Are you one of the many people who are unable to answer this question because you can't (or don't want to) see beyond the next step? Not really knowing where you are heading can be a long and winding road, yes, there's excitement in not planning every step of a journey but there can also be disappointment as you never seem to get anywhere!
I love to use ACRONYMS when structuring the content of my mentoring session packages, workshops and books. Today's letter is O.
O = Outcome
To me an outcome is a destination you wish to get to or a desire you would like to achieve or an item you would like to posses. You don't need to know how or when it's going to happen, just what it is you would like to happen - the outcome.
There are many ways to journey towards your outcome and whether your feet are firmly on the ground or your head is way up in the clouds doesn't change the exercise I use to encourage you to know and own your outcome.
Firstly I suggest you prepare what I call an 'Outcome Statement', this is more than a goal, it's a statement describing the outcome you are heading for. It could take a couple of drafts and a bit of tweaking to prepare a statement you are happy with but believe me it's worth it. Here's my tips to get you started:
Tip #1
Begin your outcome statement with the words 'It's been 2 months since.....'
If you wanted to move house your OS would read something like this:
It's been 2 months since I moved into my new home. It's everything I dreamed of, it has 4 big bedrooms, a huge kitchen and a veranda all the way around it. I have set up my studio which looks out onto the lake. The kids have a huge playroom and we've already had a house warming party. Even though the house is surrounded by nature, we are still only 30 mins from the city........
When preparing your OS, use detail but don't be too specific (don't specify the exact house you want, as that narrows your opportunities and you will prevent yourself from seeing any other house - if you are meant to have that one, it will be yours without you putting it's address in your OS) however do include what I call 'umbrella' statements, so you could say the house is in a specific region or the house is close to a school, or the beach, (again without being too specific).
If you want to attract more clients to your business your OS would read something like this:
It's been 2 months since I have consistently had X customers per week. It's been amazing, not only has revenue increased but so has my confidence and the team are working in harmony together. The additional income has enabled me to .............. We've also added another product / service to our portfolio and that is attracting a new market. I now enjoy building relationships with my clients and I know the business is going to continue to grow.....
This is an interesting exercise as many people don't actually know what they want, if you struggle with this, tell yourself your are 'pretending' - that way you remove yourself slightly from the scenario and it appears easier to write.
For those of you who do struggle with knowing what you want it usually comes down to your belief around self worth or deserving. Some of you may not be able to get past the 'how will that happen' feeling, this can highlight your inability to trust or let go of control - both of these are really common with business owners.
Tip #2
When you are happy with your outcome statement, I suggest you print it out and read it to yourself every morning and every evening - more often if you can. When you read it, use your imagination and see the things you want in your mind's eye, allow yourself to feel what it feels like, really imagine you are already there. This part of the exercise is telling your subconscious mind (which can't tell the difference between reality and thought) where you are heading. Your subconscious mind will then lookout for ways to make the statement true and real for you.
I'll leave you with this short video from Dr Joe Dispenza who talks scientific about how powerful it is to have an outcome or vision of your 'new' future. He talks specifically about this 10 mins in, but the whole video is worth a watch.
Comentarios