All too often when we have a dream, especially a big one, it does not take long before we discover or create some reason that keeps it out of reach. Just this weekend I met a woman who has a dream of opening up her own luxury spa. She’s had this dream for years, but she has yet to make any progress because she lacks money and a business plan.
Even if we can stay focused on our dreams, it’s still way to easy for some obstacle to appear that gets in our way. In her case, my intent was to point out that those obstacles need not become the full-stop barriers that they so often are in our lives.
I asked her to imagine her spa in great detail, her dream fully realized. She had a remarkably clear vision of what it would look like, smell like, sound like, and the services she would offer and how her guests would feel. Even just listening to her vision, I really wanted to go there.
From that vision, we then worked backwards towards the present. What would have to occur shortly before the last piece of her dream was in place? A common approach is to imagine all that we need to do, to prioritize that laundry list of tasks, and then do first things first. That’s fine if one is making progress, but it doesn’t help much when we get stuck. By working backwards, she got to skip the obstacles, start with the end in mind, and work towards the present.
Along the path of this reverse-action-plan, she created several new possibilities, including talking to other spa owners to learn their stories; interviewing them about their keys to success; asking them about themselves and their businesses. Then, with a huge smile on her face, she realized that she could actually do all of that right now! She did not need money and a business plan to take action on those pieces of her dream!
That’s what coaching is all about – creating possibility, always moving forward, and overcoming perceived obstacles to progress and success. So if you or anybody you know is ready to move forward, please contact Primary Goals.
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