Make Do

Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out. - Art Linkletter

In nature, a great example of "making do" can be found in bird's-nest building. When it's brooding time, birds collect whatever will get the job done. In addition to using grass, twigs and feathers, birds gather lots of other things to make their nests warm and sturdy. Here are some items commonly found as part of nests: twine, paper, snail shells, snake skins, cigarette butts, buttons, pet fur, aluminum foil and shoelaces. How's it all bound together? Often with spider webs! Depending on what they can grab, birds can end up making memorable dwellings. In the book Strang Nests, author Ann Stevens mentions a construction once found in Bombay, India: a crow's nest made of 25 pounds of gold eyeglass frames. The crows, swooping through an open shop window, had helped themselves to some nice, shiny building material.

Working with what's on hand: That's necessary skill for birds and people. Do you ever hesitate to keep pressing toward a goal, telling yourself you'll get back to it when conditions improve? In reality, a key to reaching any goal is to keep making some progress toward it, using whatever time and materials you've got right now.

Need to Readjust?
"The game of life," said 19th-Century sonwriter H.T. Leslie, "is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well." Since you began your business, have conditions changed in such a way that you're finding it harder to complete a task? Have increased life circumstances or an illness in the family decreased your time to attend to your business? Instead of setting aside your business work and dealings until things are optimal, use any minutes you can muster to work toward your goal of success.

Pebbles Add Up
Back to birds: An Aesop's fable tells the story of a thirsty crow who come upon a pitcher with a small amount of water at the bottom. The crow gets frustrated when he tries to tip the pitcher, but can't; then he also fails to smash it. Finally, he stops to think: What do I have nearby that could help me get to the water? Looking around, he notices pebbles all over the ground. With his beak, he begins picking them up one by one and dropping them into the pitcher. Eventually, the mounting pebles cause the water to rise high enough for the crow to get his drink. Using whatever's on hand to make steady progress toward a goal - that's the way to reach it.

What are your current resources for your business success?