“You can’t always wait for the perfect time; sometimes you must dare to jump.”
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear: knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks
During a recent coaching call, my client said that he knew he had to let a salesperson go who was not performing and not even trying. I said that a salesperson who does not want to sell is like a mother who does not want to feed her baby.
Yes, he said, “but I lack the courage to let him go.” I asked him if he remembered the first time he jumped off a diving board. Yes, he said.
Describe it for me, I asked. “I was scared, and finally, I just jumped.” How did you feel after you jumped, I asked? He smiled and said, “I was happy that I gathered the courage to do it.” Then jump off the diving board, let him go, and get it behind you. Let’s pick a time and date and take the leap.
The other issue we talked about was his tendency to see an opportunity and immediately start another business. This approach has led to mixed results. “How will I know what opportunities are worth pursuing,” he asked? I then asked him if he would dive off a diving board if he did not know how much water was in the pool. “No,” he said. So we agreed that before he jumped into another opportunity, we take the time to do our homework and only then jump. There was no mention of belly flops.
It was a splendid day for analogies about diving boards.
Make today the day you have the courage to take your big leap, and the wisdom to know not to jump without testing the waters.