A client recently asked, with frustration, “What am I doing wrong? What’s the problem?”
— The problem is not that you’re doing something wrong; the problem is that you keep choosing the same old road, again and again, expecting it to take you to the fast lane.
— The problem is not that you don’t put in the effort; the problem is that the effort you’re putting in is not going where it’s needed most.
— The problem is not that you don’t know how; the problem is that you resist doing the necessary homework or deep research, to figure out how.
— The problem is not that you don’t have the connections; the problem is that you don’t use the connections you do have—to lead you to the connections you want.
— The problem is not that your timing is off; the problem is that you allow impatience to dictate your agenda.
— The problem is not that “there just isn’t enough time in the day,” the problem is that you allow petty distractions (like Facebook, email, and news) to steal your focus and rob you of your precious “creative” time.
Important because The problem is not that you don’t know what the problem is; the problem is that you really do know what the problem is and you resist doing anything about it.