MKE Week 20 ~ Building the Perfect Plan

We have been introduced to the Hedgehog (versus Fox) principle this week, in relation to (economical) success. If you are not familiar with it like me, here is a little background:

The Hedgehog Concept is based on an ancient Greek parable that states, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” In the parable, the fox uses many strategies to try to catch the hedgehog. It sneaks, pounces, races, and plays dead. And yet, every time, it walks away defeated, its tender nose pricked by spines. The fox never learns that the hedgehog knows how to do one big thing perfectly: defend itself.

Philosopher Isaiah Berlin took this parable and applied it to the modern world in his 1953 essay, “The Hedgehog and the Fox.” Berlin divided people into two groups: foxes and hedgehogs. He argued that the foxes pursue many goals and interests at the same time. As a result, their thinking is scattered and unfocused, and ultimately they achieve very little. Hedgehogs, however, simplify the world and focus on a single, overarching vision, which they then achieve. Business researcher and consultant, Jim Collins, developed the idea in his classic 2001 book, “Good to Great.” Collins argued that organizations will more likely succeed if they can identify the one thing that they do best – their “Hedgehog Concept.” When an organization has identified its Hedgehog Concept, its leaders should devote all of their energy and resources to pursuing it. Collins argues that when the going gets tough, it’s the organizations that focus on what they’re good at that survive and thrive. (https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/hedgehog-concept.htm)

To say the least, it was a breakthrough for me who gets lost in details, distracted by minor things I come across with, always wanting to fix everything and get things done. We got the task to find out the two primary activities that drive our economic engine and to spend 50% of our time on the first one (60% for home based business), and 25% on the second activity (30% for home based business). To illustrate this concept, you can watch this short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5JI_6nsgaM. After setting up my calendar with these 2 tasks, printing it and adding this visual at strategic places, I literally felt lighter and more at peace knowing these important things would get done!

Another new and powerful exercise “tools for expansion” was presented to help us move out of our comfort zone and get in action -this one takes practice-. Because the emotions of Fear, Guilt, Unworthiness, Hurt feelings, Anger that stop us are actually created by our mind from a perceived danger or old stories we made up, we can consciously move beyond the false perception to actually find what we have always wanted or needed! In other words, it is an exercise about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable, making the impossible possible!! Wohooo 🙂