If It Was Absolutely Going to Happen, What Would You Do Differently Now?

Call me crazy, but I have always loved the start of the school year. And for all you parents, it’s NOT just because the kids are back in school with a “manageable” routine. (Okay, maybe a little.) But I believe that the brand newness of the school year is something like a mini New Year. It represents a new slate, sheer potential brimming in 3-ring binders and unopened trapper keepers. I believe that this kind of New Year is also about what we long for in ourselves – our sheer potential, our best expectations. How to maintain that sense of best expectations in the face of reality – of things moving at different speeds with unexpected outcomes? I watched a very talented young girl on my daughter’s soccer team show me how she does it. She plays with heart. She dribbles, she passes, she nudges, she fouls, she gets fouled, she says sorry, she gets open again. She keeps going. You know she’s going to score, because you can see she knows it. Isn’t this true of my clients? They also play with heart. They know they’ll be successful, even if it takes time, disappointments, frustrations, and unexpected paths. There it is. Right there. Of course. They’re surprised, but they’re really not. It’s all a confidence game. What if we knew we could have it – our best expectations? Become the CEO we see ourselves to be? Create the next billion dollar consciously sustainable company we dream about? What if we didn’t know how, but we knew we would anyway? What might you do differently?

1. Break all the rules. Look, if you’re creating something extraordinary, you’ll have to do it differently than everyone else. Break all the rules that govern how it “should” be done.

2. Who are your business advisors? Your sponsors or mentors? Talk about it with them. Dream it up. Reality test it. Talk about it with people who understand your spirit, who love you for it, AND most importantly, who can ask you really hard questions for the sake of realizing your dream.

3. So what, my dear? What’s next and what will you do about it? Commit. Plan. Do it. Roll up your sleeves. Stop complaining.

4. Develop a How Fascinating! muscle Rather than judging a measureable outcome, remark on it by saying “How Fascinating!” What do you notice? What are you learning? What’s next?

5. Love and forgive yourself. Because then you can do the same with others. And create the most loyal, engaged, inspired, hard-working team possible working with you.