What does a squirrel do in the summer?
He gathers food for the winter.
In the summer, the weather is nice. Food is abundant. The squirrel could easily get out of his little squirrel bed, scamper down the tree, have some breakfast, and frolic all day with his squirrel friends, without a care in the world…except for maybe a neighborhood cat or dog of course. Anytime, the squirrel is hungry, there is plenty to eat. He or she, doesn’t have to worry about tomorrow. There will be plenty to eat then too!
But this is not what is going through that little squirrel mind is it? The squirrel knows that even though the weather is warm and food is abundant NOW, that it won’t last forever. Winter will eventually come, as it always does. There’s no food in winter. It’s bitter cold and not much fun to go outside.
The squirrel is thinking winter in the summer. Sure, you see the squirrels playing around your area….squirrels like to have fun too….but they don’t play ALL the time when things are good…they take time on a regular basis to prepare for when times get difficult.
So, I repeat the question…are you smarter than a squirrel? Or even as smart as a squirrel? When things are going well in your business, are you still putting something away for a “rainy day?” Are you still investing time in new ideas or looking for ways to improve?
Yes, you should enjoy life. Yes, you should enjoy some of the fruits of your labor. But at the same time, take a lesson from your inner squirrel, and do a little for your future beyond what you need to do today.
