What if the hare had the tortoise’s determination?
In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, the hare had plenty of speed, but it was the tortoise who won because he didn’t stop. When people try to connect this story to real-life application, it’s almost automatically assumed someone is either the hare or the tortoise. You’re either a fast starter with no perseverance or a “slow and steady” plodder that will eventually win.
I’m calling bull-crap on that notion. What if you combined the hare’s speed with the tortoise’s drive?
This week’s New Week, New You is about combining the hare’s high-octane potential with the tortoise’s no-quit attitude. The whole reason you started your side hustle is to create a future off-ramp from your 9-to-5 to your dream future. It takes hard work, determination, and a constant drive to succeed. It also helps if you’re putting that type of drive into an area where you’re naturally gifted, like the hare’s speed.
Many dream-chasers start out being fueled by the novelty of their dreams. After a while, the novelty wears off or they realize it takes a lot of work to realize your dreams, and they slowly lose interest in the race. A lot of dream-chasers don’t block out the time to work on their speed or training and slowly plod along. Some of them eventually succeed, but it often takes them several years.
New Week, New You creates a two-fold purpose: blocking out time to work on your dream-chasing speed, and creating a scheduled roadmap for investing in your dreams. This is a predictable path to follow that keeps you from distractions, like the hare, if you follow a regular plan. It also helps you get better and faster in your dream area.
How to combine the tortoise and the hare in chasing your dreams
There are five questions you need to ask when creating a hare/tortoise hybrid for chasing your dreams:
- What’s my current dream-chasing speed? (If you’re making awesome progress (hare), but missing some details and opportunities, you may need to work on your quality of progress (tortoise). If you’re not going very fast (tortoise), but all the details are in perfect order, it may be time to kick into the next gear.)
- Why do I want to improve in my “hare” or “tortoise” areas?
- Who can I learn from to improve in my “hare” areas? “Tortoise” areas?
- What does a hare/tortoise hybrid look like when chasing my specific dreams?
- How do I implement the right changes to create a great hare/tortoise hybrid for my dream-chasing?
In the end of the story, the tortoise always wins, but it wouldn’t be even close if the hare had the right attitude. When it comes to chasing your dreams, having both hare and tortoise qualities will make your dreams improve in dynamic ways. Don’t be just the tortoise or the hare. Be both together and watch your dreams succeed.
What are some ways your dreams are like the hare or the tortoise? How can you change your approach to embody both of them well?