Oddly enough, the best way for me to enjoy some down time at the Bronx Zoo with my kids is to focus on their experience first. For example:
- I fed them a nutritious lunch, and when they started getting antsy I packed the rest of my lunch away to finish later.
- Barak was about to fall asleep at an earlier than ideal time, so I switched the order of exhibits to keep him engaged and awake just a little longer.
- Finally, when it was the ideal time to sleep, I pushed both kids in the stroller at a quieter part of the zoo even though it involved a lot more hills, until they both fell asleep within 20 min of each other.
As I learned many years ago from marketing mastermind Jay Abraham:
The most selfish thing you can do, is to be selfless.
It is precisely because I put the kids first that I was able to relax and enjoy some down time. If I focused on myself first, the kids would be justifiably cranky, and I wouldn’t enjoy myself anyway.
The same is true with my Excel clients.
When I build a custom Excel tool for a client, I let their requirements, vision, and goals drive the entire engagement. Specifically:
- I am transparent with them about pricing so there are no surprises.
- I communicate proactively with them about the project status.
- I provide a detailed log of all work completed and time spent.
In other words, I create a VIP experience for them.
The result?
Not only are they happy with the final product, they are less cranky throughout. They do not slow me down by constantly asking me for updates, or adding their random suggestions at inopportune times. And best of all, time and again, my clients have sung my praises and referred new business to me.
Does it get any more selfish than that? 🙂
At the end of the day, my role is to support my clients and save them time so they can get back to what they do best.
If you would like support on a current project, hit me up and let’s talk about how we can both be selfish by being selfless.