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Life in the Fast Lane

Last week, I had the great fortune to spend a week's vacation with the family at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In my book, nothing beats the spectacle and the sheer "smiles per mile" than Disney World. If you haven't been, you really should check it out. When you do, bring comfortable shoes, suntan lotion, lots of water, and be prepared to rub elbows with thousands of your closest friends. (Disney World is great, but it's not exactly a secret hideaway.)

At any time of year, crowds of people descend upon the theme parks and resorts. When they do, a problem ensues. The big rides and shows draw the crowds, but they also result in waiting in long lines to enjoy them.

A few years ago, some Disney genius came up with something to help address the situation - the "Fast Pass" advance ticketing system. It's quick, it's easy, and unlike many other niceties on the property, it's free. (Not that you mind paying $7 for a bottle of water when it's 85 degrees with 105% humidity.)

Here's how the Fast Pass works:

1. You walk 35 miles to your ride or attraction of choice.
2. You stick your park admission pass into the machine out front.
3. The machine spits out a Fast Pass with a return time on it, say between 9:40AM and the time you can't feel your legs.
4. You return during your designated time window, and you get zipped to the front of the ridiculously long line of people who don't have your good sense.

Seems simple enough, but I know what you're thinking. "Dude, I'm not at Disney World, and I'm wondering what any of this has to do with achieving more success in my life." Whoa, there, partner. We're getting there. (Sheesh, somebody needs a funnel cake.)

As it turns out, the Fast Pass setup shares a number of important parallels to some essential elements of proper goal achivement. Check these out:

• Prioritization. You have to choose your target wisely. It's generally best to make sure you tick off your favorites first, because you may collapse from heatstroke if you wait too long. Plus, you can only get a few passes concurrently, so you'll need to use that focus muscle. (That's the only one that's not sore three days into your trip, by the way.)
• Delayed Gratification. By grabbing a Fast Pass, you're putting off your pleasure for a bit. You may have to come back two hours later or so. Still, good things come to those who wait, and there are no shortcuts to success. Just like retirement planning, a few upfront sacrifices can have a huge payoff when the time comes.
• Planning. Speaking of planning, you've got to figure out what else to do while you're waiting for your return window. Plus, you've got to navigate your way around a cartoonish map of the Magic Kingdom to get to the ride in the first place. As in life, you can certainly try to be spontaneous (and you should be in some instances), but a basic plan will go a long way.
• Follow-through. Sure, you've got your Fast Pass in your hot little hand, but you've still got to go back to enjoy it. Plus, you need to make your window or it's back to the drawing board. Success in the real world requires similar follow-through and discipline if you want to get ahead.
• Reward System. When you get it all right, it's an unbelievably good feeling to be whisked to the front of the line for an outstanding ride. You get that sweet sensation of success right before you plummet five stories straight down or swallow a gallon of water on a flume ride. It's a welcome reward for all of your earlier effort, and it keeps you coming back for more.

I'm an impatient guy by nature, but even I found that the Fast Pass system was a great tradeoff. Sure, I had to be a little less spontaneous than I'd like and I still had to live on a timetable during my vacation, but I was happy to do these things when I considered the alternative. The "standby" lines often snaked around the park like twisted mazes. Those poor unfortunate souls who had a lessr plan and no follow-through were in pursuit of instant gratification. In the end, they waited far longer and suffered a bit more to reach their goal. (If at all.)

I guess the analogy was a lot more like success in the real world than it might have seemed. So which line are you in?

Here's to working smarter, not harder.

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Quote of the Week

I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.
Walt Disney

Coaching Quickie: Life in the Fast Lane

Check back next week for results!

Last Week's Results

Coaching Quickie: The Mojo Dojo
How would you rank your ability to connect your passion to your goals?

(13%) Bruce Lee: the perfect example
(50%) Jackie Chan: pretty amazing but sometimes makes a misstep
(38%) Ralph Macchio: I know one good move that will get me through
(00%) Mr. Miyagi: Wax on, Wax off. I’m the master and I will teach you

If you missed it, you can read last week's newsletter online here.