Archives for January 2013

“If You Had 100 Million Dollars… “

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Funny side upDuring a weekend business retreat, powerhouse speaker, entrepreneur, and author Rita Davenport asked the most powerful question I’ve heard in ages.

She asked, “If you had 100 million dollars in the bank, and lived in a 10 million dollar home, what would you want to learn?”

Now I’ve been asked, “If money were no object, what would you do/give/buy?” But never this question. It is honestly such a far cry from anything I’ve ever been asked that my brain is still drawing a blank.

This question makes me vaguely uncomfortable and at the same time, totally excited. I see the possibility of a whole new perspective, just waiting to emerge.

I need some help here, some ideas to prime my mental pump. What is your answer?

What will they think?

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rearviewmirror1

As I was patiently waiting for traffic to clear so I could make a left turn, I felt a little pang of anxiety and looked in my rear view mirror to see if I was holding anyone up.

Really? I’m an experienced driver. I know how to navigate the risks of cross traffic. And yet how many times have I jumped out into traffic sooner than I’m comfortable, out of the fear that I’m holding someone else up?

Ridiculous. Worried about what someone else might be thinking, and then acting against my own best instincts.

Made me think that it would be a good idea to keep that worry in check, in all aspects of my life.

Quite a neat little lesson from a quick drive, don’t you think?

Imaginary Obstacles

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Obstacles

I was working with a client recently to create an action plan to get him to his goals quickly. We boiled it all down to simple steps, and right away he saw how the whole thing would work. In his words, he was inspired with a plan.

He was so confident, in fact, his next words were, “I’m not sure I can handle all the business this will create. I’d better cut back on the actions a little so I’m not overwhelmed.”

WHOA. What happened? A sneaky form of self-sabotage, that’s what.

When faced with a plan that will quadruple his income, he was immediately thrust WAY outside his comfort zone. Concerns about the challenges of a business four times the size of the one he has now triggered a subtle self-sabotage.

His saboteur immediately threw up obstacles. IMAGINARY OBSTACLES that would prevent him from taking the actions necessary to achieve his goals.

What imaginary obstacles are you placing in your path?

Don’t let the fear of potential problems that might accompany success hold you back. Create your plan in alignment with your goals and values. Be consistent about implementing the plan. Track your results. And tackle the problems as they come, rather than anticipating imaginary ones that sabotage your success.

A shameless plug, but appropriate here – if you want to avoid this mental gunk, get a coach who stops saboteurs in their tracks!