I suggested you consider an area where you are constantly bearing down. And imagine only being able to give that half as much time and energy. And still getting the same or greater outcomes.
If you completed that exercise, how was it for you? What did you realize? Could you see how it might be possible? What sort of radical steps would be required to realize that? What would you be able to create with the time and energy you just freed up?
Let’s look at a live example. I just finished a coaching session with someone I’ve known for many years, who recently became a coaching client. He’s a wonderful guy, with a great consulting business, a wife he loves, and is extremely happy with and grateful for where he finds himself.
He called his life A-, which I think is some sort of humble thing. He feels at least a solid A to me. In any event, I asked him what an A++ would look like. That’s what we’re now exploring. His “homework” is to paint a picture of what I sometimes call the: “life so could you almost can’t stand it!”
From our initial session, we’d already set up the first cut at this. Reduce his work down from 50 hours a week to 35 hours a week. More time with his wife, more golf, travel, things they want to be doing. All the while, keeping business revenues, quality of services, and the rest of their business the same or better.
For any readers who seem to have it all already. These are the sort of inquiries that could change everything for you. In a fantastic way. I’m at an “A”. What would “A++” look like? How would that feel? I don’t know how to get there, but would I be willing to explore the possibilities? Could be possible
Today, in our second coaching session, he shared what he knows is going to come up. Because it always does: Guilt. As in: “If I’m not working hard all the time something must be wrong.”
Do This:
- You can go back to the exercise from the last email. Or start now with something new. Imagine a change you’d like to make. Something you really want to create but just haven’t.
- Think about having that. Think about the process of creating that. Just put yourself in the place of doing it and seeing and feeling it.
- What voices are coming up for you? Make this an inquiry. Relax. Just sense what you are hearing. What’s behind the thoughts of can’t, won’t shouldn’t, maybe I’ll do it someday?
- If you can’t get a sense of your programing. Then, imagine what would happen if you didn’t have that programming. If you had different programming. What would that look and feel like?
If you missed any of our earlier newsletters, you can find them
here. And if you’d like more guidance on any of this, feel free to email me.
