Do you operate on a “need to know” basis? Meaning you need to know everything about how it’s going to go before you make a decision?
This way of being will hide your purpose and halt your business. It will. I know. I worked that way for years!
I could make pro and con lists with the best of ’em, and I started and quit businesses in my mind with great speed. I hadn’t yet learned this:
“You can’t see past the choices you haven’t made.”
– The Oracle from the Matrix
I’d never truly made the DECISION to pursue my passion and purpose at all costs. I was committed to knowing how it would go first. (OK, I admit that sometimes still slows me down today!)
I see this happening with entrepreneurs, or those who want to be, every day. They want so badly to find their “purpose,” yet they are unwilling to take a step, make a decision, or make a commitment that will reveal a better view.
I think about it like this. Your “purpose,” or your “sweet spot” in your business, is like a fountain in the center of a park, and you’re standing on the outside edge. Between you and the fountain stands a big, leafy tree, which obstructs your view. But you know that fountain (purpose) is there. You can hear it, you can SENSE it. You know something more is available. But you can’t quite see it!
So often people stand on the edge of the park trying to figure out what their fountain looks like. We try to predict exactly what it will be like once we get to our destination. We use our rational, analytical mind to attempt to perceive any obstacles and eliminate risky missteps.
Yet, if we look, there are stepping stones. Countless decisions we could make that will move us in a direction and give us a better view of the fountain.
We want to choose the exact “right” option that will get us there in one fell swoop, rather than relishing the journey that each stepping stone provides.
Each time we make a decision to take one step, we get a better view of the fountain (our Truth). There is no right path. But when we stand in one spot waiting to see what we can’t possibly see, we go nowhere.
“One cannot discover distant lands without
consenting first to lose sight of the shore.”
– Unknown
What decisions are you NOT making this week because you’re waiting to get a better view of how it will go?
- Hiring a new team member
- Investing in getting in front of your ideal client
- Committing to the support of a coach
- Hiring help around your house or with the kids
- Getting the training you need
- Asking someone out on a date!
Your rational mind will always want to say “no” to Truth-based decisions. Because it’s scary to move toward your Truth. It’s vulnerable. Your ego is challenged. Your old patterns no longer work when you get there. Your safe decision-make style breaks down.
Yet you’ll never be happy standing on the edge of the park wondering what it’s like over there. No matter how many books on finding your purpose you may read. Committed decision is the way to go. What will you choose this week?