Reality Jumping

I'm bummed out, someone looked at my house and may buy it, I don't want to move.
I'm so excited, we met with the customer for two hours and know we're going to work with them, isn't it great?
My subordinate knows as much as I do on this project, she'll do fine, so I can now move on to other things.

The above examples happen daily. We jump to a conclusion and act as if it's real. Then we obsess on what it's going to be like, how things will be better or worse and so on. Sometimes we think this is a good way to think. It's positive thinking, isn't it? Actually it's not. It's plain foolish. It's not based in reality.

That kind of thinking, reality jumping, is wasteful and it takes our eyes off what we're supposed to be doing. Whether it's trying to sell a house, land a deal or work a project, we have to act as if nothing's been concluded (a sale, for example) until it has actually happened. Otherwise, we lose opportunities and spend emotions needlessly.

It may sound like a downer, but until the house sale is closed, it ain't closed. Until that client signs on the dotted line, they ain't a client. And that project you dumped off to someone else is still your responsibility. That's reality.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com