Navigating on Pure Feel

In business, I always had an initial vision and just drove towards that one specific goal.  I’d encounter and obstacle, learn from it, adapt and keep moving towards the vision.  When the vision was fulfilled, I’d rest in it, thinking “well, that’s it”— until I got bored and restless, which didn’t take very long.  It’s strange, this pull of life towards more and more.  Though I do notice that “growth” seems to happen both steadily and in spurts, I keep expecting the completion of my goals to consist of what I had in mind—and it never does!

The next step in my business has required me to get even more out of the way.  I had a vision, and the vision seemed complete, but it felt stale and a little boring.  I wondered what would happen if we hired a guy to help us ask questions we weren’t asking and who could see things we weren’t seeing.  It was a 90-day experiment.  When he asked, “So what’s the vision now?” I felt satisfied (but not excited) about where the business was. I didn’t have a new goal or vision. In this moment, I knew I was in for some adventures.  He required us to decide on new revenue targets and a very specific trajectory.  He was very tactical and strategic, contrasting my very instinct-driven approach.  I had always gotten a certain sense for things and followed that sense, especially the feelings of dynamism and passion.

Over time, I realized the limitations of my own navigational style. While it was infused with passion, I realized that fear was a large component of this style as well. The unconscious fear of falling short and of not measuring up kept me from developing new, specific, and attainable goals. It kept me from dreaming new dreams and deciding on new and bigger measurable objectives.  This self-limitation was very prevalent earlier in my life, where my strategy was “If I don’t play, I can’t lose.”  It surprised me to see it resurface in my life again now.  I wasn’t initially aware of fear being at work in the business; we were successful, but I could now see that there was a limitation on our success—my unconscious fear.  Now, with a new perspective and outside help, we are in a very dynamic cycle of achieving more once again.

While navigating life, we encounter the limitations of outside input and internal beliefs.  Without help, we walk in an endless circle of stagnation.  It may be a beautiful circle, but as long as we are living, it’s fascinating and exciting to discover over and over what we can accomplish and what our life can be.