BLOG: Seven Keys to Your Big Future

Curious about a group of women business owners meeting in Eagan and encouraged by an acquaintance to attend, I reluctantly found myself at yet another networking event.

Next to public speaking, networking is right up there with the things that make me most uncomfortable about being a change agent. I am forced to do both because I haven’t determined how to create social change without being, well, social. I put my best face forward, drummed up some positive self-talk from my big mind, "they are people...human in fact, gifts from the creator, just like me”, then set out to Al Bakers.

I've lived in Minnesota long enough to know that "Minnesota nice" is alive and well at networking events. People are nice to your face but don't expect them to ask you to dinner. Networking events are fraught with superficial, disingenuous chatter about the weather, jobs, plumbing issues, sports, etc. Talk doesn't get much cheaper than that.

I would not have attended this event except on the agenda was a topic that met my curiosity. "Stop Playing Small! 7 Keys to Opening the Door to Your Big Future". And, since I'm all about personal change as well as social change I had to hear what the speaker was going to say.

Kathleen Watson is a funny, short lady. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t mind me categorizing her as short since she joked about it in her introduction as she stood next to a woman at least one foot taller. I liked her down-to-earth, self-deprecating humor right away. But what I liked most was her message. Are you ready to step into your Big? Here are Kathleen’s 7 Keys to Opening the Door to Your Big Future. 

1. Clarify. What does Big mean to you? One million dollars in sales or a modest $32,500 in salary. Running for Senate or your child's booster club presidency. Its important to know what Big means for YOU.
2. Tune in and change. Listen to your own victim language. “I can’t”, “I have to”, “I should” instead use victor language like “I won’t”, “I could”.
3. Acknowledge and address ULPs. Those are upper limiting beliefs (not sure what the ‘P’ stands for). Beliefs about what you are good at (your zone of excellence) but that don’t inspire you (your zone of genius). She suggests Gaye Hendricks book called The Big Leap for more information.
4. Commit.
5. Surround yourself with Big people. Hang out with people that inspire and aspire. They inspire you because you aspire to have what they have already attained.
6. Allow. Accept your Big even if it doesn’t come the way you think it should. That vacation on the French Riviera….is your $32,500 in a different form.
7. Take action now. Do something everyday to work towards your Big. Be strategic about what you want to act upon. If you don’t take specific steps towards obtaining your Big you will stay small. 

So to that end I plan to go through Kathleen’s steps to determine just where I plan to take Next Step Follies: An Imaginarium for Change Agents and Visionaries. First up, is a re-examination of my yearly goals. Now, that I have a Big mindset, I’ll be adjusting them to make sure I’m not playing small. Then, I’m putting the steps towards my Big in my calendar. That’s the action part.

What’s your Big?