One of my mentors, Mitch Axelrod, has an interesting post today on his blog, http://playthenewgame.com/?p=132, about how we have so much in our lives while having very little. We're overwhelmed with choices in life but we never have time to enjoy anything because we're too busy.
I notice this with my children, They're so busy and have so many choices but they can't sit still and relax. I notice they have hundreds of friends on their social networking accounts like Facebook and Instant Messenger, and they keep in touch with almost all of them over time. The problem is that none of the relationships are deep. They have hundreds of superficial connections with people but nobody they have a real friendship with.
Dating has even disappeared for our kids. It's about "hooking up" for the night with no expectation of ever talking to them again. Wham bam thank you ‘mam and on with your busy day.
We grew up with a lot of friends and a few best friends. I still keep in touch with my best friends 40 years later. I wonder what life will be like for my kids in 40 years with their hundreds of part-time friends.
I also see this in business. Nobody has time to build lasting relationships with clients and prospects. It's "what can you do for me right now?" and then they're on to the next fire. I was at a conference recently where one of the speakers was promoting his new method of selling. It's not about building long-term relationships. It's about acknowledging to the person you're meeting with that you understand they're very busy and their time is precious. Get down to business and eliminate the personal relationships. Ask them what they want and sell it to them quickly so they can get on with their day.
How will that play out over time? Life without friends and relationships? Business without relationships? Our lives our speeding out of control and I highly suggest that you check out Mitch and his persective on life. Check out www.playthenewgame.com
Ted
