In Greek Mythology, the Sirens were incredibly dangerous creatures that lured sailor’s boats into the rocks to their death with their enchanting singing.
I don’t think sirens are just a myth. It’s real- but not in the way you might imagine.
Let me share my story in charting a course and sailing out into the open Sea. I hear now the calls of many sirens around me, and must confess I haven’t been so ideal in maintaining my focus.
Think carefully of the Sirens in your life- these enchanting beasts will make you fail, but it’ll feel oh so good in the process.
Charting a Course
My biggest goals recently have been with running Facebook Ads with the goal of getting new clients. I’ve also put forth a huge initiative into improving my skill at Facebook Ads for my clients.
Very quickly I was able to improve & validate my skills with some test clients. Now armed with newfound weaponry, I feel ready and confident to take it out into the market.
First I created my new website– but upon reflection even this may have been a call of a Siren!
Or maybe not. Time will tell.
I’ve also helped clients out for free or extremely discounted service rates that were in similar niches to my own so that I can effectively test my ideas with their ad budget.
As mentioned the results were exhilarating- for example one campaign getting leads at $1.69 per lead! At a .1% close rate, that’s still highly profitable…
Despite the intoxicating preliminary results, other tests have been a complete disaster.
For example I made an Email course about everything that I learned as a “free offer” to warm people up to a free consulting session with me where I will then close them.
The open rate so far has been horrendous- tomorrow morning I’ll have updated data to work with.
I’ve also adjusted the experiments with other ad types and targeting options to test for all kinds of variations. I’m hitting it from all angles. Suddenly…
I never could’ve expected the Sirens to call so loudly, and so sweetly…
The Call of the Sirens: Inner Demons
In my mind logically I always understood that “less is more.” I’m sure you too could learn all about the art of efficiency, the 4 hour work week, and all that juicy stuff.
The problem is if you get this information before you legitimately need it, then you may not properly apply it. In some ways I’ve done great, such as working extremely efficient with current & previous clients, but I’ve failed vastly when it came to huge leaps forward such as what I’m working on now.
One of the many Sirens is within us all- self-sabotage. Confronting our inner insecurities and succeeding is often scarier than success itself.
In fact I believe the action itself is what’s scaring. If you never try you never fail, and you also never have to deal with the effects of success.
When I succeed in figuring this out, it’s not an achievement unlocked and then all work is done.
I’ll have to work on sales calls, closing clients, hiring assistants, and all kinds of stuff. Success increases, but so does more work and unexpected surprises. It’s all too easy to slip back into familiarity and comfort.
The Call of the Sirens: Enchanting Voices
The majority of Sirens come from the outside though. These Sirens may prey on your inner Siren, but many of them also wear beautiful masks that attract you but also hide their sharp teeth which they use to kill you.
Here’s the thing with Sirens- they are enchanting. Not alluring, addicting, or powerful inherently; they possess the power of magic, appearing so real to be necessary yet not at all.
A non-example of a Siren includes drugs, sex, social media distractions, fear, and laziness. What I mean is that these are not Sirens which I refer to.
A Siren is much more cunning than these petty things. You know in your heart that you should not get wasted every night if you want to grow a business, become fit, or achieve another goal.
The Enchanting Voices of the Outer World Sirens mask themselves as necessary steps in your voyage- yet if you actually follow them you will find yourself lost, shipwrecked, and eventually, dead.
Many people claim that “success is hard,” but I doubt that to be the case. I learned quickly how to earn an income online while traveling, and that’s only because I was hyper-focused and weary of Sirens.
Those people that announce to the world that success is so hard often do so because they find themselves in bed with many attractive Sirens- beautiful mermaid-like creatures- yet in their trance they fail to notice that their blood is slowly being drained.
Meeting the Sirens: My Examples
Why have I not yet clearly identified what a real Siren is? It’s because they’re so hard to identify.
You can hardly tell if it is a beautiful woman you are staring at or if it is the mask of a monster ready to devour you.
