If you love something...

...set it free. Or keep on doing it. It all depends on what that thing is.

A NOTE: This blog was originally published in February 2010 and still holds true...2 whole years later!

s we all drag ourselves through new economic realities and a world that seems to be moving at an alarming pace, we need to take a look at those business legacies that are "time-tested truths" and those things that are actually getting in the way of our business evolution.

We have habits, routines, things we hold as sacred, and various other "mishegoss"and legacies that make our business lives feel safe and in control. Although I did not grow up in the computer and mobile communications era, I was swept with terror the other day when my trackball fell out of my Blackberry, rendering my cell phone useless. I realized that I have, over time, formed some rather unhealthy habits having to do with "devices." Similarly, when our office printer simply went into a coma a couple of weeks ago (refusing to print, fax, or even hum, we all stared at each other in a daze, wondering how business could possibly carry on. (Interestingly, we managed to all survive printer-less for a week...it was actually quite liberating and we all learned to read and edit better on a screen...probably saving a tree or two in the process.)

Like I did two years ago (see "Spinning Out of Control"), I am daring myself in 2010 to break routines, challenge some beliefs, and start spinning again. (Well, not literally. Although I love my silver spinning shoes and cool bicycle shorts, I only like to indulge in that pasttime every couple of months. It hurts my butt and people are a little too obsessive about sitting on their "special bike" on Saturday mornings.) I have vowed to be less critical of others, be more patient in teaching, put down my Blackberry every now and then, and learn a new skill or two every month.

And, as for those things I truly love -- like writing, reading, helping clients take their businesses to the next level, and buying overpriced accessories every now and then...well, those things seem perfectly reasonable to me. So, they are staying in the cage.

Related (and not) links:

All about homing pigeons

The original "If you love something..." quote

Sting lyrics and ringtone ("If you love somebody, set them free...)

Fifty habits of highly successful people

The world of cuckoo clocks (which sort of has to do with birds and with effective time management, but mostly it's just an interesting site)