Superhero Problems

I’m not a fan of comic books but recently became a fan of the superhero genre.

My family was sucked into the Marvel Universe. We’ve indulged all the movies.

The funny thing about the superhero is how bad they are at preventing problems.

Have you noticed that?

A superhero is only necessary when someone is trying to take over the world and destroy everything (which always seems like a pointless goal).

Of course, this is what makes a great story: The struggle. The conflict. The Battle. The resulting victory, and the happy ending.

There’s none of this excitement in problem prevention. Problem prevention is not sexy.

Now, how do you run your business?

Most people wait for problems to rise up and be conquered.

You may think, "That’s not me."

And you may be right for big pieces of your business.

But you’re probably more reactive than you think. Very few people who go looking for ways to prevent problems. To seek to streamline all aspects of their business.

We get stuck in the business. Stuck in the day-to-day operations. Unaware of what’s going on around you, in need of attention, waiting to become another big bad guy in our business.

I call it the Superhero Problem because we love the excitement of the challenge. And the feeling of relief each time we beat another bad guy.

That feeling of relief, and the story of victory, feeds our need to be the superhero. The desire to feel we can beat anything that comes our way.

The need to be the Superhero.

I wish I was immune. These emails are one of my Superhero Problems. I love writing them. And I love putting them off until the last minute.

When I’ve finished writing one, like now, I bathe in the warm feeling of victory. Another demon slain.

And I rest knowing another beast lurks around the corner.