FLY THE PLANE AS YOU BUILD IT: THE ART OF BELIEVING

A few years ago I visited the most extreme case of belief that I’m aware of – La Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, Spain. Designed by Antonio Gaudi, it has been called the world’s most brilliant architecture and in 2010, Pope Benedict blessed the church as a basilica in a rare ceremony.

I paid a fee and waited in line for an hour or two with the masses just for the opportunity to peek inside. Despite the fact that my camera battery died as I finally walked inside, and I’m basically a Buddhist, I was awestruck.

The cathedral looks like a sweeping forest stretching up to the heavens. The scale of it, the detail, the light, the Alice in Wonderland feel, the ongoing construction. It’s indescribable. It’s magical. It inspires millions. And it’s a real life example of what is possible when you just believe.

Gaudi designed the whimsical church in 1883 but knew it would be an impossible feat to complete construction of his imaginative and grand structure during his lifetime. So he created an array of elaborate plans and 3-D models for future generations to finish his work.

Over 125 years later, architects and artists from around the globe have employed the latest technologies, even from the fields of aviation and transportation, to nearly complete the project. Gaudi’s design couldn’t possibly have been realized without today’s know-how.

Can you fathom the belief Gaudi must have had to not only dream up his crazy vision but trust that it would be someday be completed by others?

“Fly the plane as you build it.”

Have you heard that expression before? I heard it from one of my mentors, entrepreneur guru Ali Brown. I’m not sure if it’s her saying or if she heard it from someone else. But when you decide to go after your dreams, that’s often what is required.

When you step up to make your dreams a reality, most likely you don’t know what’s ahead. You don’t know what you don’t know! You don’t know what you need to be prepared for. And more important, if you wait until you have all the answers, education, training, money and resources that you think you need, you probably won’t ever start.

But if you B-E-L-I-E-V-E, in yourself and that the universe will support in your journey, you CAN fly the plane as you build it. You will figure it out as you go along. This is one of the keys to going after and getting what you want in life.

The most successful people of modern business, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg and countless others, as well as leading pioneers like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Amelia Earhart, all flew the plane while they were building it. They certainly wouldn’t have accomplished all they did if they waited until they had all the answers. Just think how our lives would be different without all their inventions, technologies and inspiration.

Do you remember a time when you were so excited about something that you jumped right in without having all the answers? You didn’t worry about what was going to happen? You just knew in your heart that everything would work out?

It’s what I did when I got married following a whirlwind overseas courtship and when I launched my business.

What could you accomplish if you had that passion? How would your business be different?

Of course, believing in yourself and your business doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is always going to work out. Perhaps in the past you went for something you wanted and it was a disaster. Maybe that “failure” even causes you to be over cautious now. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of over-thinking, worrying and stressing out. And that, my friends, can paralyze us.

If that’s the case I encourage you to examine what you learned from that disappointment. I bet if you hadn’t had that experience, you would be a different person today.

And that means, you CAN believe that it was all suppose to work out just as it did. Life’s most valuable lessons don’t come in pretty packages. It is through our most challenging adventures that we grow and stretch.

Tap into the power of BELIEF in yourself and your business with these tips:

Celebrate your Successes.

I used to really struggle with this. I never gave myself enough credit. Even when I achieved a goal I would just say, “ok what’s next?” Now, I stop and celebrate. I’ve even recommended keeping a Success List to some of my clients. Just got a newsletter out? Yay! Sent out a resume? Stood up to the office bully? Some days getting out of bed might be a success! Stop and congratulate yourself.

Ditch the Naysayers.

A lot of people live cautious lives and never have the nerve to go after their dreams. They stay in their comfort zone and don’t stretch themselves. Don’t listen to them! When somebody says you can’t do that, or there’s no way that’s going to happen, ask yourself what they’ve achieved. Now if it’s Mark Zuckerberg or Hillary Clinton, maybe you should listen. Otherwise, just ignore the naysayers.

Give Yourself Permission.

Tell yourself it’s ok to try things. It’s ok if things don’t work out right the first time (remember, not right is probably right!). The only way to truly enjoy yourself and get what you want in your business, career and life is to have adventures. When you’re outside your comfort zone self-doubt will come knocking. But since you know that, you can take risks.

Now using one of the most memorable and successful slogans of all time … JUST GO FOR IT!