11 Controversial Lessons I Encountered in 2011

2011 was a controversial year for me. Personal events and discoveries shackled my beliefs. Things I thought could help me solve a problem actually made the situation worse.

Behind every experience though, there is a valuable lesson. Lessons that made me wiser, tougher and happier.

1. Business Coaches are great at making you answer your own questions and hence guide you to a perceived proper direction which you later realize is the same mistake executed from a different angle. Lesson: If you want to bring your business to a higher level, find a MENTOR who has been there and done that.
2. Business Consultants who say their strategies work for all types of business are just trying to make more money for their own business. My video business is built on my own unique skills and mastery of the art which is not scalable with the same quality and profitability. Lesson: Learn and apply strategies but stop immediately if they do not work in your industry.
3. Hire people with the right attitude first and you can teach them the rest later. This old advice does not work anymore in a multi-national society. My staff have the right attitude and is trained the right skills but cannot comprehend or speak the language of our customers. Lesson: Hire people who can communicate with your clients.
4. The iPhone 4 was my first iPhone and I swore never to use other brand toy phones again. However, after the passing of Steve Jobs, I doubt the future iPhone would get any better other than competing with mediocre ideas. I may now consider the Samsung Note. Lesson: Treasure your iPhone 4/4S/5 because the next wow thing may come many years later.
5. Phone calls. 90% of my incoming phone calls are from people I know who want to sell me things. I decided not to answer any phone calls until the other party text me with the intended message. Even saying no is a waste of time. Lesson: Let others know you prefer to text instead of talk because of the nature of your work.
6. Business networking is not necessary for every type of business. My video business thrived for 10 years without networking. Networking did not help the business during the financial crisis either. My videos are my living marketing machines with legs. Lesson: Deliver your service fast and error-free to create happy customers.
7. The key to a happy relationship. A husband’s duty is to keep his wife happy and express his own unhappiness somewhere else. Sad but true, men and women are from different planets. Lesson: To prevent the war of the worlds, the male species must give in.
8. Retire the golden goose. For ten years I have worked 18 hours a day 7 days a week. Public holidays never existed. Missed important family events but it made me a lot of money. This year I took the courage to kill/retire the golden goose. Lesson: It’s my life, I choose to take it or leave it.
9. Blindfold reading. A child can read a book blindfolded better than with her glasses on. So our eyes are merely light sensors and we DO have that special power. After putting my kids through midbrain training, now their daddy’s super brain power is not special after all. Lesson: Not every one is convinced yet.
10. Video vs writing. Much is said about making videos for business promotion on the Internet. After several attempts, I conclude writing is easier, faster and more effective than making videos. Videos are more effective after you have captured leads. Lesson: Improve your writing skills as it will also help you write better video scripts.
11. Tell a story. There are more story books than fact books in the library. People love immersing themselves into the imagination of a single writer’s mind which does nothing to improve the life of the reader. Imagine the consequence if I change the perspective of my career from teaching facts to telling compelling stories. Lesson: Lessons tell. Stories sell.

These are the highlights of my personal experience in 2011.

I hope you catch a glimpse of my inner thoughts and feelings.

Share your thoughts. Use the comment box below to link to your post about YOUR 2011.

Adrian Lee
http://AdrianVideoImage.com
“Do or do not… There is no try”

PS:
The picture of the red 6-toed footprint was painted with Doodlebuddy app on iPhone 4.