Staying on the Interstate

Written by Charles Heydon on Mar 29, 2009 9:04 pm

Read More: Personal Development | Positive Thinking

Staying on the InterstateOne of the most challenging aspects in any business, and in life for that matter, is staying focused, when you do not know what lies ahead. When you were you young, fairy tales created considerable tension within you, until you realized the formula - "Once upon a time this and that happened to so and so, but in the end she lived happily ever after." Ah, if only you could know that after all the challenges you face, everything will be fine and you will live happily ever after. The problem is that you just cannot be sure of that... or can you?

Sometimes during a coaching call, I can detect the anxiety in my client of not knowing what lies ahead. When your success feels uncertain, it is incredibly difficult to stay focused and create the energy to keep trying. The real problem, however, is not the uncertainty. The real problem is that you become focused on the uncertainty and follow directions to its destination!

For a few moments (Meaning for the time it takes to read this article), imagine the point where you are right now in your business as a particular location on a map, and the goal that you would like to achieve as another location on that map. Just for fun, you put your location and your goal location into Googlemaps in order to discover the quickest route.

As it turns out, the quickest route to get from where you are right now to your goal requires you to get on an Interstate. I am sure you know that Interstate highways are big and extensive and they can take you to far away places rather quickly. If you live in Florida and you want to go to California, you do not bother with side streets; you look for the main Interstate, I-10, that takes you there.

Once you get on Interstate highway to your goal, the truth is, you could probably get there rather quickly. The challenge? When you hit a pothole in the road, instead of ignoring it and driving on, as you would if you were actually driving from Florida to California on I-10, you end up seeing a sign that says "Exit 12 - PityParty Hwy," and you somehow feel inclined to take Exit 12.

Now PityParty Hwy is just a 2-lane hwy, not near as big as the Interstate you were on, and not surprisingly, it takes much longer to get where you want to go. After a number of long hours on PityParty Hwy, you begin to feel tired and even a bit discouraged, and you begin to question whether or not you can truly turn this business into a successful enterprise.

Just then you see an intriguing sign that suggests fast business prospects are located on "Borderline Street." Feeling like it's been way too long since you have had substantial business, you decide that you need to get something going fast, so you exit off "PityParty Hwy" on to "Borderline Street."

Of course the most frustrating thing about Borderline Street is all the stoplights. You realize that all those "Get Prospects Fast" signs you saw are filled with empty promises. Real prospecting is not done quickly on Borderline Street, it is done consistently everyday. Because you have to slow down and stop for red lights every few minutes, you find it difficult to make good headway toward your ultimate goal. This slower pace makes it really difficult to feel like you are making any progress.

Now you begin thinking that you should choose a different goal destination. That's when you notice the sign for "Chancy Drive," and you decide that you will turn here to see if there isn't a better destination spot to be found on this street. Unfortunately, nothing on Chancy Drive makes you feel like you have made any progress at all. Indeed, you start thinking that it was silly to ever believe that you could arrive at any goal destination.

Once you start to believe that it is improbable for you to ever reach your original goal destination or any goal destination, you look up and realize that you have somehow ended up on "Dicey Lane." Needless to say, Dicey Lane is not smooth asphalt; it's rocky gravel. And guess what? It's also a dead end.

The good news?

No matter what street or dead end road you might be on, you can always maneuver your way back to the Interstate. And once back on the Interstate, you will quickly realize that it really is the fastest route to your goal destination.

If staying on the Interstate provides you the fastest route to your goal, what can you do to STAY on the Interstate? Suspend disbelief. In other words, act as if you KNOW that you are going to end up at your goal destination. In my own life I have learned (Ahem, that means I've learned the hard way!) that the thing that always interfered with the speed of me reaching any goal was my doubt of whether I would ever reach it.

That doubt is always what took me off the Interstate and somewhere on to Dicey Lane!

If you decided to drive somewhere this summer for a vacation, I am willing to bet that you would not spend anytime doubting whether or not you would reach that destination. You would simply find the shortest route, and then you would drive to your destination. If you got a flat tire along the way, you would fix it and get right back on the Interstate; you would not venture off somewhere to Dicey Lane.

Think of your business goal like you think of a vacation destination point. Know that you are going to reach it. Then take steps everyday toward that goal. Do not get distracted with ideas that you may not achieve it. Every time you allow yourself to get distracted by an idea like that, you veer off the Interstate and start experiencing the stoplights that only slow down your progress.

Just so you know, I do realize that continually suspending those doubts is challenging. Indeed, it is one of the most challenging tasks around. However, each time you resist that strange temptation to doubt yourself, you experience a surge of new energy and a renewed assurance that you really can reach your goal.

The secret of living happily ever after?

Believe, I am!

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