Let’s ask him…
“What is up to us, what is not up to us.”
What does this have to do with marketing? Everything.
2,000 years ago, Epictetus first penned this thought. When I am thinking about the communication and marketing problems I am asked to solve each day, this idea helps me.
I can choose to complain about the things I have absolutely no control over: trolls, misinformation, fragmented media, media that has been stripped of it’s resources, those that don’t take time to read, research, and understand complex topics.
Or, I can act.
And, I can take my best swing at solving the defined problem we have uncovered.
How can I use technology? How can I use research? How can I test, then replicate?
Who can I ask for advice and guidance? Have I solved this before in another industry? Has someone else? What mistakes have I made in the past that I can avoid? How can I measure my progress?
What do I truly have control over? And, what is the highest and best use of each of those resources?
This is so easy to write. Terribly complex to execute.
But, it is where we need to start each time.
Define the problem.
Asses your situation.
Prepare and Plan.
Act.
Control what you can.
Let go of what you cannot.
Repeat.
Define the Problem 