Is enough ever enough?
Over the past few years I’ve sadly lost a number of friends and colleagues far too early. All had stellar careers yet none got to retirement. They left families and friends devastated,wanting more.
I was at an event a few months ago. The host is yet another driven individual who works all the hours that god sends. He has businesses, houses,more cars than you can shake a stick at. A beautiful wife and loving family. Oh, and a dodgy ticker. I raised the concept of enough; what is enough? When do you slow down, or stop altogether? I suggested that he didn’t need to work another day in his life to maintain his millionaire lifestyle. Who wants to be the richest guy in the graveyard I asked? He said he didn’t know what he’d do with himself if he stopped. He dismissed the concept.
I was reminded of a story, a parable even, that spoke to this endless quest for more. Enjoy. Think.
There was a high powered Management Consultant, who had a Harvard MBA, on holiday on a beach in Mexico. Early one morning he saw a local boatman come up to the shore in his little boat. Inside the boat was a large yellow fin tuna. He got talking to him and he said to the boatman: “Tell me, what you do with your life?”
The Mexican said, “Well, I go out fishing early in the morning and I catch a yellow fin tuna. I come back and I sell it, then I go home, have breakfast or an early lunch with my beautiful wife. We chat a while. Most days we make love followed by a snooze in the afternoon. Then in the early evening, I play with the kids when they get back from school, I have dinner with my wife and then I go down to the local cantina where I play guitar, sing and have a drink with my amigos!”
The Management Consultant said: “I think I can help you, because I have a Harvard MBA. Here’s my advice: instead of coming back so early, why don’t you stay out and fish a little longer and catch more tuna. That way you can make more money so you can buy a bigger boat.”
“Really?” said the Mexican. “Then what happens?”
“Well, then you can catch even more fish. Then what you can do is employ some of your amigos and set up a fishing fleet to catch even more yellow fin tuna!”
“Wow!” the Mexican said, “…and then what happens?”
“Well…” said the Consultant, “Eventually, you can bypass the middle man altogether and have your own cannery! Over the years you can build a fantastic fleet and a marvellous business!”
The Mexican was fascinated by all this and he said, “That is brilliant, what happens next?”
“Well, eventually, you’ll have thousands of employees, you will have to move to a new Head Office in New York. Then what we’ll do is we will help you do an IPO and sell the business and make millions!”
…and the Mexican said, “How many millions?”
The Consultant said, “Well…about twenty!”
So the Mexican says, “Wow! Twenty million! What happens then?”
And the Consultant says: “Oh,that is the best bit! You can then relax, retire to a little Mexican fishing village and in the morning you can get up and go fishing for a yellow fin tuna and in the evening you can play guitar and have a few drinks with your amigos!”
The moral of the story is, you might already have the life you really want. So why work harder or longer than you really need to?
Adrian Collins
Exit Planner,NED,Mentor and Business Advisor Adrian runs his own Exit Advisory consultancy. AdrianCollins.co.uk
“..I have been in business for 40 years.I successfully grew a 6 man 2nd tier UK business into an international leader employing 49 people servicing some of the world’s biggest consumer brands. I’ve worked with people in the biggest corporations down to the smallest entrepreneurs. The common factor was that they came to me seeking success. Success for their brand, their company, for themselves. For over 25 years I was a multiaward-winning talent shop for gifted creatives, strategists, project managers and production specialists. Now I’m working with CEOs of SMEs as a mentor, NED and advisor, leveraging 40 years experience. In the end, it’s all about people. Getting out from the Covid mess presents us a challenge. Smart, driven people will be required. If I can impart any of my experience to help what will be the biggest challenge of a lifetime, please let me know….check out my Linkedin profile….give me a call…” https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriancollinswellsandsheds/
