Blind Spot
That magical moment I talked about in No Hunting, when you allow yourself to pour your hopes and dreams into a new potential project before knowing anything about it, is a double-edged sword. It’s fun to fantasize about what might be, but that can also blind you to what is.
A few weeks ago I received an inquiry for a project that seemed like a perfect fit: stone walls, exposed ledge, and terraced gardens. All overlooking a meadow rolling down to a tidal river. Without asking any questions I eagerly scheduled a site visit.
WAIT: Didn’t I just write a post explaining that as soon as a potential project comes my way I begin hunting for a way to say no?
Some lessons have to be learned over and over again.
Yesterday afternoon was site visit day. Earlier in the day I had been trying to convince a friend that the attractive woman he met online, who was generously “teaching” him how to invest in Bitcoin, was actually scamming him. He wouldn’t hear it. Struggling with the rawness of a recent heartbreak, he wanted so badly for this connection he felt with a stranger to be real, he couldn’t see what was really going on.
Driving to the meeting I found my thoughts drifting between frustration with my friend’s situation and daydreams about this potential project. Why can’t he see that this woman is fake? What is the budget going to be on this project? (I bet it’s big). How can I snap him out of this delusion? How will I make this project work with my schedule? (I’ll find a way). Why can’t he see this for what it is? Who am I going to hire to take the finished photographs?
The property was stunning. The client couldn’t have been more welcoming. But, as he explained what he wanted, I instantly realized the mistake I’d made. I’d concocted a dream project in my head that the actual project couldn’t live up to.
I have a blind spot. A big one.
I have a vision for my business, for the kind of work I want to do, for the kind of projects I want to take on. I want it so badly sometimes I lose touch with reality. Sometimes I see things as I want them to be, not as they are
I’m no different then my friend. I’m scamming myself.
Lesson Learned (maybe)
I don’t want to stop dreaming about projects that excite me. I want those projects. I’m going to find those projects. But I don’t want to be delusional about it. If I had done the least bit of follow up after the initial email from this client I would have quickly learned that I’m not the right person for this project. I could have saved us both a lot of time.
This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. Just because I know better doesn’t mean I always do the right thing. It’s another reason I created a system for screening potential projects. Soon, I’ll talk about the system I’ve built to try to stop myself from making this same mistake—though even the best systems only work if you use them.