Today we had the good fortune to meet two attorneys when they found the courage to reach out and scream “HELP!” After reading our last few blog posts, they contacted us to seek our support with the hiring process as they stand stern at the crossroads between closing the books on the current reality and the planning path for 2013.
What rang very true was the realization that they can no longer try to “muscle through” like they have for the past 11 ½ months. When we started dismantling the definition of “muscle through,” the heart dump began: trying to get the phone to ring, doing the work themselves, taking a break from getting the phone to ring so they could catch up on work, trying to train a new employee who then left, while slogging through busy work hoping the documents would miraculously turn into checks. Their frustration prompted us to go forth with a complimentary session, “Eliminating Bottlenecks: A Workflow Analysis.”
This process begins with an analysis of what is occurring in the business, what the ideal revenue would be and what the current reality is. We then take a snapshot of what growth apparatuses are already in place. That’s when the diatribe begins: I subscribe to this publication, joined this organization 15 years ago, oh and this one, and I also belong to X but only pay them $$ a month and on and on. After the extensive list the attorney takes his first full breath in 20 minutes.
And then we really get into the sweet spot of the process. All the while we see the crazy 8 dance begin, switching between a gigantic feeling of relief because they just dumped out the junk drawer labeled “muscling through” that they’ve been hauling around for, ummm, an average of 15 years, and the defensiveness of protecting how they’ve operated for those 15 years. When we start diving into each one and how much they pay each month and what’s the ROI, the defensiveness starts rearing its committed head.
Then we move to the phase of acknowledgement after hearing the justification cross their lips, and the mind chatter has a voice. After that we reach acceptance. It’s time to be honest and admit some of these organizations, publications, groups, etc. need to go. We recommend starting with the ones that aren’t creating results, even if you like to hang with those guys at the national event.
And then FINALLY, our favorite road,: course correction. That’s when they are willing to let go and recommit with a simple, specific and achievable plan to create the life and business they’ve been seeking, and to invest in the helpers that will hold them accountable to their goals and dreams, sometimes in spite of themselves.
The 5-Step Process is:
- Relief
- Defensiveness
- Acknowledgement
- Acceptance
- Course correction
It takes a courageous human being to course correct. (And yes, attorneys, despite societal stigmas, you are not only humans, but actually some of the most compassionate humans we know.) There is a tremendous amount of self-inflicted humility that comes with declaring “This isn’t working for me anymore and I am letting go,” ESPECIALLY when you have no idea what your new direction is. And ESPECIALLY when you have been known for starting something, quitting and then signing up for the next thing. ESPECIALLY when you have never trusted your own internal compass and instead followed the masses because “they’ve been successful.” It’s even tougher when you have the mind chatter of “I’ve already spent X on this, I’ve been here for X long,” and our all-time favorite lie we tell ourselves: “For me to quit after I have invested so many resources (time, money, relationships), and I could be really close to this paying off.”
Every year, Americans spend up to $20 billion on products in hopes of reversing the effects of time on their appearance. It’s a hunt for miracles. We are here to take a stand against you adding to the 2013 market research numbers of people on the hunt for miracles. As you complete your 2012 chapter and turn the page to 2013, give yourself the greatest gift, the gift of time and reflection. Carve out 2 hours before the clock strikes midnight and dig deep to discover what the miracles are that you’ve been paying for. Write them down. What specific results have they produced? And do these still fit you? Do they come from a place of muscling through or from a place of joy and ease? Once you confront the brutal facts of your reality, that’s when the miracle appears. And the cost? Your future. You decide if it’s an asset or a liability.
Champions of your continued success,
Molly and Laney
