I took a photo from the hotel window. When I look at it I see about two inches of snow, not a big deal. Here is a little more information. The photo was taken from my hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, the week of January 26. Atlanta doesn’t see much snow. What looks like a snowpack to me (I mean, you can’t even build a snowman out of it) prompted Georgia to declare a state of emergency. The roads were impassable. There were wrecks and abandoned cars everywhere. Schools closed early, and because of the roads, some children ended up sleeping at school or on icy school buses.

The hotel I was staying in was turned into a refugee camp. People slept on chairs and couches in the lobby, the hotel ran with minimal staff for two days because people couldn’t go to work and those who were there slept on cots. I kept thinking… “Come on guys… that’s TWO inches of snow.”

What I forgot was that snow is something I’m very familiar with. I know how to deal with it. We have shovels and salt easily accessible. I have a warm coat and boots. Since I am prepared for snow, I can succeed in a snowy environment and enjoy it. For other people, snow is unfamiliar. Sure they know what it is, but they rarely, if ever, have to deal with it. They are not prepared. They do not have the proper equipment or clothing. They don’t understand the impact it can have.

So as I was looking at the snow and thinking… 2 inches of snow… what’s the problem? It was a big deal for the people of Atlanta.

So what does this have to do with your business?

It all comes down to perspective and acknowledgment of your (or someone else’s) experience and not judging the results.

For example: There are times when I try something new. Maybe I see another business owner doing it and I think I’ll have good results because that’s what I see happening “out there.” However, when I try it, nothing goes as planned and my results are mediocre or worse.

Other times, I’m the one doing something right and I watch other people try to do it. They often fail.

There is nothing wrong with trying new things. The problem arises when you judge yourself for not succeeding when others do, or when you judge others for not living up to your expectations.

Trying new things is hard, especially when you don’t get the results you want. It’s easy to think you’re just not good at it and just give up. The good news is that success is often close. If you try something that doesn’t work, even though everyone else seems to make it work, give yourself permission to try again, with a little more experience you may get the results you want.

The only thing I know about Atlanta is that it will snow there again. Maybe not this year or even next, but it will snow. I hope that Atlanta has learned some lessons to make the next snowfall easier for its citizens.