In 2011 I scheduled a meeting with my CEO. I wanted to get his approval to hire an executive coach. I’m a big fan of working with trusted advisers, mentors, coaches, and counselors. I think third party perspective can be a game changer, as long as you can trust them and they can be objective.
When I told him what I wanted to do, he initially gave me a confused look like I was crazy. His response was “Why?”
I told him I wanted unshakable confidence and that I recognize in some situations I’m not as confident as I want to be. I told him I wanted to be challenged out of my comfort zone. I wasn’t satisfied with average and status-quo and I was committed to reaching my goals.
His response:
“Jason, here’s the deal. Right now you’re on a boat. Your sail is up, the wind is strong, and it’s blowing in the direction you want it to. Focus on Sailing your boat. Sometimes you are so busy looking for little rips in your sail or trying to add to it, that you aren’t focused on sailing your boat. Your boat is good. It’s sail is good. The wind is blowing. Stop looking for problems to fix and sail your boat.“
That simple analogy changed the way I saw my insecurities. Soon after, when I would feel something, I would ask myself if it was a legit problem that needed my attention or just a tiny rip. 90% of the time they are tiny rips. I was focused sailing my boat.
What little rips are holding you back from sailing your boat?