Shutdowns We Don't Care About

This post is being written on Friday, April 8th, with about 4 1/2 hours to go before the Federal Government is scheduled to shut down.

Excuse me while I yawn.

I know this is a bad attitude. But only in the macro perspective. Halting government services places workers' paychecks at risk, reduces essential services, and ruins the plans of thousands of visitors to national parks. I get all of that, and more.

On the other hand, at midnight nothing will happen to me. The lights in my house will still work, I will be connected to the Internet, and I will probably be watching sports highlights on TV.

So why don't I care more about this? Because I am normal -- I am selfish. If something doesn't cause me to change behavior, cost me money, or impact the health of someone in my family, then it gets placed lower on my list of concerns. It's all about me, just like it's all about you.

The government's status is not the only recent shutdown to impact my world. The NFL players strike may stop professional football. The tsunami in Japan has stopped factories from making products that I buy. And the shutdown of a favorite retailer in my neighborhood looks like it will be permanent.

I still don't care all that much. I will watch college football. I will find other stores that sell similar goods. And I won't be upset about any of it.

Eventually I will miss these things. But for the short term there is little disappointment or discomfort. My attitude will eventually change, but that's a long way off in the future.

I'm not sure politicians understand this. They talk about the grave dangers of a government shutdown. Most people can't relate to it any more than being able to comprehend a budget deficit of $1.4 trillion. It's too large and too distant.

So when you're reading the news or listening to interviews about the mess in Washington, ask yourself, "are they helping me relate to what's going on in terms that I can really understand?"

Then turn around and ask if your business is helping customers relate to what you do in terms that they can really understand.