I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I like to archive all the notes from my audio messages. I’ve been doing this since I started recording weekly audio messages for TruMethods members back in 2009. At the beginning of this year, I decided to time travel.
I created a new folder for January 2022, scrolled through the folders over the years, and opened the folder I created in 2009. I browsed through it and found the notes from my very first audio message. I want to share just a little piece of that message and then provide some reflections on it.
Here’s the message:
“Today, I want to speak to you about having balance in your life, between striving for your business goals and enjoying your life. The older we get the faster time seems to move on.
I have a son who’s going to college this fall. Eighteen years went by like the blink of an eye. The same thing happens in our business. The days, weeks, months, quarters, and years fly by. Time can be our friend or our enemy. I sometimes end my live presentations with a story, and I’d like to share one with you.
There was a guy I met years ago when I was installing my company’s first toolset. My company was looking at packaging and pricing, and he was in a similar place, so we would speak once a week. Over time, we both got busy. And years and years went by before we spoke again.
I eventually ran into him at an industry event. He asked me how I was doing. His business was in the same place as mine the last time we spoke. And when I told him where I was — 7,000 endpoints under management, recurring revenue, profitability. He was dumbfounded for a second. And finally, he said to me, ‘What have you been doing? My God, Gary!’
I paused for a second. And I said, “No, I think the question is, ‘What have you been doing?’”
A lot has changed since my first audio message. Since I recorded it, we at TruMethods have built our peer groups, created Schnizzfest, and developed myITprocess. My son Gary Jr., went to college and then joined TruMethods. I feel pretty good about how I’ve used my time.
Here’s something to remember: All you have is each day, and each day goes by. Make sure you have the right priorities in place. Think about where you want to be in three or five or 10 years. Then focus on how you can use your time to get there. Time can be your friend or your enemy.
