It’s not uncommon for taxi drivers to go home when they’ve reached a specific dollar amount. However, as my Uncle explained that’s the worst strategy for a taxi driver looking to earn more money.
My Uncle told me that the taxi drivers who abide by this plan go home early when earning at a faster rate and go home late if they are earning at a slower rate. Either way, the goal of the taxi driver is to reach a dollar amount, which, if you do the math, is a terrible way to economize their time.
The effective choice here isn’t to go home after reaching an arbitrary dollar amount. It’s ideal to go home early on the days they are earning at a slower pace and it’s best to work late if they are earning at a faster pace. By choosing this strategy the taxi driver maximizes the time they are earning the most and minimizes the times they are earning the least.
A taxi driver should keep their momentum if they are experiencing a high earning pace, not shirk away because they’ve earned the bare minimum they’re satisfied with.
I Experienced The Taxi Driver Choice in Sales
When I was working in sales at PandaDoc, I encountered the same choice as this taxi driver.
Sales is a game of goals. At first, my goal was to dial 70 numbers on a given day and once I reached that goal I considered myself “done”.
However, this is the same exact mentality as the taxi driver. What if I was getting a lot of answers and booking meetings? Would it make sense to stop the momentum of a good day as the taxi driver does? Of course not. And, I soon realized this.
In one day, I was able to book 11 meetings by “keeping my momentum”. For reference, on an average day, I book between 1-3 meetings.
By funneling my energy, I was able to take advantage of that day’s moment of opportunity. Life is full of these. Don’t miss them by putting on the brakes like a taxi driver.
When the Stars Align
If you find yourself succeeding consistently, in the flow, or in a good mood, use that positive energy to propel yourself past the arbitrary limits you set for yourself.
This sounds a bit like a gambler, and that’s because it is. But, instead of flushing your money down the toilet, funnel that addictive energy into a productive outlet.
And importantly, use it while it’s hot, because the next day, it’s probably not.
Image: Photo by Fotis Fotopoulos on Unsplash