Have you ever heard someone say they were, “waiting for their ship to come in?” I’ll bet you have. You’ve probably even said it yourself.

But did you ever stop and think about what this old phrase really means?

It means, “If and when I make my fortune.” And it originates from the days when seafaring adventurers would send their fleets along the Mediterranean and African coasts in search of rich cargoes.

To do this, they would first have to go to the money-lenders in order to finance the venture. And as it was unknown when the fleet would return, they would sign documents promising to repay the loans “when my ships come in.”

Unfortunately, many people who are waiting for their ships to come in have missed a very important element of the process.

They haven’t sent any ships OUT.

So what most people mean is they are waiting for a windfall, a winning lottery ticket or an inheritance. Waiting to get lucky.

But hope has never been a very good strategy.

And that’s what most people do. They hope—they hope and wait for something to happen.

They’re waiting to be inspired. They’re waiting to be motivated. They’re waiting for someone to come along and get them excited.

What if nobody shows up?

As a way for me to review my day or my week, I ask myself, “How many ships did I send out?”

My ships are phone calls placed, requests made, tasks delegated and plans made. They are the seeds I plant—actions that move my projects along or get me closer to my goals and dreams.

Unfortunately, for many people, they are so busy doing the everyday tasks, they don’t take any action on moving themselves forward.
In my company, there are certain things that I do every day to maintain my business. But I have to also take action that MOVES the business forward.

Action Step
What ships will you send out today? Send out several small ships. Or send out one big ship. Just make sure you get something out on the water. Some may not come back. And some will.

Send them out on a regular basis. And you will have ships coming in on a regular basis.