Defensive Driving on the Road to Success (Part 5)

Entrepreneurs like it when things are going smoothly and nothing seems to be getting in their way. Life is an open road and the prospects for the future look great. 

Well ... that's the dream. The reality is often a little more complex and there will be challenges that continually put you and your team to the test.

These things may slow you down, but they don't need to keep you from ultimately reaching your destination. Just take things 'one step at a time' and work your way through the process. That's just one of the many valuable business lessons we can learn as we travel the challenging road toward BUSINESS SUCCESS!

This is the final installment in the series of articles that's been kindly provided by my friend, Scott Sheris from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA). Thanks once again Scott! We've appreciated the insights you've provided through your "Defensive Driving" series.  Please feel free to add your comments and/or reaction to the ideas that these stories have generated.

Scott's contact information can be seen at the end of this post.

Best wishes on your entrepreneurial journey ...
- Jim, for the Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. TEAM.

Here's Scott's fifth post in this series ...

Today’s thought: Defensive driving (5) - “Make Sure They See You”

The last tip for defensive driving is to “Make Sure They See You”.  It’s all about communication on the road.  Some may not know this, but one of the reasons why all these ‘fancy cars’ have all these different types of ‘flashy gadgets’ (called signal lights), is so that drivers can let others know their intentions on the road. It provides other drivers with fair warning, so they can react accordingly.

I know, it would also be much easier on our travels if others would actually read their owners manual, if only to learn how to operate said signals.  How many times do we get upset because someone weaves in front of us without a signal, or they do signal but they just make it past us, barely providing enough space?

I also realize what’s next on your list of questions.  "How many 'cars' have to ignore my signal before someone lets me in to the lane I need?"  The object is to not get into an accident.  Inevitably, one of two things will happen. A) Someone will let you in, or B) everyone will hurry and pass you, only to switch back right in front of you a few moments later.

In some cases, the section of road we are travelling is multiple lanes and some folks, as is the law in many states, will actually change lanes to the left and so allow you the space you need to get into the next lane.  They don't lose their momentum, while still allowing for you to get into the space you need to make progress.  You can do this too, if there's room.

This final tip, “Make Sure They See You”, combined with all the other tips, should help you to get where you're going with minimal disruptions on the road to success.  However, just like on the real roads, some things will be unavoidable. That’s likely because someone, somewhere up the line ahead, has created a traffic jam, and just like everyone else, you wait. Life can be like that at times, but take some comfort in knowing that YOU were not cause of the delay, or involved in an accident.

Safe journeys, and hopefully some or all of this was helpful, as you travel on your road to success!

Scott Sheris is a writer from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) who’s primary focus is personal core development. His mission is to (H)elp (O)ther (P)eople (E)xcel – helping to bring HOPE to others as they begin to change their lives in new ways.

To contact Scott, or see more of his work, please visit his website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/pcdspecialties

PLEASE ADD your comments regarding this topic - we'd love to hear from you!

Defensive Driving on the Road to Success (Part 4)

Life can get very busy and at times it may feel like you're trapped with no place to escape!   

For the entrepreneur how do you go about 'recharging' your batteries and finding 'balance' between the demands of your personal life and those of the business? Finding that balance is one of the keys to BUSINESS SUCCESS!

My friend, Scott Sheris from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) provides some good thoughts for our consideration. Thanks once again for providing this Scott! We've been featuring Scott's articles as a series this month and invite you to add your comments and/or reaction to the ideas that the stories generate.

Scott's contact information can be seen at the end of this post.

Thanks once again for allowing us to share your series with our audience, Scott!

Best wishes on your entrepreneurial journey ...
- Jim, for the Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. TEAM.

Here's Scott's fourth post in this series ...

Today’s thought: defensive driving (4) - “Always Leave Yourself an Out”

The fourth tip in defensive driving is to “Always Leave Yourself an Out”.  Always leave space for you to maneuver. Don’t get trapped in a situation where an accident is inevitable.

This includes space on the side, and learning how to discourage tailgaters, as well as leaving a good following distance (1 second per 10' of length of your vehicle is average).

My bus weighs 25,000 lbs empty and is 40'.  This means I need 4 seconds to stop the bus safely.  That should be my following distance (varies by speed of course).

