The great researcher, professor, speaker and storyteller Brené Brown talks about how we all have a choice — courage or comfort. When it comes to facing our fears, and getting what we really want in our lives and businesses, it’s one or the other.
In other words, if you want something beyond what you already have, you’re likely going to have to get uncomfortable. After all, everything that’s comfortable is everything that you already know. And anything unknown is going to be uncomfortable.
We can’t just do the same things we’ve always done. And doing them bigger, faster, or more often may help, but it doesn’t really get the job done either. We need to get outside our comfort zones, and do something that’s truly different. Because that’s where growth and possibility live.
Imagine trying to retrieve grains of rice from a bowl of water. And let’s say your method of choice is to use chopsticks. If you want more rice, you could get bigger chopsticks. Or you could use both hands — each with a set. Perhaps you could make the bowl bigger, or smaller. Or put more rice in.
And it’s not that these ideas won’t yield any results. There may be some gains. But they’ll likely be minor. And they’ll also likely burn you out over time.
But now imagine what would happen if you put down the chopsticks and tried a spoon or ladle. It’s a totally transformative shift in how you approach the task. Rather than clinging to what had worked previously, you let go of the old, familiar way and tried something related, but new.
“If we do what we did, we’re going to get what we got.”
And if we want new results, we’re going to have to take new action.
So don’t shy away from standing up and making a bold ask. Or trying out a new commercial. For members, get on the speaker calendar and practice. Grow your muscles of leadership. It’s a huge part of what makes Elevate so valuable.
As a collective, we closed over 13M last year and we keep generating like gangbusters. Good things are happening. But if we want “unreasonable results,” we need to take “unreasonable action.” And as always, there is an opportunity to practice here — in one of the most supportive environments — where the stakes are relatively low.
Nobody’s getting fired here.
And visitors, we really appreciate you being here. And we support you too. Share what you’re up to and what you want. We’re already on your side. And we want to do business with you.
In here, we all get to practice. We all learn, and we all develop.
And in order for any of us to take new, and bold action, we need courage. And to relate to ourselves as fully capable. As worthy… and as leaders.
So step up today, get a little uncomfortable, and practice really being heard.
I can’t wait to see what you bring.