But I Have Four!

A recent question sent to us through our website was, "I need to know if you can apply these tactics to a four ring circus?" Here was our response:

In response to your question about if the tactics can apply to a 4 ring circus, the technical answer is.... Of course!!!

Seriously, Juggling Elephants is a parable and is written so that people can pick and choose what parts of the story are meaningful and helpful to them. If you see your life (circus) having 4 rings, the way you approach it would be the same as 3. You know you have limited resources (can't Juggle Elephants), so you have to allocate those resources where they are most needed at any given moment (i.e. Which ring should I be focusing on right now?) You're still the ringmaster and have to take control of the acts-or the circus will be running you-regardless of the number of rings. You still need the performers in every ring to be giving their best-esp. with 4 rings because it will be even harder for you to take the lead with the acts in all the rings.

Lastly, the need for an intermission would be even more critical. When I get too busy working in 1-2 rings, I often miss looking at what acts are needed in the neglected ring. With an intermission, you can step back and review the performance, and make plans for a better "next half."