What is the BEST that could happen?

This quote hangs on my bathroom mirror so I see it every morning. It's a little beat up from being taken on and off for cleaning and yet I cannot bring myself to remove it because it is such an important reminder to me. So often, we find ourselves asking the question 'what's the worst that can happen?' and that question gets us focused on all the possibilities of the negative outcomes and terrible things that could happen. Now, I am not saying that we should go out and live in the land of nothing bad ever happens, but what if we thought about outcomes differently?

This quote came from a book of 100 quotes that my best friends (including my wife!) got me as part of a birthday present. Long before I got certified as a coach, or even really knew that I would get certified as a coach, they knew how much I loved helping people find their paths to success and how important I thought it was to have the right frame of mind about reaching goals. You might even say they believed in me before I did! I have always been known as the person who asks questions and tries to get people to see things from different perspectives. Another one of my go-to quotes is that 'no one wakes up in the morning and says how can I screw up today.' As a leader, that statement changed how I manage people and engage them, because brought me to the conversation with a different perspective. It did not require that anyone but me change how they see the circumstance but I can tell you that when my perspective changes, outcomes shift too!

So, back to the question of what's the best that could happen and how it shifted my thoughts. Just like the statement that no one wakes up and says how can I screw up today, learning to ask what is the best that could happen changed how I showed up, this time for myself, in my own career. At the beginning of 2020, I had an opportunity for a career promotion that was unexpected, and I was uncertain about whether I should consider it, given that I had a position that I really enjoyed and was finding opportunities to drive change. I paused my brain from its normal path of pros and cons lists and endless scenarios playing out in my head and asked myself 'what is the best that could happen?' And you know what happened? My brain started to open itself up to the possibilities of the new position and what I could achieve if I took this opportunity.

Now, that does not mean there was not fear (there totally was!) or uncertainty about the decision (definitely had some debates!) but my brain was not centered on all the ways it could go wrong. It was not finding evidence of how failure could be detrimental to me or how I could end up regretting the decision. That simple question shift allowed me the space to consider possibility and to focus on how I had the control to determine my outcomes. That question was empowering. It led me to the mindset that I needed to make a huge decision and take the leap. It gave me the confidence to trust myself. And, it showed me that the power of our thoughts reaches so much far than we realize.

Fast forward to the end of 2020 and where that question led me. I took the opportunity and it has been a journey. I have learned the ins and outs of a new business sector during a global pandemic. I have built relationships with teams through Zoom, not meeting many of them in person for several months. I have been challenged to navigate contract negotiations and new business openings without the normal support and structure that typically exists. I have had to lean into my courage and fear and uncertainty to keep finding the answer to 'what is the best that could happen'. I have learned that all of my answers to that question may or may not come true, but that when my actions come from the place of finding what is possible, I lead from a place of strength and resolve. I get comfortable not knowing but also trusting that I will figure it out. And, I learn that the best that can happen is that I keep showing up as the best version of myself, I am willing to fail and figure it out and hit repeat. And, maybe most importantly, I have the ability to create outcomes for my future.

So, when you are faced with a decision and you are debating the outcomes, ask yourself 'what's the best that could happen?' and see how your perspective and thoughts shift to create the outcomes you want. Because, when we are considering what is the best that can happen, we are open to all possibilities, we are ready to allow new ideas and opportunities and we are prepared to go get what we know is our future.