His goal is to get this group running by the end of October.  To himself, he’s been thinking about it as “I want to have this group running by the end of the month.”  To others who might be candidates to join the group, it’s been a bit like “I would like you to join this new group, I want to have our first meeting by the end of the month.”

That might be one of the problems with getting people to join.

I asked him what would be different if he went ahead and scheduled the date and time, and reserved the meeting venue.  What he ends up with is a MUCH more powerful and compelling message.

For himself, the goal now shifts to “I’m having the meeting on that specific day.  I’d better make sure we have enough people and that it’s a great first meeting!”

For others, the message is now “This group is meeting on that specific day.  You don’t want to miss the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a fantastic opportunity, so you’d better let me know by the end of this week if you want me to reserve your place!”

You can see that he’s now moved from INTENTION to ACTION, from HOPING to DOING.  Likewise, his contacts will sense that:

• Yes, this is real – it has a time, date, and venue
• There’s a firm deadline for me to take action
• There’s more energy behind what’s being offered, because there’s a concrete plan

Of course, putting this stake in the ground is a bit scary.  What happens if he sets the meeting but nobody shows up?  Will this crush his spirit?

But he’s searching for people who want to take action, who want to get compelling value from working together.  When they sense his commitment is not complete, they’re going to be reluctant to jump on board.

Where does this apply in your life and career?  What would happen if you just gathered your courage, and moved something important from being an INTENTION to being in ACTION?

If you are interested in individual career coaching, group coaching, or other resources which might help you with difficult choices, please contact Carl at carl@dierschow.com.

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© 2011 Possibilities Partnership LLC