“Side trips and ego trips are fun, but they keep me from reaching my intended destination within the time I have to work with.”

Consider a brief case study:

I just got off the phone with my good friend, an all-around great guy and long-time coaching client who I’ll call “Jim” for the sake of this blog.  

Jim is a career salesman near 60 years old, and he has conquered more than one industry.  Currently, Jim sells “branded products” which most of us would call “bells and whistles”, “shirts, yardsticks and pens” or “promotional marketing”.  He not only is a highly successful salesperson, in the past couple of years he has achieved his goal of becoming a sales coach for others in his company and has quickly developed a great reputation as a sales coach who helps others sell more.  He now owns the title of Director of Sales Training for his top 5 company and he is helping them grow in tangible ways with the bottom-line metrics to prove it.

I’ve written about Jim before. Jim wants to lose about 100 pounds, eliminate a $100,000 debt and become a $1 million salesperson, along with achieving his vision of “Encouraging People to Thrive… not just Survive” through training and coaching his colleagues in sales.  He is making progress on all fronts, but not at the rate he wants.

We had a little fun on today’s call, by rather crassly referring to the “Big Butt” that is between him and his goal weight.  We discovered together that perhaps “Big Buts” are the primary obstacles between him and most of his goals.  

Jim makes excuses. (Do You?) 
He readily acknowledges both his current behavior and results, then follows with a “Big But” about his circumstances or how his goal is to change things by next week, next month, next quarter, next year…  I have to admit, I have come to listen for and expect Jim’s next “Big But”.  But, (pardon the “Big Pun”) I know what Jim is capable of achieving, too.  He has unlimited potential, just like you.

These “Big Buts” really hit home with Jim when I put on my “tough coach” hat and suggested that he “sounds an awful lot like the average $250,000 sales people he is coaching rather than the $1 million coach he wants to become.” . . . I think Jim is watching out for his “Big Buts” now, too.

I quoted Jim from a statement he made two weeks ago: “Side trips and ego trips are fun, but they keep me from reaching my intended destination within the time I have to work with. I am allowing circumstances to define my results.” He was a bit shocked that he was still addressing the same subject from two weeks ago, then recognized he’s been stuck in this comfort zone issue of “Big Buts” for years. We just didn’t have the right name for it!

Is Your “Big But” Getting in Your Way?
What are you trying to achieve?  Do you have journal entries, a coach, a friend or family member that confirm how long you’ve been stuck in a comfort zone that you continue (and continue and continue…) to say is UNcomfortable? Do you have a means of holding you accountable about your “Big Buts”?

Do you have a “Big But” that keeps separating Who You Are from Who You Say You Want to Be?

“Big Buts” won’t get you to The Intersection of Purpose and Now.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=msturgell&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1442132744&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrStock Photos from 123RF