I have this great little advisory board.  It is more of a personal advisory board then anything else.  Some of them know that is what they are.  Some of them do not.  Some of them that know do not know of the other members.  They are great.  They listen.  They advise.  And more often than not I try to act on at least one thing they tell me.  That is why they keep giving me advice.

Recently I had a meeting with one of my advisors.  I try to do this with each of them one on one about every six to eight weeks.  And after a bit of conversation they let out with this observation.  "Lance you have too many plates in the air." 

I was stunned.  I feel like I am pretty singularly set on a goal.  And it took a while but it finally dawned on me.  I was being told that I was not focused.  And the person that was telling me this was right.  I was actually doubly stunned.  Because in my day job at ATDC most likely the number one piece of advice I give to entrepreneurs that I work with is to focus more intently.  It is just amazing that when you are in a situation that you don't realize that lack of focus is the issue.  Focus means giving up choices and options, and giving up choice and options is hard.  But as an entrepreneur that is exactly what you need to do.

Regardless the advisor conversation went on.  She used an analogy.  It's kinda like deciding to marry someone.  You just know.  Your gut tells you what to do.  And the even more dead on point is that is what happened to me.  Before I started dating my wife I employed the baseball rotation.  Four or five semi casual girlfriends that were always game to do something.  But when Abby and I decided to date I just knew. 

And so it goes with startups and startup choices.