There’s a problem in our business, but the solution eludes us. Or we have something big we want to do, but don’t even know where to start.
Especially if it’s something we’ve never experienced before, it’s harder to see how to get where we want to go.
Think about this. Can you imagine what it might be like to live in another country, like England? Probably – since you’ve seen pictures and they speak the same language. I’ve even heard you can get a Big Mac there. ;)
But it’s much harder to visualize what it would be like to live, say, in the Arctic. You may have experienced some version of winter, but not that kind of winter.
What would that be like? Hard to imagine.
That’s also why it’s easy to see the problems in our business. We know what those look like. In fact, I’ll bet you could write a full blown thesis on a problem you have right now.
Visualizing solutions, though, is another matter entirely. That’s harder.
That’s also why, when you try to imagine what success looks like, it can get a little tricky too.
It’s hard to imagine the business that you want, when all you can see is the one you have.
If all you’ve ever done is work with clients you tolerate, it’s hard to imagine working with clients you love.
If you’ve never had someone pay you more than a few hundred bucks for a service, it’s hard to imagine asking – and getting – a few thousand.
If you’ve never had a six figure income, it’s hard to imagine what it would feel like to have one, or what it would take to create one.
And if you can’t imagine it, it’s really hard to do it.
But what you visualize, you can actualize.
Just be careful.
Because if you see something in your mind’s eye that you don’t want, you can create that too.
Years ago, while backpacking off trail with a group of teens, I had to scoot down an especially steep section, trying not to slip as I worked my way down what was little more than a vertical muddy ditch.
“I am NOT going to fall. I am NOT going to fall, “ I said to myself, out loud, over and over again. I was wearing a brand new pair of (expensive!) hiking pants, and I was determined not to get them filthy the very first day.
And so of course, half way down, I fell.
In fact, I rolled down that hill, tumbling head over heels all the way down. And when I finally stood up, I had mud from head to toe. Ugh.
It was pretty funny.
Actually, really funny.
Today, I remember that moment every time I find myself at a stuck spot in my business. When I tell myself what I’m NOT going to do, NOT going to let happen, NOT going to tolerate any more – you name it – I catch that language, and change it.
Because when you tell yourself you’re not going to do something, what do you see in your mind’s eye? You see yourself doing whatever it is that you just said you were not going to do. Right?
So visualize what you want, not what you don’t want.
If you talk to performers at the top levels in almost any field, you’ll find that they almost always use some form of visualization to help them succeed in their craft.
Olympic gymnasts close their eyes and visualize themselves moving perfectly through their routines. Musicians visualize themselves performing a flawless piece of music. Speakers visualize an audience that connects with and loves their message.
Can you visualize what being at the top means for you?
Without a vision of where you want to go and what you want to create, it’s more likely that you will drift through your days with no clear sense of direction.
And if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you ever reach success?
You need a clear, exact vision of what it is you want your business, and your life, to look like.
And yes – this is hard. Because, as I said, it’s hard to imagine something we may not have yet experienced.
Hard, but not impossible. :)
Can you see what success looks like for you? In your mind’s eye, do you have a clear picture for what that feels like, looks like, tastes like, sounds like? Could you describe it to me if I asked? And do it in a way that I totally can see it too?
I’m talking about more than “I want to make more money.” Way more.
What would real success look like in YOUR business?