UNLOCKING YOUR GREATNESS
WHAT STANDS BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GREATNESS?
For most people, it’s doubt. You may think I’m talking about self-doubt and maybe even imposter syndrome, but doubt comes in many shapes and shades.
Sometimes doubt is simply just not knowing enough - yet.
It can be that we don’t have enough information about what’s needed or what we need to get it done. We might not know what the expected or desired end goal is or we wonder if it matters and if it will make a difference.
We often ignore what we don’t understand and stick with what we already know to stay safe, and we do what we have always done, hoping for a predictable result, fast. And we call that productivity. However, productivity for people who are in the business of making decisions, not things, is not about getting more done. It’s about getting something done that matters, has impact, creates change or solves a problem that improves the lives of others.
If we don’t have clarity we don’t want to waste time doing something, which is also how we lose out on creativity. We cannot be both productive and creative at the same time. First we need to pause and give space to listen and create, then we make decisions as we move through challenges and become productive towards the end result.
If we care enough we will figure it out.
THE GREATEST CHALLENGE TO PRODUCTIVITY IS NOT TIME, IT'S DOUBT.
Think about situations where you procrastinate. It’s often believed it’s because of fear and it can be. However, what if it could be productive to take a moment before you dive in? Give pause to the challenge get to know it more intimately? It’s like climbing a mountain. You don’t just start out with full force. You learn about the mountain first, even if you already have the skills needed to climb it.
A pause gives us some space to understand the nuances of the problem we are looking to solve, the known and unknown details of the project we are embarking on and the expectations and challenges that we are facing along the way.
The pause is where we can check in and listen in order to recognize what stage we are at, and reclaim agency over the process. This is also how we avoid the overwhelm, where we get lost in doubt and lack of action. Overwhelm is a major productivity pothole, and doubt and overwhelm go hand in hand. We end up repeating the same thoughts over and over, and we get stuck because in overwhelm we don’t make decisions.
TO OVERCOME DOUBT WE MUST FOCUS ON THE PROCESS INSTEAD OF THE RESULT.
For many years when I had my own design studio and I would start a new project with a client, I would wander the streets of NYC before sitting down to develop the project. Was I afraid that I couldn’t do it and just distracted myself? No. Was I confused about what the client expected? No. Was I doubting myself? No.
What I was doing was working with my felt sense to access my most creative mindset. I was listening to myself and using my ability to explore without editing myself first. When we seek results we often edit ourselves before we even explore what’s possible.
Overcoming doubt starts with learning to trust ourselves. Not that we can do it, but that we can figure it out. That we care enough to keep looking for the questions that lead to the answer.
THE DOUBT OF NOT KNOWING
Essentially doubt sneaks up when we don’t know. And yes, our greatness is that we can innovate and create. Our human advantage isn’t that we can follow orders and execute. Our human advantage is that we can think, engage, and act with care. We can understand why something matters and find the better way forward. We can understand the complexity of change and growth, by recognizing that it is continuous and we don’t ever stop changing or growing. We can choose to have a curious mindset that allows us to explore continuously and make decisions that work for now. Well-knowing it will never be perfect because once we have finished one thing, another possibility will present itself.
To accept that we will never stop not knowing is the key to unlocking our greatness and dancing with our doubts. Allowing doubt to be what sparks the questions that spark the discovery.
Essentially we are the process. You are the process that creates. When we stop second-guessing the process and start taking the steps, one at a time, we can learn how to do what needs to get done. We can find the information, we can learn the skills, and we can improve our work.
The most important work isn’t getting it done, the most important work is to unlock you. Because you are the answer to getting it done.
