Your Best Mistake

“Eek, that’s a sour note!” she admonished.

I knew it the instant it happened – maybe before it happened. I was playing an especially difficult piece of music on my flute when my finger slipped. I could feel my face growing hot, I was so embarrassed at making a rookie mistake. But my tutor smiled and encouraged me to start again.

If you grew up understanding your world through achievement, like I did, it is painful to admit our mistakes.

Anything that has a ‘bad’ outcome clearly feels like a mistake – but what about those happy accidents when there is a ‘good’ result?

It turns out, my best mistake was believing I was on a level playing field as a lobbyist.

In my first business, I was a political consultant and lobbyist. I loved the work, it was fascinating, and I’d never do it again.

The business of politics is as nasty and soul-sucking as you may imagine. I longed to make a difference and naively thought I could do that by helping to elect the best people and advocate for important issues.

But I quickly learned, as one of the very few women lobbyists at that time, that all the deals were made on the golf course and in the strip clubs. The ‘good old boys’ network was alive and well – and keeping me out.

So how was believing I was on a level playing field my best mistake? When my belief was dashed in the harsh light of reality, it forced me to think creatively and forge new alliances to get the deals done.

Today’s Questions:

What is the best mistake you ever made? How did that ‘mistake’ alter your path forward?

But Here’s the Twist . . .

High achievers want results. We want proof we did the thing “right,” the best, or first. We are often competitive and disciplined, but we also tend to complicate things and put undue pressure on ourselves.

You pride yourself on solving problems in your business on your own. It feels like you’re being self-sufficient and independent, but you don’t know what you don’t know. How do you know you’re not making a terrible mistake?

-- Excerpt from Patty’s book, Your Hidden Advantage: Unlock the Power to Attract Right-fit Clients and Boost Your Revenue

Owning your best mistake often comes with hindsight. Looking back, can you be open-minded enough to embrace the possibility of a ‘great’ mistake?

Could it be that you discovered a more effective process for serving your clients because you goofed on the original plan?

Do you remember when you passed on an opportune moment – and felt the anguish of a missed opportunity – only to discover later that this scenario actually set the stage for an even better path forward?

It’s all about perspective.

Now What?

Have you built a profitable and valuable business but instead of feeling like there's something missing, you’re feeling like there's something more?

I specialize in helping women founders transition to their Third Act – when you’re ready to do the work you’ve always longed to do.

Work that lights you up. Work that is your purpose instead of just a paycheck.

In my experience, women don't retire; they transition into a new stage of purpose and impact. Whether you are 40 or 60, the idea of retirement may not appeal to you. Just because you can retire doesn’t mean you’ll want to.

We can redefine ‘retirement’ and think of your eventual business exit as a ‘purposeful transition’.

Are you ready to leap into your Third Act and grab the whole cookie?

That requires a new way of thinking, new skills, a simple and elegant design, and an advocate by your side. Contact me to learn more.?

Discover your Exit Readiness Index? with this assessment:?https://she-exits.com/

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? The Block Group Inc.