You may have heard this question before: "What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?" I know this is a popular way to package the "wisdom" of someone with experience or success, and as Google's first chief innovation evangelist, people asked me this sometimes. But I never got it. Why would I ask my older self what my younger self should have known or done? The missteps I made or the odd turns I took back then are part of who I am now. Offering someone else a road map of my own pitfalls and speed bumps would give them a defensive strategy, at best. No one's gaining any yards by looking in my rearview mirror.
But I do think it's useful for people to do a retrospective on their own lives, noting meaningful milestones, because those moments tend to reveal something very important: a personality trait that I'll call your "Dimension X." This is your unique superpower-the lens through which you see the world-not as it is, but as you are (to gently paraphrase Anaïs Nin). Over time, your Dimension X becomes a signature reflex that plays an increasingly important role in shaping your future. It's your through-line response in events that move you forward. And if you cultivate it, it can act like a strong, confident hand on the rudder in your day-to-day decisions and in your overarching narrative.
So how do you know what your Dimension X is?
Here's what I suggest. Make a map of the milestones in your life, chronologically. Milestones can be momentous events happy or devastating-that change our lives in an instant.
But they can also take place over a longer period of time. What makes anything a milestone, positive or negative, is the extent to which it precipitated your forward motion. A quick sketch of my own milestones might look like the figure to the right.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May - June 2024 من Entrepreneur US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May - June 2024 من Entrepreneur US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The $20 Bill That Became Priceless
As I built my snack-food brand, Sun & Swell Foods, I kept hearing the same advice: Hustle for your customers. Never turn down business. Obsessively focus on ROI. So that's what I did-and although my company grew, it wasn't profitable. This began affecting me emotionally. I love my brand and care deeply about its success. Its challenges started to feel like my own.
THE BEST MARKETING DOLLARS I'VE EVER SPENT
Great marketing doesn't require huge budgets. We asked franchisees and franchisors to share their best marketing ROI-and their stories (on the following pages) will inspire you.
READ THIS BEFORE MEETING A FRANCHISOR
Thinking about buying a franchise? You should meet the franchisor-and you should know exactly how to approach that meeting-to ensure you're making the right decision.
THE BOLDEST NEW IDEAS IN FRANCHISING
These eight innovative businesses are now franchising-and maybe in a few years, they'll be climbing the Franchise 500 list too.
5 BRANDS GROWING IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Want to know how to rocket up in the Franchise 500 rankings? These brands all jumped over 150 spots since last year-and they're sharing the strategies behind their growth.
FRANCHISE 500 TOP 10
Meet the Leaders of the Franchise 500
TAX STRATEGIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 2025
Your taxes won't go up this year. But you can still find new ways to decrease your burden.
HOW TO CLOSE THE SALE (EVEN WHEN THEY SAY NO)
I'm the world's leading door-to-door sales expert. I've heard “no” endlessly. Here's how I close sales anyway-and how you can too.
'The Sword We Refuse to Die On'
Some people tell Chip and Joanna Gaines to play it safe, and to keep doing what made them famous in the first place. But they're ready to take more risks-because that's the entrepreneurial way.
Are You Feeling the Squeeze?
Many companies are struggling with rising costs and tighter margins. We asked six business leaders to share their solutions.
