Listen, I love you humans. I really do. You’re great at opening cans and providing belly rubs, but watching you try to focus is like watching a puppy try to fight its own tail: it’s adorable, it’s chaotic, and ultimately, nobody gets anywhere.
As a human tracker, I spend my days with my nose to the dirt, filtering out the “white noise” of the bush to find a very specific human whose sweaty socks I smelled 5 minutes ago. If I can learn to stay on mission, you can too.
Here is some unsolicited advice from the creature who literally works for treats.
1. Identify Your “Possum Poo”
In my line of work, there are distractions, and then there are distractions. A kangaroo hopping by? That’s a level-one diversion. But fresh possum poo? That is the siren song of the forest. It is irresistible. It demands a snoot-poke.
Your world is full of “possum poo.” That notification ping? The “outspoken” colleague who wants to vent about the fridge? That’s the poo, Brenda. It smells interesting, but it isn’t the goal. Acknowledge the poo exists, appreciate its aroma, and then move the heck on.
2. Trust the Data (The “Sniff-Test”)
When I’m tracking, I don’t rely on “vibes.” I rely on hard data:
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Scent particles per million.
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Wind direction and velocity.
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The specific “eau de toe-jam” signature of the target.
If the scent gets weaker, I’ve made a bad call. If it gets stronger, I’m winning. Running a business is the same. Don’t base your next move on what some “guru” said on Fecebook or what your cousin thinks about the economy. Follow the data – change in customer numbers, accurate profit calculations etc. If the “scent” of your profit is weakening, you’ve lost the trail. Pivot back to the facts.
3. Tune Out the “Barking”
The human world is incredibly noisy. You’ve got social media, 24-hour news, and thousands of customers all “barking” at once. If I stopped to bark back at every bird that chirped, I’d never find the gal lost in the woods, and I’d certainly never get my post-mission liver treat.
It took me two years of intensive training to ignore a literal jumping marsupial. It won’t happen for you overnight, but you have to work at it. Filter the noise. Most general conversation is just static—it’s not the scent you’re looking for.
4. Visualize the “Pounce”
Why do I work so hard? Why do I ignore the urge to roll in something dead? Because I know that at the end of this trail is a human I get to pounce on for a tickle. That is the “Why.”
What’s your pounce?
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An increasing customer base?
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Enough cashflow to be comfortable and pay off your loans?
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Getting home after your last consult on time?
Keep your nose on the trail, ignore the kangaroos of life, and stay disciplined. The “socks” are out there – you just have to stop sniffing the wrong things.
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