Recently, I met a woman who was in career transition and who was also exploring franchise opportunities. We met just as she was heading to a discovery day for a business she had fallen in love with. She was looking for validation of her process and the decision she was about to make. Of course, I was disappointed to meet her so late in the game, but I was excited to have the opportunity to help her feel great about whatever decision she would make.
In the hour we spent together, we talked about many things including the pros and cons of selecting the business opportunity over the great job she had just been offered. How many times does that happen in life? We stand at the edge of our comfort zone ready to leap and something happens that forces us to pause and rethink our decision? It may feel unlucky to have options, but I think it is the best position to be in because it forces us to get crystal clear about what we really want. Change is hard. If it wasn't, everybody would do it!
Together, we listed all the pros and cons of selecting the job and then selecting the business. She could definitely make logical arguments for both options. I knew I had to try something different to help her feel confident about making a decision. I suggested she pretend that she had decided not to move forward with the business. I wanted her to spend an hour with that decision and notice how it made her feel. Would she feel relieved like the pressure was off? Would she feel disappointed? After a very pregnant pause, she weakly said, "OK." I burst out laughing not at her but at her tone. I said, "Listen to you! You can't even take the business off the table for 5 seconds without feeling completely deflated." She laughed out loud with me and the rest of our conversation was about what she would need to do after her discovery day to execute her franchise agreement and move forward.
When you find yourself standing at the edge of the cliff trying to decide if jumping is the right thing to do, you have to outsmart your mind. Your logical mind will cloud your dreams with thoughts of what if, feelings of uncertainty and fear. These feelings are normal and are there to protect you. But, you cannot allow them to paralyze you or worse yet, steal your dream. The pain of regret is usually far worse than the fear of trying.
For more tips on how to say "YES" to your dream of business ownership, please call me today!
