One of the benefits of ageing is that you’re constantly getting to know yourself better. As I navigate my way through life, it’s becoming more evident that whilst I’m pretty good at seeing where I need to go, I struggle with the steps needed to get there i.e., I’m pretty strategic, but not so good with the planning.

Around four years ago, after reading Map It by Cathy Moore, my purpose in life became abundantly clear — master the skills needed to improve human performance, and then teach others how to apply it in their work.

I recognised this would be the most meaningful thing I could do with my life.

And so, I updated my positioning, wrote a new email course, and got to work. Practising this approach with clients so I could share my progress.

And it’s been a fulfilling few years! Culminating in the launch of our community last year.

However, it always baffled me why more folk didn’t come along for the ride. I mean, you’re here, and I’m super grateful for that. But back in my YouTube days, I would regularly have tens of thousands of views on a video teaching advanced-level turd-polishing.

Fast forward three years, several hundred LinkedIn posts and emails later, and the growth hasn’t been as rapid.

And whilst it’s not about the numbers, it is a bit about the numbers. I don’t want to be famous anymore (once I did, and that's a story for another day). But I do want to affect change. And that’s difficult without a critical mass.

But then I heard something that hit me like a ton of bricks:

On first inspection, it sounds like a quirky Instagram meme. But upon reflection, I realised how true this is. People aren’t looking for slow, methodical ways to solve their problems. They’re looking for the quick fix.

• “Want a rock-hard six-pack in 60 days? Check out our new abs crunch machine!”
• “Erectile dysfunction? Try our new wonder drug!”
• “Employees not performing? Try microlearning!”

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And whilst we can see the futility of this dynamic, it’s natural, human behaviour. We have a problem and want to restore life back to how it was before as quickly as possible.

Of course, there’s no shortage of snake-oil salesmen willing to take advantage of our plight (the whole eLearning industry is predicated on companies selling turd-polishing to unwitting customers).

So, maybe it’s no wonder my progress has been slow. I’m not selling instant transformation. I’m selling slow, sustainable improvement. I.e., I’m selling strategy, not tactics.

And whilst I know that’s what the world needs, can you think of anything less sexy?!

Pffft.

So, I think I’m going to try something slightly different.

Stay tuned.

Yours,
- Ant