One thing I did right as a parent was introduce my 12 year old daughter to metal from an early age.
But it didn’t turn out how I expected –
Years ago she wanted to hear what Daddy Music sounded like. She didn’t know – because it isn’t appreciated by my wife, the sensible human in the household.
And thus, the Discover Daddy’s Music playlist was born.
Hour upon hour of classic metal, Nu Metal, and (of course) pop metal.
The two of us listened to it on a 6 hour drive down the California coast.
We listened to it on the way back.
She wanted a CD player to listen to my collection – and was willing to make a deal I couldn’t refuse: she’d forego watching YouTube for 60 days if I bought her a $15 CD player.
Kept her end of the bargain, and got a CD player, and would listen every night.
Then, it happened –
We were returning from the range last weekend. Usually takes 35 minutes to drive, but there was an accident and traffic was at a standstill.
“Put on the Daddy Music,” she says, “I want to take a nap”
WHAT? This is METAL! You can’t sleep listening to metal-
“What do you mean, take a nap?” – I’m confused, and frankly a little injured
“Metal is relaxing. It helps me go to sleep” she said, yawning to the first strains of Def Leppard.
That’s when I realized what I’d done-
To her, this music was associated with long car rides, listening before bed, hanging out relaxed with daddy. With sleep.
For me, it’s music for the gym.
For her, it’s a lullaby.
It got me thinking, we do this often in all parts of our lives.
In business, we do something again and again, and it becomes routine. We’re just going through the motions.
Monday we should look at the numbers in the business, see what’s working, learn from it – and be excited to GROW the business. Generate more revenue.
That’s Metal AF.
… But Monday morning you’re tired.
So a few weeks later you’re just giving the numbers a cursory glance. Just checking the bank balance, really.
Your plan to do Monday Metrics has turned into showing up … and opening your inbox for a dopamine hit from the Crisis De Jour to shock your ass into the week.
You know this isn’t the way. You know better.
You know that hitting your business goals requires discipline.
I’m not asking for much, and it’s for your own good. Stop sleeping through the important parts.
Wake up and smell the metal.
