What I’ve learned by saying “Yes” to opportunity, even when it seemed impossible.
Saying yes to something that you have no idea how to pull off is one of the most daunting tasks. Think of a time that someone asked you to do something that you really wanted to try, but you felt ill-equipped. It almost seemed that their confidence in you was so misplaced, and yet there you go, tackling a project way out of your league. You said yes to an opportunity to grow.
How do we know when it’s best to say Yes? How do we learn to push aside our fears and jump before we feel ready?
Recently I listened to a woman I admire give a speech about the way that her career has unfolded and she attributed her success to saying “Yes”, even when she had no idea what her plan of execution would be. She leaned in to becoming the type of person she wanted to be. In her speech, she was completely honest about her fears, and also about the amount of support that she received from others. I believe that being afraid, taking action anyway, and having support are the keys to success.
When you’re afraid, you take extra precautions. You are more aware of your surroundings and you do your research. It stands to reason that if you’re afraid of saying Yes to an opportunity that excites you, you need to start by doing your research.
In teaching the OLMA Method of Opportunity, Lean in, Make a plan and take Action, I start by telling my clients that first they need to assess the Opportunity. Is this a viable, safe option? Are you willing to take the risk? If the answer is Yes, then keep going.
Next, you Lean in. But what does that mean? When we begin to research something we are proposed with, we tend to look at all of the negatives and how to avoid anything uncomfortable. That’s normal, but I would challenge you to take a good look at the positives. What will you learn? How will you grow and change? Lean in to the new way of behaving. Sometimes the best things can be learned from faking it until you make it.
Make a plan. All of the negatives that your mind comes up with are all of the building blocks to creating your path. This step usually leads back to a lot of research. An example is that you want to travel to Rome, but your mind tells you that you have no idea where to stay… that negative thought becomes the thing you need to research.
Finally, take action. Action is the only thing that will propel you forward. Put together all of your research, your adopted new behavior, and your confidence in this opportunity, and you have just conquered your fear, and you’re on your way to creating an awesome life!
Recent Comments