Coaching Corner: Just say yes!!
By Marilou Butcher Roth, Master Coach
Have you ever had times in your life where you were asked to do something that gave your body an initial shudder? These would be requests that would stretch you completely out of your comfort zone, landing you right into unknown territory. And, when presented with these requests, did you say yes, or head for cover?
There are several circumstances that come to mind for me, most recently one that I wrote about in a previous Coaching Corner post. A couple of years ago, my niece asked me to officiate her wedding, and, it was not going to be one of those tiny weddings in a park or similar location. Nope, it was it a large venue with a full house of guests. I remember clearly thinking at the time that someone (anyone) might do a better job than me. This is not something that I had ever considered participating in, and it required a good bit of checking in with myself before I was able to give her a clear and clean answer.
So we all know at this point that my answer was yes. The pieces that you don’t know are how I arrived at my yes, and what actions occurred to create the wedding she and her fiancé dreamed of. Let’s go back and capture the process of this lovely invitation.
My first response was one of fear, thinking immediately ahead to the event, seeing through eyes that, quite frankly, were clouded. Thoughts of “I don’t know what I am doing,” and, “What if I mess this up,” ran carelessly through my brain. As I sat for a bit with the idea, I began to see things more clearly, realizing this was one of those moments, if I chose to walk away from, would cause regret later. Luckily, I had a few of those moments before and was able to recognize the symptoms. Here I was, landing on my yes, along with some residual fears still floating around.
My next step was to identify the process in bite size actions. What did I need to do to get licensed? And, what are the components that this couple wanted in this very important service? Once I was able to get these steps out of my head and down on paper, the rest progressed easily. I scheduled meetings with my niece and her fiancé, exploring options along with timing. We created the service together from a myriad of materials.
The bottom line for me is being able to pay attention to those opportunities that may initially feel out of reach, and looking more closely at them from a bigger perspective. And, saying yes does not mean fear will dissipate. The cool thing is, you can move forward with excitement even if some fear remains.
So the next time you find yourself in this place, remember to stop, take some breaths and check in. That initial shudder might just be an indication of a bigger yes!
Marilou Butcher Roth is the owner of The MBR Group, a coaching and training company working primarily with REALTORS who have a desire to work and live from a more inspired place. She is also the Broker/Owner of Group REALTORS in Cincinnati. Marilou is a member of the Ohio REALTORS Board of Directors and past chairman of the organization’s Communications Committee. Feel free to contact Marilou to see if coaching is right for you.
