the word. Good boundaries are
essential to build your business, to create and maintain
healthy relationships, and to enjoy the life you truly
want. Maintain your boundaries.