Get Back to Basics With Your ABCs

"If you don't have a voice that forces you back to basics, you're a dangerous person. Or, to put it another way, you're at risk, and the people with you are at risk." -- Steve Wynn

In today's tech-driven society, there is no shortage of information, suggestions, or opinions. Agreed? Pick any subject, inside or outside of business or occupation and we're likely to find more information than we can reasonably take time to read, much less study. While much of it is helpful and true, much of it is not -- and some of it is downright dangerous to our thinking.

Megatrends author, John Naisbitt says: "We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge." What makes it even more interesting is that he penned those words in 1982 -- long before the rise of the Internet and its infinite search capabilities. If Naisbitt is to be believed, and I think he is, our current connectivity has only added to the noise and the clutter. That noise and that clutter eventually finds its way into our mind and our thoughts and heavily influences our actions and ultimately our results. Simply put, a noisy or cluttered mind can only produce equally noisy or cluttered results.

We're told what to do, what to think, and even why "it" is important to us. There's the rub. There is a difference between being told what to think and being taught how to think. Now while there is nothing wrong with learning and employing the wisdom of others in the pursuit of our goals and dreams, we commit malpractice against ourselves and our business when we allow our own critical thinking skills to wane in favor of the blind acceptance of another's ideas and opinions. Sometimes, we need to get off the superhighway of information and enjoy the simple and far more interesting scenery that comes from reading the more basic or rudimentary signs seen on the back roads. In other words, sometimes we just need to get back to basics -- and it doesn't get much more basic than looking at our ABCs.

With just 26 letters we can form any word in the English language -- simple, complex, and everything in-between. Knowing the basic alphabet and how to put the letters together helps us communicate, and allows others to communicate with us. It forms the language of understanding. I think it also may be a great way for us to return to the basics of business and personal success with a simplified ABC approach. Here's how it works:

Take each letter of the alphabet and come up with a word that starts with that letter and represents an essential element or attribute to your success; however you choose to define it. It may look something like this: A= Attitude, B= Belief, C= Courage, D= Determination, and so it continues right through the letter Z. I suggest making your own personal list and posting it up where you can see it and review it on a daily basis.

You may even want to take one per day and concentrate on that specific attribute to observe its presence or absence in your life. In one month's time, you can work through the entire alphabet and be much closer to actually modeling the behaviors and characteristics you listed as being important to your business and personal success. Once you've worked through this first round of basic ABCs, you can make another list with the additional elements you want to incorporate into your journey.

While it may seem overly simplistic in its approach, working through our ABCs can be a great exercise in reflection, concentration, and critical thinking. Your list is customized to you and your particular needs and desires. This makes it unique and potentially very effective in cutting through the noise and the clutter to remain sharp, focused, and full of the knowledge and information that is most important to your success.

Naturally, as it is in most areas of life, some letters may be more difficult to work with. So, if you come up with any good X and Z words, please share them. Enjoy your alphabet journey.

About the Author: Terry Crouson is the Owner and Head Coach at Silver Coach Solutions, LLC and is currently doing business as The Growth Coach of West Metro Detroit. He is dedicated to helping business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and self-employed professionals find their way by finding their why. He is a highly respected business coach, speaker, facilitator, and community builder. Terry is certified in the Strategic Mindset Process, and is also a DISC Certified Behavioral Consultant.