If we aren’t paying attention and find we need to change lanes, if we didn’t leave ourselves an out and can’t create a new space, we have to stop and wait for traffic to clear.

Of course, I'm going to say life is the same way, but "space" in relationships is far more challenging to define and get right.  What is emotional space?  How much do we need?  How often do we need it to feel safe?  And so on.

If we have an idea where we are going, the route we want to take, and we have the big picture, then it may not be as difficult to decide what types of connections we will need to help us get there.

Other drivers on the road may not necessarily be strangers, and there are likely other helpful people we’ll meet on the road to success.  Consider – and this may seem like an odd question, but it will get you thinking ... Where, or who (as the case may be), is the next ‘emotional gas station’, or the next ‘rest stop’, or the next whatever you may need on the road?  You wouldn’t necessarily drive from LA to Chicago in one shift, so make sure you are taking time to refuel, and reconnect, and recharge, or whatever it is you need, to make sure you are safe on the next leg of your journey.

If we remember to “Always Leave Yourself an Out” we maintain our speed and progress on the road to success!

Scott Sheris is a writer from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) who’s primary focus is personal core development. His mission is to (H)elp (O)ther (P)eople (E)xcel – helping to bring HOPE to others as they begin to change their lives in new ways.

To contact Scott, or see more of his work, please visit his website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/pcdspecialties

PLEASE ADD your comments regarding this topic - we'd love to hear from you!

Defensive Driving on the Road to Success (Part 3)

In business and in life - you've got to keep your eyes open to what's going on around you!

For many entrepreneurs, the fate of their business success as well as their personal success is tied together. What affects one part of their life can have a big impact on another area of life. 

Here's another great contribution from my friend, Scott Sheris in Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA). His article is broad in application but there are definitely many aspects that fit with our focus of BUSINESS SUCCESS!

 Thanks for providing this one Scott! We're pleased to be featuring this series over the month of June and invite our readers to add your comments and/or reaction to the ideas that the stories generate.  Please feel free to share this post and the entire series with those in your circle of contacts.

Scott's contact information can be seen at the end of this post. We'd encourage you to visit his site when you've got a moment. He's got some great photographs posted there too - nice work Scott!

Thank you for allowing us to share your series with our audience!

Best wishes on your entrepreneurial journey ...
- Jim, for the Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. TEAM.

Here's Scott's third post in this series ...

Today’s thought: defensive driving (3) - “Keep Your Eyes Moving”

The third point in defensive driving is to “Keep Your Eyes Moving”.  Even though we are already looking 20 seconds ahead and have the big picture, things are always changing!

We are moving 40 mph (or however fast) and each second our situation changes.  Then for each second, the other drivers situations change.  And lastly, our relationship to each driver and stationary objects change.

Keeping your eyes moving helps you stay alert to the changes, more or less as they occur.  Instead of just only looking forward for example, check your mirrors often, and check to see if intersections are clear before you enter.  Stay alert, as someone may be running a red light!

Just because someone else gets the ticket doesn’t mean you are not responsible for considering what you could have done to avoid an accident.

The same is true in life!  As we travel our road to success the big picture is always changing.  Sometimes what we didn’t think were hazards change, and what we thought were hazards may become opportunities, or create openings for progress.

By keeping our eyes moving we can see "20 seconds" ahead and scan everything in between. If you “Keep Your Eyes Moving” you’ll get the big picture and keep updated as to what is really happening on your road to success!

Scott Sheris is a writer from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) who’s primary focus is personal core development. His mission is to (H)elp (O)ther (P)eople (E)xcel – helping to bring HOPE to others as they begin to change their lives in new ways.

To contact Scott, or see more of his work, please visit his website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/pcdspecialties

PLEASE ADD your comments regarding this topic - we'd love to hear from you!

Defensive Driving on the Road to Success (Part 2)

Perhaps the graphic that we've used in this post will serve to illustrate how important it is to gather and quickly process the information coming to us. Try not to let it distract you as you read! (smile)

Navigating your way of the highway of life as an entrepreneur holds additional risks and challenges. In this post, Scott Sheris provides another glipse into what it takes to successfully navigate the road towards SUCCESS!

