By Joyce Paron, CEO-Canada, EXIT Realty Corp. International
What if things turned out better than expected? What if you found a way to do business that keeps you engaged and enjoying your work? What if all your efforts produced good results? What if you get recognized, appreciated and rewarded beyond any past measure? What if all your hard work is worth it and yields more than you can imagine?
Do you feel more hopeful reading these questions? Although many people use ‘What if’ to start ruminating about all the things that could go wrong, using it to redirect us to all the positive potential can be invigorating and even create a sense of peace. When we feel better, we act from a better mental position. Our decisions are better, and therefore, our outcomes are better.
Keeping ourselves buoyed can be challenging at times, especially when we’re under duress—all the more reason to be aware of our feelings. It’s said that discipline is the ability to do the work regardless of how you feel. However, it’s easier said than done. So how do we shift from not wanting to take action to taking action, especially when we know in our heart that this is precisely what would best serve us?
A great trick is to acknowledge your resistance. Talk to it. It can be as simple as, ‘Yeah, I know I should be door knocking, but I am not in the mood today and probably won’t be in the mood tomorrow.” Then chuckle at how amusing it is to have some honest self-talk. Then start with the ‘what if’s’. What if I go door knocking today and just do one side of the street? What if I get someone who is thinking of selling? What if they are thankful that I came to their door? What if they were surprised and relieved to meet me because they didn’t know who to call about listing their home and were praying for an answer?
This is a great game to play and win by. It’s a game you can use to inspire you to exercise, improve your health, get your business back on track or even get you out of bed. It’s a beautiful game to share around the dinner table with your children. Have each person tell a ‘What if’ story that would serve them to get homework done, help out around the house, watch less TV or anything else. Once everyone knows how to play the game, you can use it to help each other. It’s a great game to play at an office sales meeting. It’s a game that can escalate results from fair to good and good to great. Give it a try. It starts with ‘What if?’.
