I remember coaching an outstanding young associate who soon thereafter became a partner in her firm.
On thing she wanted to focus on was preparing a plan for the year that would work for her. So as we got started I asked for her to share her goals with me.
She started with a goal of bringing in a certain amount of business from her own clients. I then asked how she had estimated the amount of business. She replied she had based the estimate on what she had in the pipeline for her one big client.
I then asked is she felt she was limiting herself by setting a goal she was pretty certain she would reach. I told her she might be focused on not failing rather than focused in succeeding.
Are you like the lawyer I coached ? Are you limiting yourself to what you feel confident you can achieve?
When I practiced law I can’t tell you exactly why but I started setting financial goals that other lawyers said I would not be able to achieve. I wanted to push myself. I wanted to be able to visualize something really big.
Have you ever heard of James Allen, an English author in the late 1800s? I bet most of of you haven’t. He was a self-help guru when self-help gurus weren’t cool.
Here are just a few of his quotes on self-motivation.
“You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.”“To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve.”“For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?”“All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct result of your thoughts.”