What Can Egrets Teach Business Owners?

This weekend, I had a chance to watch a beautiful egret fishig for its next meal.  It was amazing to watch how focused the bird was on the task at hand.  It got me to thinking……What can an egret teach business owners?  What are the principles this egret learned from its mother and other egrets that make it the efficient fisherman that it is today?

1. Patience.  It’s important to take some time to plan and move slowly.  Despite what you might think, nobody is truly “an overnight success”.  There’s been a lot of groundwork laid that might not be apparent to you.  Plan your work and work your plan.
2. Practice.  Learn from your “misses” and mistakes.  You may not succeed at each and every new idea, but you should understand what mistakes were made, learn from them and then move on.  Don’t dwell on it and don’t let it paralyze you from trying a new idea.
3. Recognize Opportunities. We’re all so busy tending to our day-to-day business tasks, that we seldom take the time to be still and aware.   I noticed that the egret spent an inordinate amount of time just standing there and staring into the water.  The bird also decided to fish “where his competition wasn’t”.  There were no other birds in the vicinity, so he could focus completely on trying to find its next opportunity.  This might not be realistic for us as business owners, but if we’re always TOO BUSY, then we might not recognize opportunity when it knocks.  Make sure you’re listening and watching!
4. Strike Decisively. An egret strikes so quickly, that it’s nearly impossible to see the fish in its beak before it gets swallowed up.  If you’ve laid the groundwork for success and understand opportunities presenting themselves, then you’ll be prepared to take action instead of remaining paralyzed.  Many business owners suffer from “analysis from paralysis”.  Is this you?  What can you do to keep things moving forward?
5. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Once you’ve experienced any measure of success with your new venture or idea, do you take the time to reflect and enjoy what you’ve created?  Does it align with your life’s mission?

Perhaps you’re thinking of revamping an old business practice or you’re launching a new initiative.  Regardless, try to emulate the egret and catch that big fish!

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