We lived in Billings, Montana a few years ago.
When we were there, we lived in an older established neighborhood and we had one of those neighbors. You know -- the one with the perfectly manicured yard?
One day as I drove by, I noticed that that neighbor had added some river rock to his perfectly sculpted landscaping. I had to admit that it looked great.
You know... rugged yet refined.
My first instinct was to think: "I like that. I'd like that for my yard." My second instinct was to ponder, "How I could do it quick and cheap?" (Can you identify?)
So that weekend, I decided to go get some rocks.
I thought "Heck, I live in Montana. Rocks are everywhere. Why not?"
The result?
I spent about 3 + hours loading rocks. I spent $50 in gas not to mention $250 in repairs to the suspension on my truck. And I spent $ 8 for a bottle of motrin to help my aching back!
All of it... for a relatively small pile of rocks.
So, what did I do next? Well, it's what I should have done first.
I went to the neighbor. I asked him about his rocks. I asked him how he'd done it.
As it turned out, he was great. He explained that there was a quarry outside of town and that they brought him a HUGE load of rocks for $50... in less than 24 hours!
Yup... 50 bucks... and no heavy lifting!
What did I learn? What was the lesson?
I learned that I need to always be asking the question: "Who could I be learning from?"
Then... I need to seek out those people for help.
I also learned that it sometimes helps to seek those people out BEFORE I try something new.
Again, can you identify?
A few weeks ago I challenged you to put together your "Love or Loathe" list. How did it go? Did you give it a try?
As a result, some of you might be thinking about making a change... or wondering whether you need to try something new.
- Maybe you're thinking that you want to try a new hobby or sport.
- Maybe some of you are thinking about a career change.
- Maybe some are pondering the idea of buying a new business or selling an old one.
- Maybe some of you were inspired to add something to the mix... a new challenge... a new idea. You know... a new mountain to climb.
If that's the case why not take a next step and ask yourself the question: "Who could I learn from?"
Why not look around and see if you can find someone doing what you think you might want to do?
Then give them a call or buy them some coffee and pick their brain.
I know, I know, it's almost too simple. But if I had heeded this advice a little sooner it would have saved me some time, money, and... back pain!
What could it save you?
Think about it. Give it a try. And let me know how it goes!
What do you think? Who are you going to call?
Photo credit: Cobalt123