Sorry for the tease. This post has nothing to do with the classic Bachman-Turner Overdrive song (although, it is racing through my head as I type). Taking Care of Business (“TCB”) is more of an Elvis Presley thing. The late, great Elvis the Pelvis was obsessed with the TCB mindset. For him, it was all about faith, spirit and discipline. The TCB logo surrounded him at all times as a reminder that he needed to stay grounded and focus on his mission. Elvis was taking take care of business, and working overtime. (Ugh, I knew I was going to slip into BTO mode). Anyway….Everything from jewelry, key chains and t-shirts to the tail of Elvis’ private plane was adorned with the TCB logo. He even named his band (you guessed it): TCB! While this helped shape the career of Elvis, TCB is an even more important mantra for the Resilient Worker in all of us!
In our work lives, we need to hunker down and take care of business. There are obvious times when there is a looming deadline for a major presentation, case, test, or proposal. These will define your career or, at the very least, dictate the success of your year. But there are subtler moments when we need to stay sharp and take care of business. Perhaps your sales numbers are fine but you have not been spending enough time prospecting for next year. TCB! Perhaps you have recently won a decision but are behind in the research for your next case. TCB! Perhaps your company is now surviving and actually turning a profit but you sense there is an opportunity to take things to the next level. TCB! When you accomplish a goal, you deserve to celebrate, have fun, and blow off steam. But remember, soon thereafter, you need to re-focus your energy and take care of business all over again.
It is even more important to take care of business in our personal lives. Whether you are still in high school or well into retirement, you need to take care of your body, stimulate your brain, and nurture your relationships. Spending too much time on the couch watching pointless movies? Get outside and force yourself into a steady routine of exercise. TCB! Afraid to have the tough conversation with a student or family member who may be going down a destructive path? Step up and address the situation head on. TCB! Feeling more and more isolated in your social life? It’s not easy. But you need to be proactive and dictate the action in forming your new connections. TCB! There are times when it is necessary (even healthy!) to kick back, turn off the external stimuli, and spend time recuperating on your own. Who deserves it more than us? But you must resist the temptation to spend the rest of your life in this passive state. You have too much to offer the world to keep it all to yourself! Get back out there and take care of business!
But what happens when you don’t take care of business? What happens when you suffer a setback and fall short of the lofty goals you have set for your life? You lose a sale. Your business crumbles. You suffer an injury. You alienate a friend or family member. You are not always going to make the right decisions. You are not always going to come out on top. But taking care of business is not about being perfect. In fact, taking care of business is most important during these down times. Work hard to win back the sale. Start another business or consider a new angle to get your company back in the black. Pour your soul into rehabbing that injury and come back stronger than ever. Apologize and repair a rift in an old friendship. It takes a lot of courage to dig deep during these difficult moments. But at some point, you have to pull it all together and TCB!
I’m gonna hunker down like a jackrabbit in a dust storm! –Lyndon Baines Johnson
We all deserve time to relax and unwind. All work and no play…well, you get it. But there are so many temptations competing for our time and attention, even the strongest-minded person can fall into a pattern of laziness and inaction. Even the most well-meaning person can go astray. We must overcome our setbacks and step forward with confidence! We must re-evaluate our poor decisions! We must fight to maximize our potential! Your life is too valuable to remain passive. Your life is too valuable to fritter away without purpose. It will require hard work and mental toughness. But the time is now to TCB!
Until next week, keep smiling!
Great motivation on a rainy day!
Thanks, Anthony! Hunker down and stay dry!