During my long corporate career in sales, it was always drummed into us that we were paid for success, rather than effort. All those proposals written, sales calls made, efforts expended, were worth nothing towards our sales targets unless we persuaded customers to sign contracts. So if you take an average hit rate of one in four deals going in your favour, there’s still a significant amount of work done which won’t remunerate in the short term. You still have to do it though, because some of that work will result in a closed sale. The star performers were able to spot the deals they were most likely to win and concentrate on those.
My life feels a bit like that now. Starting a new business means I need to focus my energy on activities which serve me and support the acquisition of clients. I’m reawakening old competencies, whilst learning new ones, especially navigating how to promote myself in the social media age. When I’m in my most productive “Flow” state, everything feels straightforward and aligned. It’s not always like that though. I notice my resourceful state of mind collapsing into a slightly wide-eyed energy, driven by trying to force things (dare I also say a bit of panic and an absence of confidence?). It’s quite the disruptor and saps me of my focus. I’m learning to acknowledge the disruptor. It normally means I need to slow down a bit and nurture myself somehow; take a break, get out in nature (even a potter in the garden helps), slow down and breathe into the tension in my body, which is affecting my mood. It’s worth persevering because the results are worth it.
If you ever feel like you’re trying so hard to achieve what you want, that you end up in a cycle of diminishing returns, get in touch and we can work out a plan to get you back on track in a resourceful, relaxed and authentic way!
Contact me on jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk or 07785 992928. I look forward to hearing from you!
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