If You Were Guaranteed to Succeed, What Would You Do?
This is a question I love and often pose to clients when they want to do something amazing but feel frozen in place or unsure of the outcome. Because beneath the fear, the doubt, the “what ifs” there’s usually something waiting to be named.
So let’s ask it again, gently:
If you were guaranteed to succeed, what would you do?
The reason I love this question so much is due to the possibilities which are endless. You have already succeeded so the world is your oyster. It gives space and freedom to dream and plan and also gives a little bit of hope. It leaves you thinking that perhaps the "impossible" could actually be possible.
When we focus on having already succeeded in something then the battle is already won so let me ask you this. What does success look like to you? Is it:
Starting that business you have been dreaming about for years?
Getting that job you have always wanted and finally applied for.
Getting the courage to apply for the promotion you know you deserve
Returning to work after having a baby but in a totally new field
Writing a best selling novel
Sailing round the world
Flying to the moon
By asking this question we are creating clarity of thought and something this strive towards. As women we are generally seen as the nurturer and the giver yet seldom are we really allowed to be selfish and think about what we want and how we are going to get it because we are worried about what other people might think or say.
With that in mind I invite you to take a moment and close your eyes.
I would like you to ask yourself: If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I allow myself to want?
Let the answers come without judgment. Without hearing your partners voice or your mum’s voice or the voice of Linda on the school run saying you are crazy just listen to yourself and let the answers flow.
They might surprise you. They might scare you. They might feel like that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you know you are doing something right. And then ask the deeper question:
What’s stopping me from starting, even without the guarantee?
And this is where it really gets interesting. Because we can never be guaranteed of anything in life but we can have enough trust in ourselves to know where to start and what steps (be them big or small) we need to take to get us on the right path towards the big dream.
So…
If you were guaranteed to succeed, what would you do?
And what’s one thing you can do today, even without the guarantee?