OK, by a show of hands, who here is old enough to remember Chubby Checker’s version of “Limbo Rock?” No one, right? Yeah, me neither. But apparently there WAS a guy with a song by that name. And it charted at number two in 1962. And he apparently said “How low can you go?” at some point during the song, and that became a popular slang phrase still used these days.
“How low can you go” referred to the Limbo dance.
The goal, in that dance, also known as “Limbo Rock,” is to see how low you can go as you bend over backwards and pass under a stick. Sounds like fun, right? No thanks. Sounds like knee surgery to me. Or maybe a visit to the chiropractor for a disjointed spine.
But they make the dance look like fun in old movies and YouTube videos. So, apparently there are some people who get their thrills that way.
And the reason the Chubby Checker song popped up on my radar was because I wanted to find out the origin of the word “limbo.” You know how you say when something’s on hold it’s in limbo? Well, I wanted to find out why that word is used.
Turns out Catholics use it to describe some place between Heaven and hell. But that doesn’t apply to how most people use the word. And you can find a lot of highbrow sounding information that also doesn’t seem to fit how the word is used.
So, I just looked it up in the dictionary.
Here are four definitions of limbo:
- a place or state of restraint or confinement
- a place or state of neglect or oblivion
- an intermediate or transitional place or state
- a state of uncertainty
And those definitions are perfect descriptions of this week for most business owners, entrepreneurs, and wannabes. They’re uncertain how to finish out the year since so many people are still in the “holiday spirit” and taking days off. So they’re neglecting their business or ideas. And the lack of action makes ’em feel restrained or confined.
But none of that has to describe you.
I mean, unless you wanna see how low you can go with your business, there’s plenty you can do even in a so-called “holiday week.” And believe me, I KNOW how this week can feel like total limbo.
Sure, I know your customers and clients might not be calling or coming by or buying your goods and services this week. But that can be a huge opportunity. Not a setback.
You can use the breathing room to catch up on stuff you fell behind in due to the holidays. And you set up your system, finally. Or, if you already have a system, you can tweak it. My guess is, there’s plenty of room for improvement. Because there’s plenty of room for improvement for every business.
My business building book can also help make those improvements. AND it can help you run your business better and faster. And the faster you can build it, the faster you can get to the things you love the most. Those things you saw in your head when you first started. Or maybe you see them right now.
Finish out 2023 with a copy of the RondaReady System Book. And make 2024 the year you Get Ready to Be Ready and…
Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant