Six Lessons I Learned From Jimmy Buffett

Tuesday night my family and I went to see Jimmy Buffett. I have enjoyed his music for many years, I've read his books, and I've been to a concert in the past as well.
Why do I blog all of this? because, Jimmy is one of my heroes. As I reflected on the concert, I thought about what I have learned from Jimmy - and why he is a hero of mine.

Here are six things that I learned, or relearned from Jimmy this week.

The Power of Passion. Jimmy Buffett loves what he does. From the stage to the trip to points around the world that was chronicled on video during the show - he loves his work. When people love what they do, others are drawn to that passion - in this case 24,000 plus, a sellout for the 21st consecutive year in Indianapolis (are you kidding me, sellouts for 21 straight years?). What are you passionate about?

The Value of Purpose. Jimmy has purposefully created a life that allows him to use his skills and strengths to the fullest - singing, songwriting, writing, marketing, and many other things. His purpose also allows him to create space for his interests outside of his work - surfing, fishing, and flying among them. If you want a picture of this purpose, read the words to one of my favorite of his songs - Schoolboy Heart. These are the words of person who knows who he is and why he is on planet earth. What is your purpose?

The Need for a Plan. He's 61. He's been touring for who-knows-how long. I'm sure he doesn't need to tour, or do many of the other things he does. His tour gets shorter every year, and yet, at the end of the show, he told us, I'll see you next year. And you could tell he meant it. What is your plan?

The Importance of Personalization. Jimmy knows his Customers, and talked to us like he knew it throughout the show. He mentioned a variety of things about the state, the crowd, the earthquake a few months ago and more. This wasn't just, "if it's Tuesday I must be in Indiana," it was our show on our night. When we personalize and customize for our Clients they will notice. How do you personalize your work or your Clients and Customers?

The Perfection of Play. I had tshirts made several years ago that say, "Make Work Play" (the first five commenters to this post will get tshirt, by the way!) Jimmy doesn't need the shirt, he lives it. How (and how often) do you play at work?

The Sound of Paean - Paean is defined as a song of praise. Jimmy certainly can sing, this is obvious. What is less obvious is that he showers his praise on his Customers (in this case the audience). He is grateful. He is thankful. When we sing praises to and for those we serve, and approach our work and lives with a spirit of gratefulness, we will always be happier, healthier and more successful. How grateful are you?

Oh, and he is also VERY good at what he does. In part because of these other five points, but we can't leave that one out either!

There are more lessons, these are just five. Hopefully one or more of these resonate for you, whether you like Jimmy's music or not.

If you want a complimentary tshirt, you must be one of the first five commenters!

Digg it |  del.icio.us |  Technorati |  StumbleUpon |