Andy Neary describes his Saturday-morning paddleboarding routine at Horse Tooth Reservoir and uses the predictable Colorado weather (calm, sunny mornings that turn windy or stormy in afternoons) as a metaphor: Mother Nature rewards early action. He advises listeners to act proactively in business—invest, hire, or start projects while conditions are favorable—rather than waiting and becoming reactive.
Chapters
A hobby of mine that has become absolutely ingrained in my weekly routine is my Saturday morning sunrise paddleboard. There's nothing like getting up to Horse tooth Reservoir around 6am Sun's coming up over the foothills. You take in that alpine air. It is truly magical. There is not a better way you can kick off your weekend. There's another reason I like to get up there at 6am the water's calm, there's no wind. Most mornings here start with sun. And I like getting out before There's a ton of boats on the lake. They're already turning cars away. By 8am up there. It's absolutely insane. You see, here in Colorado in June and July, Mother Nature rewards early action. Whether it's paddleboarding, cycling, hiking, golfing. You want to get out early because by the afternoon, the wind could kick up like it is right now. Thunderstorms typically roll in at some point in the afternoon, and you do not want to be outside at altitude when there's a thunderstorm. And there's a lesson to be learned here. Mother Nature rewards.
And the same is true in your business. You need to start taking early action. When the water's calm, there's no wind, the sun is out. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, the when I moment, because it's never coming. And if it does and you take action, it's too late. And now you're taking action from a reactive mode. The water's choppy, the dark skies are coming in. Instead of being present and working on what you're supposed to, now you're reactive and worried about everything else going on, and you're never going to accomplish what it is you actually want to get done. So my advice to you today is listen to Mother Nature here in Colorado. Take early action. Do what you're supposed to do, whether it's investing in yourself, adding that new employee, whatever it is to help your business scale and grow, take action now. Don't wait. Do it while the water's calm, the sun is out, and the alpine air smells beautiful. Go make it happen.
