As
entrepreneurs, we become preoccupied with the idea that to be successful we
must be Superwoman (or Superman) and make it happen right now, today, or
yesterday! This thinking is reinforced by society and mainstream media; it is
the traditional self-development ideology that is “chocked-full” of
seize the day mantras and painful reminders of the fragility and reality of
life that faces us all. Diving in “right now” as though your life and business
depends on it is not always the best approach in every situation.
The Pressure of
“Right Now” Thinking in Business
Instead of
giving in to the relentless pressure of “right now,” when we give ourselves the
space, freedom and permission to take our precious time it can be the right
thing to do personally and professionally.
For example,
one of my clients is in the process of clarifying her ‘niche’ and the unique
selling point (USP) for her business. She is still working a full-time job and
has absolute determination to get her business up-and-running as soon as
possible. However she has put herself under a lot of pressure to figure out the
perfect niche “right now”, in hopes that she will prevent delays in the
process.
There was
just one big problem with her strategy; piling on the pressure so that she
could come up with that golden moment of inspiration just was not working.
Rather than
trusting the entrepreneurial process and coming from a place of contented
self-assurance, she was being driven by fear and panic. When we operate our
businesses under the trance of scarcity, our focus is on the “not enoughness”
in our world. We perceive that there is not enough time, money, perfection etc.
This is
problematic because when we look at life through the lens of not having enough,
we create that precise experience of lack for ourselves. This type of thinking
can be likened to trying to light a flame with a dead match. You cannot set it
on fire, and even if it magically did produce a flame, it would not likely burn
for very long. The result is mental exhaustion and deflated self-confidence;
certainly not a state where our most soulful and powerful work can be born.
Yet the most
ironic thing about piling on the pressure of “right now” is this:
When we let
go of the pressure to get things done now, quickly, today, tomorrow; that is exactly when
things become easier and we end up getting things done that previously felt
like an uphill struggle.
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