You might not believe me, but here are some of the Sirens which call my name…
People have recommended books, YouTube videos, courses, ad strategies, offered consulting sessions, advice, and all kinds of different suggestions related to how I can achieve my goal.
These are the Sirens, my friends. No, I’m not saying never to recommend anything to anyone.
What I do remind you is to focus only on that which brings you to your destination; your ship does not have infinite supplies, and you don’t have time for every side-mission that comes your way in life.
For example, a couple years ago some people were adamant that I needed a website in order to get clients. Yet for the past 2+ years I’ve traveled while working remotely with no website- did I really need one?
The answer is no, and many of my friends who made a website did so under the enchanting allure of a Siren. The truth is the website never helped with sales, it never brought them a client, and it was a complete waste of time.
The problem is that making the website felt like a productive use of time, and it was related to the end-goal.
When you sail in foggy waters, it can be quite difficult to see what direction you must truly walk down.
Losing Focus to the Voices
I’ve said already that my preliminary results have been good- but I’ve hit a roadblock, and I’ve researched ways to get around it and fix the problem.
Now my problem lies in that there are many Sirens around me- but surely a few are real Angels sent to guide me on my path.
Should I watch this course, or that course? Should I read this book or that book?
If I do everything that is recommended to me, then it will be yet more months or years until I achieve my goals- but I know that it shouldn’t take that long.
Yet still already I’ve noticed it becoming more difficult to focus, and keep attention- many notifications are coming my way, many people want to help me, many people invite me to their “Masterminds” and offer advice.
It all sounds so beautiful! It’s all so alluring! Everything brings me in theory at least 1% closer to my goals, but the key here is in identifying the one thing which brings you 20% closer to your goal- or better yet 80% or 90% or even 99.9%!
Time is precious; it seems to be the one dimension everyone in this world forgets. The irony of life is that we live in an infinite Universe (so they say) yet have a finite life.
Navigating Dangerous Waters
As I navigate this path towards my goals, I do my best to focus on that which truly brings me to my goals. I’ve taken a moment today to nap, and I’ll take a moment tomorrow to slow down and relax as well.
Being busy is not being productive; the Sirens love to prey on a busy man who lacks awareness for how much progress is truly being made.
With all that I do, I ask myself if it really brings me closer to the end-goal. I have a ship to sail, the waters may be dangerous so I must remain all the more vigilant to avoiding the alluring call of the Sirens.
I know not yet which activities are lies and which are truth. In this way, perhaps prayer to the Universe or a higher power is necessary. Only God knows when my time is up, and I’d like to make as much progress as I can while I’m here.
With Faith, maybe I won’t fall prey to the Sirens all around me. Maybe I can focus, and this time sail my ship to my goal.
And What About Your Sirens?
And do ask yourself- where are your Sirens?
Remember that Sirens are those things which look good, feel good, appear good, but are in fact not truly good.
We all know that eating shit food is bad. We all know that excessive alcohol or drug consumption is not particularly healthy.
These addictions are the surprisingly easy thing to tackle. What really holds you back (and thus prompts you to re-engage in your negative copying behaviors) is the fact that you get caught in Sirens that draw you away from your goal!
You say you want this or that, yet try to complete every side-mission along the way when it serves no real purpose.
Life may be much like a video game, but unlike a video game you can’t play it again. You have a goal, don’t waste your time in endless side missions.
These side missions are designed to feel like you’re achieving something, when really you are still where you are- just now you have “something else.”
Your goals and dreams are closer than you imagine. Your only problem is that you sail your ship in circles, chasing the allusive beauty of the Sirens..
One day their spell will end. Their teeth aren’t so enchanting. It feels not so majestic to cry out alone as they suck your blood dry, and things go black- it’s over.
Take your ship to your goal, or follow the distracting beauty of the enchanting Sirens. The choice is yours. Though it sure ain’t easy..
-Michael.
