The other day I came across this funny ad (the funeral truck on this page) and posted it on Facebook. Immediately after posting, I was lectured by someone who sharply pointed out that “comedy in marketing is not a good idea” and “would you want to send your recently deceased love one off in that?” Seems like someone’s been self-quarantined a *bit* too long.
Of course, the ad wasn’t meant to be serious – but far too many people take unimportant things too seriously: the outcome of a game, an off-color joke and the click bait crisis-of-the-day news stories. When we’re young, every embarrassment, every slight, every offense is of GREAT importance. Today I can barely recall some life events that, at the time, were of momentous significance – they are now vague and unimportant memories.
On the other hand, there’s a LOT of things I see people in business not taking seriously enough, especially right now. Most people are frozen and stunned, unable to act with all of the uncertainty and fear going on. They’re glued to the TV and social media, arguing with others over what is happening, what “facts” are real, what we should be doing as a society and FOCUSING on the disasters happening around us.
I get it. Our brains are wired that way because our limbic system – the part of the brain that controls emotion and behavior – is hardwired to focus on and respond to DANGER. You can control it for a while, but no one is immune. And for that reason, entrepreneurs and professionals who are in positions that require them to produce an outcome, and that deal with complex strategies, must be hyper-vigilant about staying focused on the RIGHT THINGS.
There’s just too much to deal with right now to react and democratize your attention. Not all situations and information carry equal weight for your attention on any given day – but now it’s vital that you discriminate. You need to know more about your finances and what’s going on with your clients and in your business than what’s happening on social media. You don’t need to text your spouse 50 times a day to discuss what’s going on – you can catch up with them on the events later that day. You do NOT need to be on social media for HOURS, scrolling and trolling, getting angry at the stupid posts and grandstanding that’s running rampant, nor do you need to get sucked into the “hand-washing challenge” or any other nonsense that people who are bored at home are trying to guilt you into.
If you’re a business owner, you need to be running a WAR ROOM right now. You need to focus on preserving revenue, preserving clients and putting a plan in place to REPLACE revenue that will inevitably be lost as this recession rolls out. You need to be plotting different offers and deliverables, reevaluating your target market, reevaluating your entire marketing approach and strategizing ways to be of value to people TODAY, in this crisis. This focused thinking and these focused efforts MUST be protected at all costs. You have to protect your thoughts. You have to protect your focus. You have to protect where you invest your time, putting it into making money right now. If you don’t take all of this seriously, there’s no point in taking anything seriously. Just give up and let whatever happens happen. Roll over and give up. But don’t come crying to me about how you’ve lost everything.
Here’s something I am taking seriously: My efforts to be of more value and significance to YOU during these difficult times. My respect for those out there with honest ambition who will take my advice to heart and execute like hell – they are heroes. They are “my people.” And for those who refuse to roll over and accept the losses, know that I am compiling and distilling every bit of wisdom and strategy I can to help you navigate the troubled waters ahead of us. You ARE essential to me – and that is what I shall focus on.
