Why do bulldogs have short noses?

In case you have not seen one lately, I am posting a picture of a bulldogs nose. As you may notice, there isn't much of a nose at all on this dog. Working with client's this week, I think that I now understand the importance of having a short nose. Confused? Good. Let me explain...

Here is a typical client scenario. The conversation usually starts like this:

Me: So, we are meeting today to talk about your marketing strategy. Tell me about what you do, where you see yourself in the market, and ultimately where do you want to be in say, six to twelve months?

Them: Well, I'm in transition. I have a job that pays the bills, but frankly, I am bored and burnt out. I want to do coaching, speaking and write a book for Corporate Leaders like me, because I know I can help clients who are typically in Leadership positions since I am one of them. I know what they go through, and I have some unique solutions. I am really excited about coaching people so maybe I could just focus there, but how do I separate myself from all of the other coaches out there? Maybe I shouldn't even be doing this. After all, I have a wife, 3 kids and I have bills to pay. I would need to see a lot of people to get my income where it needs to be, but the more I stay at my job, the more frustrated I feel. I must be crazy for even thinking about doing this, it will never work.

Me: Well, lets not get to far ahead of ourselves yet, and back this up a bit. When you were talking about doing the coaching stuff, you were pretty excited about it. But when you thought about the marketplace, the wind kind of went out of your sails, and then you got sucked right into the cycle of doom. Is that accurate?

Them: Yes. That is what happens. I get excited, but when I think about everything else, I get very unmotivated.

Me: That is because your nose is too long. You are way to far ahead of yourself to stay connected to what is important, and the motivating energy that gets created from there. If you are ever feeling ovewhelmed or unenergized about something, you need to shorten your leash, and get focused on the next smallest step you can take to go in the right direction.
Bulldogs stay focused on what is right in front of them because that's the way they are engineered. Their necks are short, keeping their head and their heart close together, and their best sense of all, their sense of smell is just a little bit further out than that. This way, they survey the territory right ahead of them, staying aligned and on course. The best way to cover great distances is to take small strides, and be aware of your direction. This way, you will arrive at your destination full of energy and enthusiam, and ready for the next smallest step.