If “Maybe” is driving you crazy, act like a pro and pretend it’s a “NO!”

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Ramy Ballout, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.

Maybe we’ll buy your product.

You may get the promotion.

We may invest in you.

You may apply again in the future.

We may call you back for another round of interviews.

Maybe next quarter when we have room in our budget.

…I think you get the point.

But if “maybe’s” give me hope, how can that possibly be bad Ramy?

Having hope of course is critical. Any scientific business journal will tell you that one of the strongest factors of why people get into business and that businesses succeed has hope written all over it. Hope is beautiful and it keeps us motivated.

With that said, these “maybe’s” are all common in our lives and yet while they can keep us pushing forward and give us the belief that we can overcome the obstacles we face, they also can drive us insane before we arrive to the destination or conclusion of the final result.

Hope resulting from a “maybe” can cause many of us great pain. There is no denying this.

“Maybe” does in fact give us hope, but it can be a very toxic form of hope and one that creates immobility, i.e. zero action on our part other than obsessing over whether or not that event will or will not take place.

Does that ring a bell with you? You know, the feeling of yes or no? Deal or no deal? Hired or not hired? Promoted or not?

This is the kind of “maybe” I’m talking about.

And so, what do you do? What do you do when someone utters the word “maybe" to you?

Does it give you the same passion and frustration Marc Anthony had in his hit single?

I wouldn’t fault you a second if it did!

Ramy to rescue. Sorry Marc, I’m a big fan, but step aside for a moment. I do love that song though.

If your professional growth or that of your business is dependent on the decision of an external party, I truly hope this piece of business advice speaks right to you.

Where focus goes, energy flows. Tony Robbins.
In order to better your chances of success, you need your complete focus on what is important. That’s a no brainer right? The simple logic should then be, why as an alternative focus on the maybe?

Dedicate your mental resources and focus on what you can control.
Easier said than done Ramy. I know, and I’m with you on that.

…but if you’ve done everything in your power and utilized your intellectual & emotional intelligence arsenal, but haven’t gotten the “yes,” than move on…yes you heard me…move on.

Move on mentally as a first step.

Don’t hold yourself hostage to an invisible frozen passage of time where your inability to think of anything else gets you nowhere closer to your goals.

Seriously.

For productivity and success’s sake, pretend that the answer you receive is a “no” before you torment yourself with all the “what if’s” and “if only’s.”

If the answer is no, then what? Then what would you do?

You’ve got to stay in motion to stay in the game.
Move forward with your next move – whether that be in your career at work or in your business – that’s exactly what you do.

Keep in mind that pretending it’s a “no” does not mean you let go. In fact it means you’ve given yourself more opportunity to grow!

Ask yourself: Did I do everything I could possibly do?

If yes, then move on. Say to yourself, “I am moving on for now. I consider it will not bear fruit unless the harvest indicates otherwise and so I shall seek new opportunity in the meantime. I will mentally set it aside so that I may channel my strength, focus and energy into a new opportunity on the horizon.”

And that is, whether in business or in your career, one way how you professional grow.

…now, you know ;)

Yours sincerely,

Ramy Ballout

Founder at Ramy Ballout Coaching & AirLinked.

This article is for those in career transition both on a practical and/or psychological level, which means you are either applying for new positions or you have come to the conclusion that you need to move on from where you are now but have not decided to take action.

It’s also for those of us in startups and businesses active in sale of products and services.