We trust you'll enjoy this contribution that's been kindly provided by my friend, Scott Sheris from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA). We'll be featuring this series over the month of June and invite you to add your comments and/or reaction to the ideas that the stories generate.

Scott's contact information can be seen at the end of this post.

Thank you for allowing us to share your series with our audience, Scott!

Best wishes on your entrepreneurial journey ...
- Jim, for the Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. TEAM.

Here's Scott's second post in this series ...

Today’s thought: defensive driving (2) - “Get the Big Picture”

The second point made in defensive driving classes is to “Get the Big Picture”.  It makes sense! When you are only looking right in front of you, you limit your vision and may not get all of the information you need to make the best decisions.

On the other hand, when you look down the road, and around, you gain much more information.  You’ll have a clearer picture and a much better understanding of what decisions you need to make, and more time to make them.

Getting the big picture, though, also includes knowing what we are doing.  How fast are we going? Which lane are we in? And so on. If we don’t pay attention to what we are doing, we still won’t have the big picture, and we may again end up in a ‘bad spot’ on our road to success.

So, for life, consider what you are doing.  Figure out what’s REALLY going on personally and emotionally.  Then, once that’s done, look out to the road ahead.  Remember to look as far as you can to “Get the Big Picture”. That will help you make the right choices to stay on track while avoiding hazards along the way!

Scott Sheris is a writer from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) who’s primary focus is personal core development. His mission is to (H)elp (O)ther (P)eople (E)xcel – helping to bring HOPE to others as they begin to change their lives in new ways.

To contact Scott, or see more of his work, please visit his website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/pcdspecialties

PLEASE ADD your comments regarding this topic - we'd love to hear from you!

Defensive Driving on the Road to Success (Part 1)

It's funny how things can happen in one area of our life that provides us with new insights and success in another area of life. 

For the entrepreneur there's a definite connection between aspects of their personal life and that of the business. There are many valuable business lessons we can learn as we travel this often winding and challenging road towards BUSINESS SUCCESS!

Here's an interesting contribution that's been kindly provided by my friend, Scott Sheris from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA). Thanks for providing this Scott! We'll be featuring this series over the month of June and invite you to add your comments and/or reaction to the ideas that the stories generate.

Scott's contact information can be seen at the end of this post.

Thank you for allowing us to share your series with our audience, Scott!

Best wishes on your entrepreneurial journey ...
- Jim, for the Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. TEAM.

Here's Scott's first post in this series ...

Today’s thought: defensive driving (1) “Always Aim High”

In defensive driving courses, there are 5 practices to get safely from point A to point B while minimizing risks on the road.  It makes sense that these points should also apply on the "road to success."  So let’s ‘buckle up’ and get ready for a few defensive driving tips to help you on your road to success!

The first tip is to “Always Aim High”.  Be looking 20 seconds down the road to try and pick up hazards and other changes far enough ahead to be able to safely do something about them, without losing too much momentum.

Travelling for 20 seconds at 40 mph will take you just over a quarter mile, so there should always be plenty to keep an eye on.  Not everything needs the ‘eagle eye’, but you need to check just long enough to be aware of potential problems when you get to that point in the road.  Then you can make adjustments as needed to avoid trouble.

Your "20 seconds" on the road to success may be a day, or a week equivalent.  Be looking at your path/plan, and the environment you are working in to see similar hazards, such as a potentially bad relationship/partnership.  Of course, try not to be harsh, although behavior frequently reveals the truth regarding others.  You may need to speed up, slow down, or even take a detour to avoid getting in with the wrong people.

We already know where we want to go and which route we want to use to get us there.  Practicing this tip, to “Always Aim High” will make sure we stay safe during our trip, while making good and reasonable progress!

Scott Sheris is a writer from Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA) who’s primary focus is personal core development. His mission is to (H)elp (O)ther (P)eople (E)xcel – helping to bring HOPE to others as they begin to change their lives in new ways.

To contact Scott, or see more of his work, please visit his website at:
https://sites.google.com/site/pcdspecialties

PLEASE ADD your comments regarding this topic - we'd love to hear from you!