Mary Cravets

“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!

Reality check about simplifying

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SimplifyI know a lot of people are in the mode of simplifying right now, myself included. And even though simplifying can eventually rocket you into a Zen-like state, the process sometimes makes you want to tear your hair out!

I’ll give you an example. Have you ever organized a messy closet? Here’s what it looks like:

  1. You can’t take the chaos anymore, and decide you’re going to organize the closet.
  2. You pull everything out. It now looks worse (WAY worse) than when you started.
  3. You start thinking that it didn’t really look that bad to start with, and wonder what possessed you to take on this stupid project in the first place.
  4. You go to Starbucks to refuel.
  5. You come back and start madly sorting into piles.
  6. You start to see some organization in the chaos.
  7. Tired and sweaty, you put away what is left.
  8. You sigh with satisfaction, then post the before and after photos on Facebook to make your friends jealous.

Note that 6 out of 8 steps are messy, frustrating, and have you questioning your sanity. They are exactly the times when you will feel like giving up. But the truth is, if you give up in the middle of the process, you’re going to be in far worse shape than when you started!

The point is, if your business, life, or closet is messy right now, keep going or it’s going to just get worse. Here are some tips to keep you going through the chaos:

  1. When simplifying anything, don’t expect to go from zero to Zen in an hour.
  2. If it’s messy, know that you’re not doing things wrong, you’re just in midst of the natural process.
  3. When you feel like giving up, rest and refuel. Eat, nap, call a friend or coach.
  4. Know deep down that giving up will create greater chaos that you started with.
  5. Keep an eye on your goal.
  6. Acknowledge your successes, and reward yourself.

What will you simplify next? Want help? Go to www.SimpleIsTheNewBrilliant.com.

Knock down your big goals – it’s easier than you think!

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Small, specific actions, when aligned properly create big results. Start with a plan, make it easy on yourself with the simplest, most leveraged activities, and before you know it, you’ll be slam-dunking goals that seemed impossible.

Don’t believe me? Physics doesn’t lie – enjoy the video*!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97rBdSYbkg?rel=0&w=350&h=197

* This is the way I work with people – plan, simplify, succeed. Want to find out more, and get started with some clarity? Schedule a Discovery Conversation with me. There’s no charge, and you can start on the road to knocking down your business’s 100 pound domino!

Am I Getting Ahead if I’m Going Backwards?

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In the wonderful worlds of personal growth and entrepreneurism, the answer to that question is often YES.

You see, we generally think that progressing towards our goals is a fairly linear process. It’s no wonder we get frustrated!

It’s important to understand that progress and direction do not always run together. The first time I heard this idea was from Allison Levine, who led the first American Women’s Mount Everest Expedition.

She explained that when climbing Mount Everest, you can’t go directly from Base Camp to the summit. In fact, you spend the bulk of your time going backwards to regroup in order to make the next ascent.

Look at the climb process:

  • Base Camp (17,600 ft.), spend a few days to acclimatize
  • Set out for Camp 1 (19,900 ft.).
  • Go back to Base Camp
  • Head to Camp 2 (21,300 ft.)
  • Go back to Base Camp
  • Work through the camps again to the summit.

If they didn’t go backwards as a part of their process, climbers could not adjust to the altitude in order to reach the summit.

If you feel like you’re on a detour on the path to your goals, pause and reflect. Are you “adjusting to the altitude”, so to speak, by learning perseverance or patience? Are you meeting new people who might help you along your way? Or do you just need to refocus? Trust the process.

Whatever the lesson, know that getting off course is a natural part of progress. Be open to what you’re learning, be gentle with yourself, and enjoy the ride!