Too Busy Maintaining Mediocre to Unleash Your Genius?
You work 60+ hours a week just trying to keep things moving forward. You barely have an hour to eat dinner with your family let alone think about achieving that secret goal that keeps surfacing.
You keep that long list of projects and ideas that surface over and over again for “some day” when you have time.
Well I have a rude awakening for you. Some day never comes! You will always have more to do than time to do it in. If you don’t decide RIGHT NOW to make space for your real genius you will always have the “some day” list.
But even more importantly, there is a huge cost to staying busy serving your mediocre (or maybe it’s good enough) business. It shows up in one of two ways:
1. Anything not aligned with your genius will eventually fall away. And when it does, it is usually like having your arm ripped out. It hurts.
2. You exist but you don’t thrive. It’s like a little part of you is dying inside and it festers like an open wound. Constantly uneasy, you continually search for answers and you just never feel fulfilled.
Typically there are three core reasons why we stay comfortable in “good enough”:
Fear of failing when we try our “bigger” life
Not knowing how to get there
An utter unawareness that anything else can exist
But interestingly enough, when we shift out of the mediocre safety net and into a commitment to live in our genius, life becomes easier. We do things we are good at and say no to things that no longer serve us. So why do we resist it?
In Gay Hendricks book, The Big Leap, Gay encourages people to commit to living in their Zone of Genius. What if we all made a commitment to live in our genius? Then what? Well, most of us have some house cleaning to do.
Here are some ways you can shift into the Genius Zone.
1. Tell yourself the REAL truth. What do you really love about the way your business is – and what are you putting up with. Many of us squash that little voice that says, “This isn’t enough” or “I feel out of alignment.” Telling the truth is essential in this process.
2. Make a decision to only say yes to your genius. This step requires discipline. It’s so easy to follow the allure of a bright shiny object only to discover later it’s not a good fit. Use a tool like The ULTIMATE Success Generator to help you craft a “genius opportunity filter” so you look at fit – not allure.
3. Gather clues for what “genius level” looks and feels like. You may not fully know what your genius is yet because you’ve squashed it for so many years. People probably told you your genius ideas aren’t money makers. As you gather the clues your roadmap towards genius will be revealed.
4. Pay attention to obstacles. When you are hitting a wall or feel stuck, it is typically a sign that you are going away from your genius. Get a coach or do the inner work to let go of these obstacles. The ego can be very persuasive – pay attention to where you resist letting go!
Choosing to release being busy can feel scary. The rewards are worth it though…its time to uplevel your courage and leap forward. Are you in? Share your commitment to live in your genius in the comment section below.
Melanie Benson Strick, the Big Idea Catalyst, helps thought leaders uncover the biggest way to unleash their brilliance without losing their sanity or their soul. With over 12 years in corporate America and eight years as a business owner, Melanie works exclusively with big thinking, heart-based entrepreneurs who are frustrated trying to run a successful business. Co-author of Entrepreneur.com’s “Start Up Guide to an Information Marketing Business” and faculty member for StomperNet, Melanie has a solid reputation for authentic but direct training and mentoring on 6 figure plus business success.
3 comments
On the money. I think many of us toil in mediocrity because we believe circumstances are constructed by others when in fact circumstances are accepted by us. Thanks for the wakeup.
Melanie – Thanks for sharing this! As my business morphs and grows, I keep feeling like something better is just around the corner. Allowing myself to try something new can be really scary. Sometimes what appears to be the perfect solution just turns into more busy work and the unsatisfaction is still there. Finding your true brilliance and then maximizing it doesn’t happen overnight– but it’s totally worth it once you get there!
I grew up in a household where every time i presented a big dream or neat idea, was told “be realistic” or given a long list of obstacles that would likely prevent it, or even worse, laughed at! This negative influence from a loving parent haunts me to this day not only because of the upbringing, but because i STILL hear it from them. The result has been a life of mediocrity. I think i’ve had about enough of that!