A Letter from Chris Suarez
LESSONS LEARNED WHILE TRAPPED ON AN ISLAND
This past week I spent some time with my wife and two beautiful girls in Maui. I had somehow avoided the destination for just over 42 years before succumbing to the pressure of booking a trip to visit an island known for its stunning beaches, non-stop sun, and extraordinary cuisine. Truth be told, I’m not a beach person. I prefer rain. And I’m a “food-for-fuel” clean eating vegan. As you can imagine, Maui wasn’t at the top of my list. In fact, while on an island I can at times feel a bit claustrophobic or even trapped. However the girls had dreamed of going and so I set to work to create an experience for our family to remember.
I am thankful to have left the island with a few valuable lessons.
Every day I woke up and they were in control. It’s how I like it when on vacation. Vacation is for my family. In a world where I find myself being asked to make decisions almost every day, I love the opportunity to go an entire week without needing to have an opinion or make a decision. I stay on the same morning wake-up schedule as usual, so I’d leave before the sun came up to get my run or my hike in before heading home as the girls woke up. Then they chose where to go. They chose what to do. They chose when to do it. They chose what they wanted to experience. I was there to make it happen. They were the visionaries and I was the integrator. I was the executor. I decided to make no decisions, and placed all decision making power in their hands. Whatever they dreamed up, they looked to me to make it happen. And I enjoyed that role. Every business and every partnership needs incredible commitment to both vision and execution. One is not more important than the other. One is not more fulfilling than the other. At times we may be called on to be either one - or we may realize the organization needs us to be either one. It’s a lesson in being versatile. It’s a lesson in being willing to give up control in any successful partnership. It’s a lesson in being willing to roll up my sleeves and make things happen with the only reason being to make someone else happy.
While on the island I had a bit of time for reflection. Most entrepreneurs have the inborn tendency to constantly look into the future. To constantly look at where they are going. To constantly look at what they haven’t yet finished. To constantly look at what Dan Sullivan calls the GAP between where we are and where we want to be, thought we’d be, or set out to be. I am no different. That gap can keep me up at night. The challenge with the gap is that if we are driven to continue to grow and get better, then there will always be one. And any time you take that isn’t filling that gap, charging towards that gap, or gaining ground on that gap can cause stress or even tension. It can lead you to feel, well, unproductive. Being unproductive can cause us to feel uneasy, uncertain, and even experience emotional stress. Instead, Sullivan encourages us to focus on the GAIN. Comparing your current self to your past or previous self allows you to acknowledge and see your growth. On a day or a week where I choose to slow down, I can be the type of person that experiences a bit of anxiety or internal pressure as I begin to feel less productive. My mind can run towards all of the things I have yet to accomplish that month or that year - focusing on my gap. I took the time on one of my morning runs to instead reflect on the gains of the previous year. I won’t say that I was perfect at it, but it did allow me some space to acknowledge the ground covered, the gains made, and the changes I have worked on personally. It allowed me to compare myself to where I was as opposed to comparing myself to who I want to be. It led me to appreciate the work that Dan Sullivan has recently done on the topic of comparison. It’s a lesson to acknowledge what we have accomplished. It is also a valuable lesson in acknowledging others for their gains and accomplishments in lieu of their gaps or seeming deficiencies.
No, I’m still not a beach person. I didn’t mind coming home to the Pacific NW rain. And I ate my typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Truth be told, we created some incredible experiences - hiking volcanoes, touring waterfalls by helicopter, meeting an incredible farm-to-table chef and sommelier, and simply being together. I am extra grateful that I learned a few valuable lessons along the way, while being “trapped on an island.”
Chris
