TCFBO #049: That Can't Be Right

Read Time: 2 minutes

For most of us, when we set a vision for the business it can appear to be quite a distance from our current reality.

So we can pretty much guarantee that we’re going to have to go through a number of changes to create the vision.

One of the key things we help business owners with is to navigate themselves and their team through the specific phases that we each go through as part of that process of change.

And there is a phase early on in the change process where people often get stuck, even if it’s only temporarily.

That phase is “denial”.

Denial usually comes after an initial shock where you uncover something that doesn’t match your expectation of reality.

Sometimes the denial phase comes almost immediately after the shock.

A response we commonly hear when an owner uncovers an unexpected reality is…

“That can’t be right.”

Or

“That can’t be true.”

But reactive statements like this can end up shutting down further consideration of what’s been uncovered.

And this can lead to an erroneous belief that change is not necessary and that you should just continue as you have up to now.

And if you or your team are thinking in this way, you may do things to block the change, sometimes without realising that’s what you’re doing.

So a simple way to ensure your mind remains open to considering that things may need to change is to add two words to the end of those reactive statements.

Those two words are:

“Can it?”

“That can’t be right. Can it?”

“That can’t be true. Can it?”

By asking a question you are opening your mind to the possibility that what you have discovered could indeed be right.

This alone can help you avoid getting stuck in denial.

Other times you may just need more information to come to a considered conclusion.

If you think you need more data to make sure what you have uncovered is correct, then go ahead and do some further investigation.

But only do enough to enable you to come to a conclusion.

Otherwise, you run the risk of falling into the trap of carrying out endless analysis simply to avoid confronting the changes that may be necessary.

Also, consider discussing what you’ve uncovered with someone such as a mentor, consultant or peer who is outside of your business and can provide you with an objective perspective.

Because an outside perspective can help you become aware of whether you’re trapped in denial.

It can also help you identify whether where you think you are is different to where you actually are.

If you do find yourself denying the reality of a situation, then your aim should be to move past that phase as quickly as possible.

Because, although accepting an uncomfortable reality is not easy and change may appear to be difficult or even painful, the consequences of denying reality can be harder and more painful than accepting it.

 As a friend of ours says:

“You can ignore reality but you cannot ignore the consequences of reality”.

So to avoid getting stuck in denial, remember to keep an open mind, refocus on your business vision and remind yourself what any changes you need to make are leading you towards creating.

Let us know how you get on and we’ll see you next week.

Paul & Philly

Whenever you’re ready, there are three ways we can help you:

1. Grab a copy of Paul’s book “Backwards Planning - A Simple Method to Move You and Your Business Forward” and discover how to reverse engineer a life and business you truly love.

2. Book a facilitated “Life Vision Session” today and start creating a life and business that are fully aligned with your heart’s desires. We’ll arrange a pre-session call with you to say “Hi”, explain how the Life Vision Session works and answer any questions you may have.

3. Apply to join “The Clear Focus Business Academy” and ensure your business is the most effective it can be at providing the money and lifestyle you desire. Simply drop us an email or contact us here to tell us you’re interested and we’ll send you more info.