Our business is with things that really matter

Now how do I decide what matters most.

Author

Clint Betts
August 22, 2024

❝

“I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.”

― Steve Martin

In today’s email:

  • Meditation: Our business is with things that really matter

  • Dear Clint: How do I know what matters the most?

  • Book Club: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

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DAILY MEDITATION

In all that happens, keep before your eyes those who experienced it before you, and felt shock and outrage and resentment at it.

And now where are they? Nowhere.

Is that what you want to be like? Instead of avoiding all these distracting assaults — leaving the alarms and fighting to others — and concentrating on what you can do with it all.

Because you can use it, treat it as raw material. Just pay attention, and resolve to live up to your own expectations. In everything.

And when faced with a choice, remember: our business is with things that really matter.

Marcus Aurelius

QUESTION
Dear Clint,

Every day, my to-do list grows longer, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine which tasks truly deserve my focus. I often find myself getting pulled in multiple directions, unsure of the most important thing to be working on.

With so many competing priorities, how can I identify what is genuinely essential each day? I want my efforts to drive the company forward, but I’m struggling to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters.

Sincerely,
Pulled In All Directions

ANSWER
Dear Pulled In All Directions,

Tyler Childers came to town this week. When a thing like that happens, you stop what you're doing and go to the show. It was the perfect Utah night: Clear sky, cool breeze, but my sleeves could stay rolled up. The atmosphere reminded me of how good it can feel to be above ground.

As I’m wont to do, I went with Kelli. We’ve been to our fair share of Childers shows; I imagine we’ll attend a few more as time passes. Kelli is who I want by my side in a situation like that. When I start hovering above reality, Kelli’s the one who brings me back to earth.

When we arrived, Bella White sang about protecting yourself from people leaving. I’d never had the privilege of hearing her sing before that night. I plan to make up for time lost moving forward.

By the time Shakey Graves came on stage, I was feeling fine and just about worry-free. I will say it’s hard not to feel a bit inadequate when Shakey starts masterfully playing the guitar while simultaneously playing the drums with his feet. After bathing in my deficiencies for a spell, I told my ego to get lost for a few hours so I could let the music tell me how to feel.

When Tyler took the stage, I couldn’t have told you what worry felt like. I’d transcended by that point. John would say I was alive in the age of worry, smiling in the age of worry, singing, Worry, why should I care? He might’ve been right, though he also thinks bodies are wonderlands. Tricky attaching yourself to the words of others.

Describing a Tyler Childers concert is like a Buddhist monk convincing a politician that life in pursuit of power is meaningless. It’s impossible. The best you can do is chalk it up to a spiritual experience and allow however that gets interpreted to stand on its own.

During the acoustic portion of his performance, Tyler played an honest-to-goodness rendition of "Follow You to Virgie." It was the first time a tear appeared at one of his events.

Back before these calloused hands and all this work
We used to sit up at the flats
Acting like we'd live forever
Getting high and skipping class

Yeah, I reckon we were heathens
But in her eyes, we were saints
Now you're calling all the boys home
'Cause heaven's angels carried her away

You’re asking me how to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. Well, find out what really matters first. Then give all of yourself to that.

Yours,
Clint Betts

Contact Clint
Email: dear[email protected]
Phone: (385) 217-0670

BOOK CLUB

“Enjoyment would be an indulgent loss of focus”

At first glance, a memoir about a comedian’s journey might seem worlds apart from the strategic and high-stakes decisions that define a leader’s life. However, as we delve into Martin’s reflections on his career, we’ll uncover profound insights that resonate deeply with leadership, innovation, and personal growth and offer a unique perspective that can enrich our professional journeys.

Steve Martin is widely recognized as one of the most influential comedians of our time, but Born Standing Up is not just a chronicle of his rise to fame. It is an intimate exploration of the relentless pursuit of excellence, the art of reinvention, and the psychological toll of being at the top of one’s game.

For eighteen years, Martin honed his craft, enduring a decade of obscurity and a few more years of refining his approach before achieving wild success—a timeline that echoes the long road to mastery we often experience in our careers.

Martin’s candid discussion of failure, resilience, and the necessity of originality makes this memoir particularly compelling for leaders. His journey is marked by a willingness to take risks, step outside the conventional, and persist through adversity — qualities that are as essential in the boardroom as they are on the stage.

Martin also discusses the isolation that often comes with success, a feeling many people in leadership positions can relate to. His thoughts on stepping back from the spotlight at the height of his career are a powerful reminder of the significance of self-awareness required to prioritize personal fulfillment over seeking external validation.

Steve Martin’s story is not just about comedy; it’s about the resilience required to stay ahead, the discipline needed to perfect a craft, and the wisdom to know when to pivot. It’s a journey that offers valuable leadership, creativity, and the human experience lessons.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing an interactive Book Club experience to accompany Martin’s book. It would be appropriate to start reading the book now.

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