Smart as a pig

You'd never know that pigs are among the most intelligent animals if you only judged them by looks and activity.

Life leaps like a geyser for those who drill through the rock of inertia.
Alexis Carrel

Ah, inertia.  That comforting disposition into which we all are tempted to fall.

Can it be a pitfall for the solopreneur?

From my experience it most certainly can.  Additionally, I have witnessed in my own work and those of others the achievement of a comfort level which leads us to rest on our laurels, churning out the same coarse concept and copy (or design or package or logo...) just because we can.

While we can sustain business for a while in this fashion, ultimately we will be found out and what I have been encouraged to do recently is to discover my own inertia and attempt to root it out like a pig sniffing for truffles.

We have a unique opportunity as independent business people to reinvent ourselves as often as we want.  Without straying too dramatically from our core competence and interest we are able to direct our attention and energy in a myriad of ways.  That's why I like Carrel's quote so much.

Sitting in a comfortable pew has very real attractions.  We feel safe.  We feel unthreatened.  We cosset ourselves in past victories and just like the sad dude in Springsteen's 'Glory Days' we never give ourselves the chance to burst free and recapture what secured us some degree of success in the past.

So if you're interested in drilling through the rock of inertia it may be important to remember that yes, pigs are incredibly intelligent creatures, but if we're creating an impression such as my friend above we can't be surprised if business starts to dry up and clients seek alternatives.

I'm committed to drilling hard now.

Are you?