The Lumberjack Story

The below story is a slightly revised version of an article that was written by Tom "Big Al" Schreiter. He is one of my absolutely favorite home-based business coaches.

Anyway, without any further ado, check this out...

"The Lumberjack Story"

An experienced lumberjack walked past one of the new recruits. The new recruit viciously chopped away at the large tree but only managed to bruise the bark. Seeing the hard work and wasted effort, the experienced lumberjack said, "Hey, why don't you sharpen your ax? It will make you much more efficient."

The new recruit answered, "No. I can't take the time to sharpen my ax. I'm busy trying to cut down this tree."

Many new business owners suffer from the "dull ax" syndrome. They set goals, work hard, but never reach the success they desire. Why? Because they never took the time to sharpen their "ax" by learning new, effective skills. These entrepreneurs waste effort, waste resources, and waste their careers. If only they would take a little time away from their frenzied futility to learn the skills that would serve them for a lifetime.

As home-based business expert Tom Paredes says, "You need training even if you get a job at McDonald's flipping hamburgers. So why not expect to invest some time and effort in learning new skills for your business?"

What happens when new entrepreneurs venture into business uninformed? Let's go back to our new lumberjack.

It seems the new lumberjack finally got tired of beating his dull ax against the tree. In desperation, he went into town to the local hardware store. The manager of the hardware store said, "Yep. Your ax sure is dull. But, if I were you, I wouldn't get the ax sharpened. There is a new way of cutting trees that is even better than a sharp ax. It's called a chain saw."

"Just give me that chain saw and I'm outta here," said the new lumberjack. He took the chain saw and disappeared into the woods.

Two days later the new lumberjack returned to the hardware store. He was sweaty, had blisters on his hands, and looked very depressed. He found the store manager and said, "Hey you. You sold me this chain saw and promised me better results. I've been slaving away in the woods for two days and still haven't finished cutting down my first tree!"

The store manager replied, "Well son, just hand the chain saw over here and let me see what the problem is." The store manager examined the chain saw and saw nothing wrong. Then he grabbed the starter cord and gave it a big pull.

"B-b-b-r-r-r-r-r-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-m-m-m-m-m!" The chain saw belched some smoke and began to run.

"Hey! What's that noise?" the new lumberjack exclaimed.

It seems that the new lumberjack never took the time to learn the features or even how to use his new tool.

The same is true in business. One must not only acquire new tools, but also the knowledge on how to use them. And, in this rush, rush society, it will take some discipline and time investment to perfect one's new business-building skills.

The payoff?

Almost anything you want. All you have to do is be willing to change. After all, Michelangelo changed from painting floors to painting ceilings when he got the Sistine Chapel job. The same new opportunities await you with your brand business marketing skills.

Enough said...