“The limits of the possible can only be defined
by going beyond them into the impossible.”
~ Arthur C. Clarke (1917– )
English author of science fiction
My daughter Sam, now two and-a-bit years old is a living, breathing example of being limitless.
She has no trouble asking for what she wants. If she doesn’t get what she wants she’ll ask again. And again. And again… She’ll show you exactly how she feels about something whether it’s stomping her feet in protest or running to greet you with open arms and a huge smile. She doesn’t put up with crap from anyone either.
She can be loving, gentle, angry, frustrated, thoughtful, irritated, creative, forgiving, and stubborn seemingly at the same time on occasion. She has two speeds: fast and off. She run’s everywhere. Everything is too exciting to wait for. No walking in this household.
Oh, she’ll also try anything once as well, everything from squishing ants to eating them; from scaling chain-link fences (no kidding) to being pushed on the swings to as high as gravity will allow. Her shins are constantly bruised and knees scuffed.
Her world is one of complete self-expression and no limits. The world, almost literally, is her oyster.
Sam is 100% “being” in the world. There’s no manipulating, strategizing, second-guessing or worrying about the world. There’s nothing to prove and nowhere to get to.
Do you notice a gap between you and her? I did.
We were the same…perhaps a long time ago. So what happened?
We “grew up.”
Some “growing up” can be helpful of course. We found out that ants don’t taste so great and straddling chain link fences can be uncomfortable. We learn about the world and naturally form preferences.
On a deeper level as we “grow up” we also create a strategy for success – a way to get what we want in the world, a way to win. We didn’t sit down at the kitchen table and design this. It happened over time based on your experiences of the past. Because it’s been there for so long, we’re almost completely unaware it exists.
Your success strategy is not what you do. It’s the source of what you do. It’s an expression of who you’re ultimately being as a person, a leader.
Sam, my daughter (and kids her age), have no success strategy yet. She is not bound by anything, indeed who she’s being is limitless. One can see that in all her behaviour.
For us adults, our success strategy is so engrained it impacts most of the actions we take. It influences when we speak or listen, the choices we make about what’s important, or not, the conclusions we come to and ultimately what we choose to do. Really, we believe, “it’s just the way things should be done.” Our results are then simply reflections of the success strategy we’ve unconsciously adopted.
As long as we’re operating out of our success strategy, it will never occur to us to take actions beyond it. In fact, any action that is beyond the limits of the strategy will occur to us as impossible or doomed for failure.
Remember though, there’s nothing wrong with our success strategies. They will continue to produce results and serve us like it always has.
If you’re serious about creating big results eventually you’ll need to move on from improving what’s possible to actually making the “impossible” happen. When you do your success strategy will no longer get you the results you want. In fact, it will actually hinder you from making them happen.
Coaching Fieldwork
Over the next few weeks, observe yourself. Notice events or people get your attention. Watch your Behaviour. Look for patterns in the way you handle yourself and the world around you.
In the next issue, I’ll reveal the anatomy of your success strategy.
By Jamie Broughton of Footprint Leadership. If you're ready to build a stellar business and career without working harder than you already are, get your complimentary Leadership Springboard Workbook and tips now at http://www.footprintleadership.com/corporate/resources/workbook_ezine.html
Do You Remember Being Limitless? - To learn more about this author, visit Jamie Broughton's Website.
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Jamie Broughton
(Visit Jamie's Website)
Jamie Broughton is the founder of www.Fo
otprintLeadership.com . He specializes
in working with emerging leaders who want
to create highly engaging, rewarding
businesses and careers. Among other
things, his clients have experienced $250M
sales increases and created $10M profit
product lines all without selling out on
the important stuff.
He has been featured in the Globe and Mail
and on CBC Radio among others. He is the
author of the forthcoming book, “Get the
Best From Your Best: An Executive Guide to
Developing Top-Talent.”
If you're ready to build a stellar career
and business without working harder than
you already are, get your complimentary
Leadership Springboard Workbook and tips
now at w
ww.footprintleadership.com/corporate/resou
rces/workbook_ezine.html
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