Actress Hillary Swank was interviewed recently, and when asked if she had ever had doubts about her career taking off, she commented there was never an “if,” only a “when.” I’ve heard similar comments from others in different walks of life; regardless of how difficult something might appear, they just knew it was going to happen, they just weren’t sure how long it would take.
That made me think of how often we sabotage ourselves and our teams and businesses by talking about giving things a try or testing the waters. With statements that allow us to gracefully exit, it makes it much easier to stop if the going gets rough. Ever hear someone say something like “I’ll give it my best shot,” meaning I don’t know if this will really work, but I’m alerting you it may not, so don’t blame me. Kind of seems as if we’re setting ourselves up for failure before we even get started.
Years ago, when I founded my animal non-profit Shakespeare Animal Fund, I had a group of colleagues who agreed to be my new board. After the initial luncheon meeting everyone quit. Their collective comment: We thought you wanted us to help raise money for an already-established animal non-profit, not start your own. You don’t know the first thing about running a non-profit. I’m proud to say it turned 20 years old this year, but the point is I never doubted it would happen, I just wasn’t sure how long it would take!
I’m not suggesting this mindset and intensity for everything, but if it’s a priority, it’s worth asking ourselves what we’re thinking or where we’re getting in the way of our progress. How clearly are we seeing it as a done deal, going back to author Stephen Covey’s reminder, “Begin with the end in mind.” Ultimately, it’s all up to us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “The only person you are destined to be is the person you decide to be.”
