Don't Get Ahead of Yourself

"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious."
- John Sculley

I've come across a recurring theme in life recently, and while not all of it has to do with me, or even involves me, I can't help but to reflect on my own actions. After "weathering the storm" of the recent economic hardships, it feels there's a generally positive shift in activity and outlook overall. BannerView.com, for example, has seen an upswing in interested businesses looking to start or renew their efforts, and we've already submitted nearly the same amount of proposals since the beginning of the year, than we did in the entire 4th quarter of last year. On the surface, it seems that the worst of the economic woes are over, and we can all start borrowing and spending money again. We can go back to living the way we want to live, rather than just stick to the things we really need in life. However, it's important to not get ahead of ourselves.

I read the quote above and understood it to say that by taking risks in business and not being afraid to press forward with an idea or concept that may not be wildly popular, that this can give you an advantage. Although that may be true in many cases, being too far ahead of the curve can also be a disadvantage. I say this based on my own experiences of sometimes trying to run a small business more like a large business. Although our intentions are to continue to grow BannerView.com to be a "big business" that will eventually reach hundreds of thousands of businesses, the truth remains that we are still a small business and should continue to operate as such. My efforts to put in place everything that a big business would need to succeed often just deters me from making small, but effective changes that our business can benefit from today.

The same holds true in my personal life. I see people all around me anxious to get to where they feel like they're going in life. The recent economy was a reality check for most, but if the worst of it is over, then many will go right back to trying to achieve too much before they're ready to support it. A bigger house, a more expensive car, getting married and starting a family, these are all different life achievements that should probably occur one at a time for most, but many get caught up in the idea of "the good life" and try to accomplish it all at once. With good credit and optimistic lenders, you may be able to have it all again sooner than later, but you may find yourself in a worse situation somewhere down the line.