Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Fail Faster | Travel Research Online

Image
Image

Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Fail Faster

“The piano master Horowitz told his students never to be afraid to dare. Never be afraid to play without asking advice. I’m not going to teach you, but to guide you.”

Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings From a Lifetime In Golf by Harvey Penick with Bud Shrake, page 117

Let’s face it, you don’t need to read, study, practice, or be mentored by anybody to fail miserably. You can manage this all-important business skill all by yourself.

I have gone on record to offer the following advice for years: “Fail faster.” It is through failure that you will succeed. Your business will become familiar with near misses and total debacles if you are taking your company seriously. But there is a sure-fire way to avoid failure. In fact, many travel agents have become skilled at this avoidance tactic. It works every time and it does not cost a dime. You probably are already familiar with this tactic. All you have to do is… nothing.

Click on the book to grab your own copy of "Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings From a Lifetime In Golf"
Click on the book to grab your own copy of “Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings From a Lifetime In Golf”

You can rest assured that if you don’t do anything, you won’t become embarrassed or require any knee-jerk excuses to make you feel better. Just sit there and stare at the phone, hoping that next river cruise opportunity will surface all by itself. When the phone rings, all you have to do is answer it and begin counting your commission dollars.

I have found over the years that the next best tactic to avoid self-destruction is to have other people think for you. “Don’t blame me. My marketing consultant told me to do it.”

Let’s keep today’s quote in perspective. Seeking professional council is both advised and often times a wise move on your part. It is in your best interest to accumulate meaningful information before making a good decision, but you can over-think it. Sooner or later you are going to have to pull the trigger. Sooner or later you are going to have to rely on your own interpretation.

Horowitz is reminding us that you may already be in position to move forward without further study. Go ahead. Jump in the water. See what it feels like. Flip around a bit to get used to the temperature. You are sure to arrive at some form of conclusion.

I remember telling my son when he was learning how to swim that I would watch him flop around a bit but I would never let him drown. That is what Horowitz is saying. He will serve as a guide and tweak, edit, and motivate your progress when necessary. You are the one playing the piano.

Bottom Line: You are the one building a business. Jump in the water.

 

 

 


Mike presents a business-building webinar on the third Thursday of every month sponsored by AmaWaterways. To receive monthly invitations send Mike an email with the words “business training” in the Subject Box. You will also receive a link to the recorded version.

For information on Mike’s Fourth Annual Training Cruise, email Mike at mike@mikemarchev.com with the word “cruise” in the subject box.

Click Here!

Share your thoughts on “Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Fail Faster”

You must be a registered user and be logged in to post a comment.