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Hey coach,
A friend recently shared a story with me that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. I love this story.
‘Investment Banker and Mexican Fisherman Parable’
An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.
The investment banker complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”
The investment banker then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The investment banker then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”
The investment banker scoffed. “I have an MBA from Harvard, and can help you, you should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middle-man, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening up your own cannery. You could control the product, processing, and distribution, you could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually to New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the investment banker replied, “Oh, 15 to 20 years or so.”
“But what then?” asked the Mexican.
The investment banker laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time was right, you would announce an IPO, and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”
“Millions… then what?”
The investment banker said, “Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”
Mexican Fisherman:
I think about that story often when I talk with coaches.
Most of us got into coaching because we wanted to make an impact, build relationships, compete, and help young people grow.
But somewhere along the way, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that more hours, more responsibilities, and more busyness automatically lead to a better life.
I know I did.
There were seasons of my coaching career when I convinced myself that if I just worked a little harder, answered a few more emails, attended one more event, or stayed a little later at the office, everything would finally slow down.
It never did.
What changed wasn't my workload.
What changed was realizing that success wasn't just about building a great program.
It was also about building a great life.
One where I could be fully present as a coach when I was at work and fully present as a wife and mom when I was at home.
That's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about helping coaches build systems today.
Not so you can do less meaningful work. I want to help so you can stop carrying work into every corner of your life.
Here's a question I want you to think about this week:
What are you working so hard for? And if you achieved it, what would you hope your life looks like on the other side?
Because sometimes the thing you're chasing isn't another accomplishment.
It's the freedom, peace, and presence you hoped success would give you.
And those things don't have to wait until retirement.
Your Coach,
Mandy Green
P.S. One of the biggest lies coaches tell themselves is, "Things will calm down after this season." They usually don't. That's why learning how to win the day now matters so much. The goal isn't just a better program. It's a better life.
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