Oct 18

Four Things I Learned Late in Life

I have always been an inveterate goal setter so that’s one I got right. But here are four things I learned late in life that I wish I had known when I was in my 20s or 40s:

1. narrow your focus

2. control your costs

3. protect your credit score

4. get a coach/mentor

My coach (@desiradda) taught me to narrow my focus. As late as last year, I had 42 goals. She gently nudged me, “You don’t think that’s a trifle too many for a man now in his 60s?”

Entrepreneurs are famous for never finishing anything–they have way too many good ideas flooding through their minds so they are tempted to start something new every month. Successful entrepreneurs know they can’t do everything (well) so they resist that temptation. Furthermore, they are laser focused on completing whatever they start. Steve Jobs, on returning to Apple in 1996, cut their number of products from hundreds to just a handful. Think Apple today–it has the iPad, iPhone, iTunes, iPod, Mac, iOS, that’s about it. Oh yes, and the Apple Watch too.

I now have just 3 things I focus on–to be the best real estate broker I can be, to be a better keynote speaker/teacher/coach and to continue as a writer for as long as I can create works of art that people want to read.

A narrower focus means you will earn more, produce better results, and have more fun. 

I have always been good at raising revenues but never paid much attention to controlling costs. #bigmistake

If you can’t control costs, they will always rise to the level of revenues and then exceed those revenues. #always

And guess what? If you are bad at controlling costs, your credit rating may eventually suck. If it does, your life will suck too because everything you want to do–get a mortgage, get a post-paid cell phone, get a credit card–will be tougher and more expensive.

Lastly, if you do find a coach or mentor you trust, a few sessions with her or him can make a huge difference in your life, personal as well as business/professional. You will find out what it is you are actually good at, and then you’ll do more of it while doing less of what you are bad at and don’t like doing anyway.

As my late dad used to say, “Dump the losers and keep the winners.”

@ profbruce

@ quantum_entity

Spread The Word
Follow

About the Author

Bruce is an entrepreneur/real estate broker/developer/coach/urban guru/keynote speaker/Sens founder/novelist/columnist/peerless husband/dad.

>