Summer’s coming to a close. The days are getting shorter. The winds are picking up, knocking the red and gold leaves from the trees.
It’s a magical time of year, but one that also causes quite a bit of angst amongst those of us who are especially conscious of our calendars. After all, come October 1st, we’ll have just about 90 days left in the year.
In our best state, we’ll look at it as motivation: Imagine what I can accomplish in this last quarter! I’m going to do it all!
In our stressed state, we’ll look at it with fear: There’s still so much to be done! I haven’t done enough!
It’s in times like these -- when we want it all; when we want to do it all; when we want to be it all -- that the definition of “enough” seems to keep expanding, to an insatiable place that’s impossible to fulfill.
When I find myself detrimentally expanding what “enough” looks like for me, I like to re-read The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman:
An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed. “I have an MBA from Harvard, and can help you,” he said. “You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening up your own cannery. You could control the product, processing, and distribution,” he said. “Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually to New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “Oh, 15 to 20 years or so.”
“But what then?” asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time was right, you would announce an IPO, and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”
“Millions – then what?”
The American said, “Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”
Friends: Carry this with you as you embark upon the rest of this year. Consider what fulfillment really looks like for you; what really matters. Define your “enough” with caution. Then, get to work making it happen.