lessons learned from my lago vista business trip

hello clients, prospective clients, and business alliance members.  we all have learned important lessons throughout life; often times, we do not consciously understand the meaning instantaneously, and its truthful knowledge resurfaces many years later.  we also sometimes have immediate clarity.

taking a long weekend over to lago vista incidentally during sxsw 2013 revealed clear lessons, needing immediate deliberation and action to ensure success in my future austin launch and beyond into seattle and denver.  linking up the three nerve centers will remain key to professional enjoyment and personal development.

the following ideas require strategic deliberation and ruthless execution:

you never know enough about distance and time

my younger brother, morgan, came over thursday night before some scheduled meetings at 9:00am in austin and at 3:00pm in brenham.  the 9:00am fellow in austin works for a multinational medical device company, who called on my father in midland at his gynecological practice; subsequently after that appointment, the 3:00pm fellow in brenham concerned a client's real property undeveloped land listing.  both activities remained relatively important.

morgan came over.  we sticked it out tough and raided our parent's wine cabinet with gusto.  raiding the wine cabinet may sound trite in your mid-thirties, but no, trite poorly captures our fun.  we had a rad mobile awesome blast...

needless to say, we partied until 7:30am when the time came for me to find the coffee shop off west anderson lane in austin.  from the map, you should notice the subtle direction change on the map coming from us hwy 183.  my midland easy-driving social conditioning had allowed me to keep large margins of error with easy commuting times and short distances; ufortunately, the margin of error from lago vista into austin remained incredibly tight even before factoring in that west anderson lane quirk...much less my slightly altered mind.

my exit came off east anderson lane, and only one time, my entry shot me off too far north.  by the time that the car got "rightsighted," our appointment time had come and gone, too late.  missed the appointment and had to email my contact my with normal regrets.  unqualified the contact after getting back to lago vista due to my pure embarrassment; also, went to bed.

mostly, partying until your appointment overnight all night wears down on you; however, we could have made the appointment had my preparatory awareness knew that my sober awareness could not find the location, especially before jamming with the sticker zombie wine cabinet raider.  anecdotal evidence from my friends and family indicated that most people miss that spot anyway.

planning my days more efficiently remains critical.  distance remains a challenge in the austin metro area, especially leaving lago vista off the north shore of lake travis.  time remains an under-optimized but super important currency that dictates success or failure in new markets with even thinner margins of error than a native market.

we cannot get away with cutting time too short or keeping small margins or error.  atrocious traffic swamped me with an marginally aware mental directional compass going down a path unknown.

recommended distance and time management tips for my professional efforts:

print out a detailed directional map and practice your route

drive a hybrid vehicle that does not consume excess fuel when searching out new routes  

tailor your service offering tighter in a larger market to take advantage of a larger market

become an efficient middle market player

tap the tremendous value in nature

our family lago vista home rests on a hillside that runs down to a perennially dry creek bed.  a strong oak thicket protects the home property against not only wind but noise and intruding eyes.  our family derives tremendous strength, wisdom, and protection among oak thickets, song birds, and sunshine.

my lago vista trip revealed much love with nature, and my eyes spied 10 different song bird species.  they chirped and flew around, gobbling up buggies with gusto!  our cats would love them, but our cats would barely nudge the apex position here, making way for coyotes.

we must fight to protect our environmental sanctuaries.  the balcones canyonlands national wildlife refuge rests against lago vista and farm to market 1431 to marble falls.  our multi-varied song bird species live within the refuge and provide our family home with comfort and enjoyment.  the birds remain sacrosanct, and our land and its inhabitants we will defend it judiciously but rapaciously.

implement a circular economic system that shatters a linear consumption cycle.  produce, consume, and waste not only kills song birds but also kills your seeds and you.  why not produce, consume, and recycle?  reiterate after that point.

practice meditation on back porch

after taking a long hot and cold shower in the late morning, my clean body laid the groundwork for cleansing my mind and spirit.  a cleansing soul meditation regimen with zero mental distractions has consistently calmed my nerves and soothed my racing mind.  racing thoughts often overwhelm my mental well-being and create stress with impulsive reactions and negative consequences.

my yoga instructor, rebecca speight, always talks about keeping your lips closed but not closed as well as your eyes shut but open.  slanted eyes peering through lashes revealed ghostly images tracing around the yard.  the images and beings did not cause fear or trepidation.  they came into this reality to help me purify, strengthen, and cleanse my heart.  my empty mind let them come and go without much fuss...

learn yourself through your spine and connect with your self that transcends this ego driven reality.

...enjoy a meaningful day!