Clues, Feedback and Treasure Maps

When I was a kid, I loved “pirate” movies. I still love them as a matter of fact. I’m not too keen on the pirates, but I’m always inspired by those who defy them and triumph in the end. Movies like “Treasure Island” (1934), “The Swiss Family Robinson” (1960), “Cutthroat Island” (1995), “Pirates of the Caribbean” (2003) always get my blood going. ARR!

It’s also interesting to see how those movies all follow a certain pattern. They all seem to go through 3 specific phases:

Phase 1 – Find the “map” or another reason to go to sea.

Phase 2 – Get to the “island” (either on purpose or by accident, often through a shipwreck).

Phase 3 – Start looking for the treasure (usually means thrashing around in the jungle for a couple of days while unseen danger stalks the heroes).

Phase 4 – Overcome incredible obstacles to reach the final goal or “treasure” (and discover some deeper meaning or “truth” along the way that rates much more important than the original treasure).

Also integral to every good pirate story: the heroes always face unexpected, seemingly insurmountable obstacles that pop up at the worst times.

Traps…

Treachery…

Betrayal…

All the “bad” stuff that leaves the final outcome of the movie in doubt and makes the ultimate triumph that much sweeter (and more fun to talk about after the show is over)!

Your Own “Treasure” Map

Unfortunately, the Universe doesn’t usually hand you a literal treasure map with all the steps to a goal drawn out in black and white where “X” marks the spot. You’ve got to figure out your own map and discover the steps that lead to your own “treasure” at the end.

Fortunately, this process actually rates pretty easy if you just calm down, take a deep breath, and do what most people spend their entire lives trying to avoid doing, which is to think!

Step 1: Figure out exactly what you want (The Treasure).

Step 2: Come up with a basic written plan of HOW you’ll get there (get to the “island”).

Step 3: Get busy taking action (searching the island for your treasure).

Step 4: Pay close attention to the clues you get based on your actions and modify your future actions based on feedback.

Keep repeating steps 3 and 4 until you reach the treasure you seek.

YES… It’s that simple!

As you take action in pursuit of any goal, you’ll get clues about what you should do next or how to modify your current actions to get closer to your goal. Your job is to follow up on those clues with more action — so you get more feedback you can act on — and keep moving down the trail. Feedback usually takes the form of verbal or written feedback from people or actual results (positive or negative) you get from the actions you take.

The key to moving forward on the treasure map is to constantly recheck what treasure you’re after (the vision or goal you’re pursuing) and evaluate all feedback in light of where you’re going.

1. Are the actions you’re taking getting you closer or further away from your goal and..
2. What clues are you getting that other, faster paths or shortcuts to the treasure exist?

Whenever you get a result or a clue along the trail, ask yourself “How can this help me get to my goal?”

A “Pirate” I know…

A friend of mine is an IT (Information Technology) professional. Like many people, he lost his job through no fault of his own due to an economic downturn. Another job with a big company just doesn’t seem to be in the cards, despite all efforts to land a position as an “IT guy!” It just seems that big companies don’t want to hire any dedicated IT staff.

In fact, many now outsource their IT to outside companies and contractors and maintain no in-house staff.

“The Treasure”

After some lengthy discussion with my friend, we came up with a plan for him to go ask companies if they’d hire him as an IT consultant for a specific number of hours per month. By hiring him as a consultant rather than as an employee, these companies could get all their critical IT tasks handled for a fraction of what a full-time employee costs.

Our initial goal (treasure) is for him to replace his $80,000 per year salary. To accomplish this, we want to get 6 companies to hire him at $1,000 to $2,000 per month so he actually makes more than his old full time job. Plus, by dividing his income across 6 companies, he’ll actually operate with much more security because his income is diversified across multiple sources. If one company ever cuts him loose, it’s an inconvenience, not a catastrophe!

Plus, with this setup, if a company becomes a pain in the a**, he can cut them loose and not feel “trapped” because he needs them for his whole paycheck.

“The Clues”

So my buddy’s been pounding the pavement knocking on doors at companies who need IT services. In the process he’s gotten several very good clues in a very short time:

• Most of the companies he’s approached already have arrangements with other companies for this type of service.
• The companies that don’t already have an arrangement with an outside company have expressed concern about his ability to provide support since he’s a one-man operation.

Now, instead of throwing up his hands and saying “Well, that’s not gonna work!” and heading for the nearest welfare line, what can you take away from those clues? What possibilities or next steps on the “treasure map” can you spot for my friend and for yourself in the process?

Here’s what I see from the clues so far:

Clue #1: There are consultants who already make these arrangements with companies to provide IT services.

• My friend needs to get their names, contact them, and find out if they need help from someone as an independent contractor.
• If getting hired by them can’t work, he can try to tie in with an established consulting company as an independent contractor and then use his affiliation to eliminate potential customers’ fear about his ability to provide support as a one-man operation.
• Contact these consulting companies and ask them if they have any unconverted leads or accounts that are TOO SMALL for THEM, but would be perfect for a one-person operation. Pay them a finder’s fee for any business developed.

Clue #2: Find out areas where these consulting companies do not or cannot serve and then go after those types of businesses that still need IT services.

• What’s too small for them, but still viable for my friend as a one-man show?
• What’s a service others charge for that you could do for free as part of a package deal?
• What could you do better since you are small and agile and they can’t react as fast?

The “Key”

1. Look for clues in the feedback you get from:
   • Your own results
   • From other people’s results
   • What others tell you either through words or actions
2. Keep moving forward!
   The surest way to accomplish NOTHING is to sit on your butt, at home, pissing and moaning about life and not taking any action toward your goal.
3. Take more action – get more feedback – look for more clues to help you improve!

The “Bottom Line”

There is no “magic” treasure map – but you can create your own treasure map any time you want!

1. Decide exactly what you want.
2. Believe you can get it.
3. Have faith it’s on its way.
4. Take some time to plan out what you’ll need to make the journey. (You can’t take a transatlantic voyage without a boat, but you don’t need a 100 foot yacht to do it – so don’t wait for the perfect ride to show up. Don’t waste months planning when you could get into action and start making distinctions with just a few days’ planning).
5. Take action to start the process moving down the trail.
6. Look for clues and signs based on what happens and modify your course accordingly.

NEVER GIVE UP – There’s always a way!

There’s always a path to what you really want from your life.

Make your own treasure map up as you go along… the path will vary based on your talents, the economic times, and your particular position in the world at the time you make up your mind. But the “treasure” you seek is already there just waiting for YOU to decide it’s time to go find it and dig it up!