It isn’t pretty, but I’ve repeated a pattern of sabotage twice a year for as long as I’ve been in business
- I consistently work on my business.
- I get prospect appointments.
- I close clients and stay consistent.
- I get MORE prospect appointments. My schedule gets really full.
- I start to freak a little, and my mind races, “What if this goes on forever? I’m never going to have any free time. What if things start falling through the cracks? I don’t want to be this busy forever!”
- Prospect appointments start to cancel, postpone or no-show. My closing ratio goes down.
- I start to panic that I’m not going to have enough business, and start over at 1.
In January, I noticed it kicking in and all I could think was, “Oh hell no. I am not doing this again.”
I started talking about the pattern to friends, but not as something I was suffering with, but as something I was calling a stop to. Something I was seeking the resolution to.
I called a friend and through our conversation, I recalled a situation where I had experienced the same feelings of panic but was able to resolve them very quickly.
Many years ago, I worked in a staffing office and a temporary employee came into the office, furious because there was an error in his paycheck. The guy was HUGE. We stood face to face, about 3 feet apart, and he started to raise his voice and lean in, using his size to intimidate me.
I WAS intimidated, but then a crystal clear, perfectly calm part of me knew exactly what to do. I lowered my voice and took a half step toward him. This completely disarmed him, and we were able to calmly create a solution.
This is exactly how my sabotaging pattern felt: looming, scary, intimidating. And for years I cowered when faced with it.
Armed with this knowledge, I set aside some quiet time. I visualized my pattern of sabotage as this looming man, allowed myself to deeply feel the fear. Then stepping forward with kindness and calm, I felt the pattern dissolve.
Since then? Consistent prospects. Consistent opportunities. Busy? Yes, but also able to make good decisions about how to clear my plate.
I encourage you to notice your patterns, then take a brave step forward, look them in the eye and calmly say, “Oh hell no. I am not doing this again.”