Do you know what you want as the CEO in your business? Have you really clarified that for yourself?
Most people would answer this question immediately with a knee-jerk “yes!” reaction. Of course, we know what we want!
We want more! More time, more money, more freedom, more, more, more….
Now, this is a great way to start. But I would submit to you that it’s too vague and ambiguous.
Furthermore, it’s hard to say what we DO want until we know what we DON’T want. Again, we can all point to things we don’t want! But why are those things undesirable? What can we learn from the things we don’t want, so that we can use it to reflect what we do?
For example, I know I do NOT want to work 50 hours a week. I love my work! But I want to do other things as well. So, in light of what I do NOT want, what DO I want my work week to look like? And paring it down even further, I also know I do not want to be stuck behind a desk all day! I love networking, people, and sharing MY business! Well, knowing that, what DO I want to do with my work time?
Do you see how that comparison can be indescribably valuable?
You say you want more time. How much more? Why?
You say you want more money. How much more? What are you going to do with it? How much do you want to keep? Share? Give? Invest? Why?
You want more freedom? To do what? What are you going to prioritize with that newfound freedom?
Be specific and intentional. Write it down – on paper! Do you know what you want? Good.
Now CHOOSE that thing.
Why do you need to choose it? Isn’t clarifying and planning enough? Well, yes – and no.
You see, too often, the work we do is reactive. Meaning that limiting beliefs have crept into our minds and we need to do the work of uprooting them and replacing them with other beliefs that actually take us to where we want to go. And truthfully, that produces results!
But when we choose to have something – when we open up our minds to receive, the limiting beliefs can sometimes fade in the process. The choice is all we needed.
I remember hearing a story many years ago about a woman who was meeting with a therapy group similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. The woman had been struggling for so many years and as she told her newfound support team about her struggles, she kept repeating about how she “tried so hard.” She “tried” to make changes. She “tried” to make better choices. She was genuinely trying REALLY hard.
The facilitator of the group changed her life that day.
He told her, “Try and stand up.” She struggled, grunted and groaned, used supports around her, got her balance, and finally made it to her feet. He told her to sit down.
Once again, he told her to stand up, but he omitted the word “try.” He simply said, “stand up.”
She did. She simply stood up. No grunting. No struggle. No support needed. She just stood up. And she realized immediately what he had done for her.
She chose to stand up and all the negative voices telling her she couldn’t had simply disappeared.
When she shared her incredible story, the woman was in the prime of her life knowing that she was unstoppable. She said she knew – she KNEW – that she could do anything she CHOSE to do.
It’s the choice that creates the magic.
What do you want that you need to shift into a choice? Choose it for yourself. For your family. For your community. For your business.
Once you choose what you want, it will come to you.
