The Fibonacci Spiral is an example in nature that applies to the creation and sustainment of almost anything in the discovered universe …even business growth and development. I believe that history created is as relevant to nature as history forgotten. Here is a bit of remembered history, applied to life today, particularly to the growth and development of businesses.

While living during a time of hardship in a city decaying from a recent plague, English poet and critic John Dryden was able to describe the simple form of nature in relation to the world of man. From his poem Annus Mirabilis meaning year of wonders, Dryden indites “By viewing nature, nature’s handmaid art, Makes mighty things from small beginnings grow: Thus fishes first to shipping did impart, Their tail the rudder, and their head the prow.” Though this excerpt can be applied to all things in the discovered universe, as well as bring into question the elegant balance of mans own nature, it says something even simpler about the interworking of nature itself.

I don’t know what Dryden meant by “Makes mighty things from small beginnings grow” but I know that it is true for the creation of almost anything tangible or intangible, artistic or logistic, creating or consuming. The hardest part is always the start but to start you must see the end. Without the end you have no direction, no meaning and no purpose. A plant grows to live, a skyscraper is designed to be built, a package is sent to be delivered. Anything in between is considered chaos and whether it was self inflicted or caused by the randomness (or beauty) of nature, chaos toward the individual architect invokes a breakdown or delay in reaching their end.

Once the end is imagined you need to discover a path, maybe not the entire path at first, and maybe not every minute detail, but one thing you must see and know, is that you (the architect) has the potential, the will, and the vision necessary to find your way through the chaos. You must also understand that a path through chaos is ever-changing, sometimes prolonging, and always challenging. When Dryden wrote about nature it was in a time of complete chaos in the world he knew, which is in parallel today with the (constant and consistent) chaos of our own world. Nature, while being the root of all chaos, is ironically the only fertilizer.

This brings me to the Fibonacci Spiral, something that is found in nature, used to solve almost every quantum mechanical problem, and simple in concept. For business growth, the Fibonacci Spiral can be the conclusion to the question of how to examine and plan for the growth of your business.  Begin with the idea (Personal Computing), develop the ability to create that idea (Founding Apple, Inc.), monetize your idea (Selling Apple 1 to consumers), expand and cover your ass (Apple II, IBM partnership), Innovate (iPod, MacBook), sustain your ground by creating an ecosystem around your idea (iTunes, Apple Nostalgia). Re-Develop your original idea for the modern world (iPhone 4). In this example and in a Fibonacci Spiral each step equally gives momentum to the next step. If done right, more money will mean more innovation, less time will be spent on more progress, and eventually expansion could be exponential.

For those unfamiliar with the Fibonacci Spiral, an example:

The perfect business model is built around this spiral and the concept of even exponential growth. This spiral is something found in nature, you can see it in flowers, sea shells and even galaxies. Every time this spiral is seen it seems to bring order to chaos. So in the chaos of the universe, when trying to grow, develop, and sustain a business; this spiral should be law. It’s not just random in nature, it gives the flower the ability to bloom, sea shells the ability to mate, and sustains the delicate movement of our galaxy. If you move your business out of the parameters of the spiral you create an anarchist to the system, and in turn, create more chaos.

Remember that the easiest and most important thing to do is to begin, to give life, to become a part of the process you envision. When giving life to your creation whether it’s a business, an idea, an expression of art, or a movement; keep in mind that by way of the spiral, everything only gets easier. Now is always the best time, Dryden wrote of beauty in a time of decay when London was nearly burnt to the ground. There is no excuse for not starting, but there is no way to map the perfect spiral, or to foresee ways to create the perfect business. Use the spiral only as a guide, as a peace of mind, and as a way to see through the chaos.

Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true”
- Anonymous

for quiet reflection? We get caught up in our day to day routines, and are so busy being busy. Where do you find the moment to have some time to relax, renew, and enjoy where you are right here, right now?

Does it mean turning off the phone, stop checking your email? What are we busy working towards, and do we forget to live while trying to reach our dreams?

Where were you ten years ago? Where do you see yourself in ten years? Are your goals and dreams changing with the course of your life and the new success you are having?

I was asked today where I was ten years ago, what I was doing, and if I could have imagined my life where it is now. To answer the question, I was living in Georgia, with two little kids, and a life that does not resemble the life I have now.

It was about 6 years ago that my life began to change, and my dreams began to grow. I met Al Curtis, the co-founder that I have the priviledge of running the InSights Group with, and together we were able to dream up the InSights idea. We had some hopes of what it would look like, and what we would be doing, but quite truthfully, I had a hard time visualizing exactly what this could could be. We have been inspired and awed by the experience that InSights creates for people, even more that we could have ever imagined. InSights is not a place, it’s not a class, and it’s not a workshop. It is an energy and an experience that has to be had to understand.

Today marks the two year anniversary of the birth of the InSights Group dream. Please help us celebrate by taking a moment to reflect on your dreams, and continue to chase your bliss.

Start with your dream, place your order with the universe, and experience the magic. I have.

What’s your dream?

1. _____!!! (you fill in the blank with what you think I’d say!)

2. The community that has embraced the InSights philosophy, and who are willing to share positive energy with others.

3. Reading the book Tribes by Seth Godin and realizing that we’ve got an awesome tribe right here, right now.

4. Finding a moment in time to just be.

5. Freshly falling snow, especially when I can stay inside and look at it from this side of the window.

6. Sunny days.

7. Blogs and discussion posts that make me laugh out loud, smile, or learn something new.

8. The silence that happens when my kids turn in for the night.

9. Finding a great new author who has a series of books to get involved with (I’ve got to include the Amazon Kindle with this list).

10. Blogging and discussion posts at 11:00pm because the internet never sleeps! (and apparently neither do I ;o)

11. Spell check, because it is 11:00 at night!

What’s on your list?

(photo by Walkabout Wolf, @ flickr cc)