Published on November 19th, 2013 | by Jason Goldberg
The Epic Service-palooza Recap: 31 Days and the Power of Clarity
In this video you will learn:
- How I overcame my intense fear of coaching 31 people in 31 days
- The two interconnected big ideas that either hold us back or lead us forward
- One of the greatest tools you can develop to reduce fear and pressure
Well, I can’t believe it’s already over!
I remember the anticipation, the excitement, the fear, and the pressure I felt when I first opened up the entire month of October (including weekends and my wedding anniversary – still married btw) to listen to, speak with, coach, serve (or any other appropriate verb) 31 people for 30 minutes each. One new person per day. No agenda, no ulterior motive, no marketing tactics to try to sign new coaching clients. It was really just a chance (and maybe a little bit of an experiment for my inner geek) for me to give my ears, brain, heart and gut to those who wanted to brainstorm, talk things out or get some insights and see what two passionate and focused people could accomplish in 1800 seconds.
All the openings got snatched up within a day or so and I was amazed, humbled, excited AND SCARED CRAPLESS! What had I done? Would we really be able to make any progress or, more egotistically, would I be able to provide value to these brave and trusting souls in such a short period of time? The pressure was immense, the opportunities were limitless, and I was anxious as hell.
These amazing people were from all over the world; the US, the UK, Serbia, Austria, Germany, Sweden and South Africa. They were from all walks of life. From people battling health problems to those struggling with relationship issues. From young adults just out of college trying to figure out what was next in their journey to folks who were successful in their jobs but looking to find their purpose to new (and experienced) entrepreneurs looking for ways to grow their businesses while keeping their focus and sanity.
The Selfish Part (what I learned…)
All of the calls were different and regardless of the “Epicicity” (definition: measure of EPICness — totally not a real word but totally should be), they were all immensely valuable, at least to me. Here is what I mean. What I realized as I went through the challenge, day in and day out, equal parts “Caribbean Cruise” pumped and “nightmare where I’m naked when I go to take the SAT’s” stressed before every 12:30pm call, was that I became more courageous. That courage came from doing the EXACT thing that scared me, being honest about my intentions and treating each call as a chance to serve (not preach, teach or leech). It was in those moments that I made the very important shift going from “trying to be the best” to “being the best I can be (in service) at this moment”.
But it isn’t about me, it’s about all of YOU!
Though all of my partners in crime throughout the month were unique in their passions and pursuits, their level of success thus far and their approach to living a fulfilling life, there was a common thread. Each of them, whether they said it in so many words, had the desire to flourish in their lives and/or businesses. The desire wasn’t centered on money or status or beauty (not that anything is wrong with any of those unless your sole motivation is to be a rich Victoria secret model – believe me, it’s tougher than it looks) it was to uncover, recover or focus on the missing piece that was holding them back from living their ideal lives. How am I so gifted to be able to read between the lines and pick up this nuance of a need? It’s called a mirror and I was looking STRAIGHT into it with every call, with every fear, opportunity, doubt and possibility that was discussed. It was my own story too.
Fear and Clarity — Two Big Ideas
The two big themes that seemed to come up over and over revolved around fear and clarity. There were talks of things like procrastination, impatience, insecurities, self-doubt, judgment, acceptance and work-life balance. But it all really boils down to the presence of fear and the lack of clarity.
When they were finally able to name their fear, speak about it, what it really means, how it makes them feel (vs. how they want to feel) and ways to cope with or reframe it, clarity ensued. When they were able to connect with “WHY” they were working towards a particular goal or doing a certain line of work or living a certain way (the real “WHY”, not the BS “WHY” that is made up of what others tell us or what we think we SHOULD be doing) what do you think happened?…Yep, you guessed it, MORE CLARITY! When clarity is present, it is nearly impossible for the fear to have the same power that it had during your muddier days. Fear is the cockroach, clarity is the light switch. Turn it on and watch those little vermin scatter!
For those of you that I didn’t get to speak with, my hope is that some of this reflection may give you some food for thought, some direction or some CLARITY as to what is holding you back and how to overcome it. Sometimes it’s nice just to know that although we are special, we aren’t alone.
I REALLY hope to be able to do this challenge again in the future, it was as rewarding as it was challenging. I learned as much (if not more) as I imparted and I am so thankful, so grateful and so proud of the time I got to spend with all of my new friends this month. If my favorite part was just being able to connect, share, laugh and energize with each of you, my second favorite part has been the feedback from many of you telling me your insights and takeaways AND the actions you have already taken based on our discussion. Action is where the magic happens (ahhh yeah, inspirational rhyme!) and you all inspire me more than you could ever know.
Wait, before you jet outta here…
The power of this community explodes when we share our gifts, wisdom and insights with each other. We all want to hear from you, so leave a comment below on the power of clarity in your life OR if you were a service-palooza challenge participant and want to share your own story, I would love that!
If you loved this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and be sure to share it with your friends. And don’t forget to head over to MEometry.com to sign up for exclusive email updates and to get insights that I only share with my most engaged peeps!
Plus, if you are a Future-preneur who dreams of starting a business of your own, I can help you take action to find the success and fulfillment that you know is possible. Click the “work with JG” link above for an absolutely free, one-on-one strategy session. I have a few open spots and this is not some gimmicky sales call. I guarantee you will leave our chat with SOMETHING you can use IMMEDIATELY in your life and business. Today is the day, get out of your comfort zone and go for it!
Remember that you and your gifts are extraordinary and exceptional. Be You, Do You, and Love You because you know there is only one OF you!
See you next time on MEometryTV
Authentically Yours,
Jason “JG” Goldberg
About the Author
Jason Goldberg What does an award-winning serial entrepreneur, a network engineer, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan), and a previously 332lb man have in common? They are all the same guy! “JG” has helped inspire and empower entrepreneurs and small business owners via executive, life and business coaching. He has also worked with the likes of NASA, Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Northrop Grumman.
Related Posts
Transformation is as Simple as Putting Gas in a New Car →
