Why do you do what you do? Mary reminds all of us – especially entrepreneurs – how important it is to focus on the right motivations to achieve the success that matters most. – InPower Editors
I enjoy using inappropriate phrases to describe appropriate things. There’s a shock value that comes with it—most people know what the phrase really means (and how bad it is), but most people understand what you are trying to communicate, and can see that deeper, darker side to what you are saying.
“Chasing the dragon” is one of my favorite phrases that does this.
So what is “chasing the dragon” anyway?
. . . a method of smoking opium (opium is often referred to as a dragon in Asian cultures). The opium is heated on some kind of metal and a fine line of smoke evolves from the heated drug. This smoke is now to be “chased” (meaning breathed in), often through a small tube, like a straw.
But it has a metaphorical meaning:
. . . alludes to the feeling that the next ingested dosage of the drug will result in a nirvana that seems and feels imminent and conclusive, yet upon consumption never quite yields the promised experience—leading to the desire for the next dose that still promises the same—thus chasing the dragon but never catching it.
One could say this phrase describes the process of chasing a result (the high, the feeling), while ignoring the journey you need to take to achieve a goal (how you get the drugs and consuming them).
We all have our drug and our highs.
- For entrepreneurs—chasing money or fame
- For professionals—searching for the “ideal” work environment, greater recognition, more money
- For women who are looking to be married—pursuing attention, rather than finding the right mate
- For those on social media—getting as many likes, favorites or connections as possible, regardless if it relates to your brand or your beliefs
There are more drugs, but you get the picture.
“I keep chasing the dollar,” said my friend, Susan, “and I hate it. I know I need to build my business and to make it work, but I need to pay my rent and get by.”
This is probably the hardest challenge of being an entrepreneur. Everyone needs money to just live and grow a business. Sometimes, you can incubate your idea while working a full-time job, developing it nights and weekends; sometimes, you do make money from your business, however you may, instead, start with a services company, rather than emerge as a product company with a service.
Most will launch a single product and after it succeeds, branch to a second product. Some will launch multiple products from the start, anticipating multiple streams of revenue. Others may augment a struggling business with a related business and secondary product line. This approach works well for some businesses, particularly a service business that has a retail or product associated with it, creating revenue opportunities. For others, this additional product line can be a distraction that complicates the offer and in the end, makes it harder to make money by spreading operations too thin, not having enough time to do the marketing required to succeed, and produces mediocrity.
My friend Sue is running up to 4-5 businesses to make ends meet. Needless to say, she is pulled in many directions every day, has a hard time focusing to make a single business do well, and is constantly worried about making ends meet. All of her businesses circle around a central theme—Arab culture—so they are somewhat related, but unrelated enough that it is hard to leverage a single marketing effort for all to succeed. Her immediate concern is getting money to pay rent and bills—an endless loop goal to achieve every month.
Some have suggested that she should take the leap and close some of her businesses, focusing on her passions—belly dance and baklava (hers is fantastic!). However, if she drops one of her other businesses, she risks losing what little revenue she does get from it for first few months as the other businesses grow, or not, which is the risk. She cannot afford that. Instead, she chases money to get by and takes baby steps, moving in her passion businesses forward in an effort to escape that endless loop.
Based on your drug of choice, so to speak, you have the pattern:
- I need (or want) [this feeling, end result].
- I will pursue multiple directions to get it [money, attention, etc.].
- I now need multiple directions to keep my supply of it [money, attention, etc.] in great supply.
How can entrepreneurs stop chasing the dragon?
Melvin, my boot camp instructor is a personal trainer. He says every class: “Don’t cheat yourself. Treat yourself.”
I didn’t understand this the first time I heard him say it. I thought it was about cheating—eating the wrong things and distracting yourself from getting in shape. I eventually realized that he was telling us that you treat yourself when you are going through the journey to get to the goal—doing the crunches and leg lifts to lose weight and get in shape. The result of the journey is the treat. The cheat is chasing the dragon.
This gets back to the statements above:
- For entrepreneurs—focus on creating a solid product that will generate revenue and help customers achieve their goals.
- For professionals—know what you are good at, determine what the next step in your career is and pursue that.
- For women who are looking to be married—determine what you want in a partner and seek the right person for you.
- For those on social media—focus on the quality of your posts. If you have great content, people will subscribe.
What’s your high? If you discover that what you are doing in your life is an endless loop, try to get out of it. Stop chasing the dragon.
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