It usually goes like this:
What if…
- I fail
- I’m seen as a fake
- They call me out
- Turns out I’m not good at what I do
- This idea is stupid
- I ignore the red flags
Tripp Lanier has a very technical term for this:
Get over yourself.
The thing is, when you’re using this first What If, you’re taking things from a lens of fear and threats.
John Hagel calls this (Personal) Narratives*, and this type is what he refers to as based on threats.
While they might move you forward, you can only get so far and, at some point, they will impede you to keep going.
There’s another side.
You can turn the threat lens into a lens of opportunity.
Reframe your questions.
You can start small.
What if…
- This thing actually works
- I’m trying to learn something new here
- We take this new perspective in
- We see the red flags and create a way (from the start) to make it work.
- If say no to the wrong opportunities (aka distractions)
- It’s ok to not please everybody
- I try this new thing to better serve my market
That’s the second kind of What If.
Which one are you taking more often?
*On personal narratives, 3 articles with John Hagel’s POV:
The Untapped Potential of Personal Narrative
Harnessing Your Personal Narrative
Personal Narratives: Insight and Impact
And one more, in case you fee like exploring business narratives: