If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that business is a lot like a roller coaster.
You’ve got your ups and downs …
twists and turns …
‘jerk’ and ‘snaps’ …
And … you might even be upside down for a bit …
But most importantly …
Both of them rely on momentum as their lifeblood.
See, without momentum, you’ll end up like GateKeeper in Cedar Point a few days ago …
Stalled out and upside down!
This got me thinking about the laws of physics.
Did you ever notice that on traditional roller coasters, the first hill is always the highest?
And that each subsequent hill is a bit shorter?
And shorter?
And then shorter still …
Eventually leveling out right before ‘the end’.
You know … it does sound like the life cycle of most businesses.
They expend so much energy climbing the first hill … fighting against the natural forces of gravity and inertia …
That’s when they finally reach the peak and blast forward …
They’re not only overtaken by their exhaustion … but are so consumed with the ups and downs, twists and turns …
That by the time they catch their breath and set their sights on the ‘big one’ …
They’ve hit their Stall Point.
Dead in the water.
No amount of effort will get them moving forward again.
However …
A fortunate few have the Foresight to identify their Stall Points before reaching them …
And added a tiny boost (at the right time) to smash through and reach the next ‘top’.
Instead of fighting the ‘laws of physics’ – they use them as an advantage.
There’s great power in knowing what lies ahead (and when) … but only if you take action.
See, you can’t wait until you reach your Stall Point before adding more momentum and expect to come out ahead.
You’ve got to be proactive.
Which I guess leads us to today’s bonus Smart CEO Question …
“Where and when is my next Stall Point?