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Uncomfortable and self-conscious

This was tough to write and tougher to share. You see, there’s a reason I’m not smiling in this photo.

I’ve always had pretty good teeth. Pretty straight. Pretty white. No fillings. And then – out of the blue – my dentist recommended Invisalign…

Turns out that, as you get older, if your teeth are at even a little angle, that can become more and more pronounced.

So, in the hope of having a great smile for the rest of my life, I agreed.

Yesterday, I put in the transparent aligners for the first time. They are extremely uncomfortable. And I feel extremely self-conscious.

I was explaining this to a friend who told me that she had been fitted for Invisalign several years ago. She wore them for the first month – of the eight months that were required – and then she quit. “They were too uncomfortable and I was too self-conscious,” she told me.

I don’t want that to be me, I thought. Invisalign is uncomfortable and I’m feeling self-conscious. But I’m committed. I’m in it for the long haul.

And that’s the biggest difference between successful coaches and struggling coaches. Commitment.

A coach just sent me a lovely email, telling me that she was really drawn to Project Kairos:

“Something draws me to it, calls me to it… and it scares me so much. Not because I doubt its value or its fantastic content… I have viewed all the testimonials and videos from past participants, so I am certain it offers a lot. You offer a lot throughout its duration.

What scares me is the amount of investment associated with it.

Can you promise me that if I choose Project Kairos, my monetary investment will pay off and that I will join the 6 figure earners soon enough? (I’d love to buy a nice apartment in London.)”

My reply was 5 words:

“I cannot promise you that.”

There are 3 critical questions that all clients must ask themselves:

Are you willing to get uncomfortable?
Are you willing to feel self-conscious?
Are you willing to commit to the long haul?

You cannot promise any client that their willingness to do these three things will definitely lead to future success. But it’s a rare moment indeed that success comes without a willingness to get uncomfortable, to feel self-conscious or to commit to the long haul.

What are you up to, right now, that requires getting uncomfortable, feeling self-conscious and a commitment to the long haul?

Smiling awkwardly,

Love. Rich

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