I don’t know most of you on this list, but I can almost guarantee one thing about
each of you. You’re leaving opportunity on the table. A lot of it! (Don’t worry, it's
not just you – we all are.)
Want a surefire, no-brainer way to tap into that opportunity? I can sum it up in
one word…
Ask!
A few years ago I was having coffee with Lisa Haneberg, author of numerous books
(including one of my favorites, Two Weeks to a Breakthrough). She mentioned that
the next day she was going to pick a super well known, multi-best-selling business
author from the airport the next day. When I asked how she scored that opportunity,
she said, "I asked.
She proceeded to tell me about something she makes a regular habit of doing. She
calls it making "unreasonable requests," requests where she has no reasonable
expectation of getting a yes.
Her goal was to make five unreasonable requests each week. She said she probably
got a yes once in time times. So every two weeks, a door opened that would never
have opened if she had never asked.
An unreasonable request had led to a connection with this author. She heard that
he was coming to town, found his e-mail address, and mailed him to ask if he
needed a ride.
She had also just sent off an e-mail that morningasking for a press pass for a big
conference (she didn’t get it).
The genius of this is that there is zero risk involved. If you get a no, guess what? You
were already expecting to! So every yes is pure frosting. And if you make five requests
a week and get a yes to one in ten, that’s 26 doors a year that would never have
opened otherwise. Think that might make a difference in your life?
Do an experiment
Why not make an experiment out of asking. For the next month, look for opportunities
to make unreasonable requests. See what happens. It could be the start of something
amazing!
You might find that you draw a blank when you first start trying to think of unreasonable
requests to make. That’s OK. You might just need practice recognizing them.
You can start by making a laundry list of big requests you could make. If it’s short, no
problem. It’s just a place to start. From there, spend a week noticing potential requests.
When one comes up, jot it down. You’re training your brain to look for and recognize
them.
It might be helpful to map out some categories to give your brain more to work with.For example:
- People you want to meet/talk to/interview/connect with
- Things you want to achieve
- Things you want to experience
- Things you want to learn
- Things that would help you bridge a gap on the way to your goals
That’s just a smattering of possible ways to break it down. Spend a little time exploring
the kinds of categories that feel relevant for you, then ask, “What kinds of unreasonable
requests can I think of in this area?”
So there you have it. One month of unreasonable requests. Are you up for it? It might
just change your life.
--
Time for a career change? Launch it with
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams
