A number of years ago I found myself at the first meeting of the new year with my mastermind group. Given the nature of the group and the time of year, it seemed logical to set goals. Logical maybe, but it wasn’t happening for me.
I searched my thoughts and found myself without any compelling goals. I could have devised some, but they would have been made up, based on shoulds and oughtas and might-as-wells rather than on vision, service, or–dare I say?–fun. So I decided to invoke the power of the mastermind to protect me from mindless goal setting and keep me in the slipstream of reality.
The result was what one of my buddies christened OSMolly:
- Show up.
- Be present.
- Listen.
- Take the immediate next step.
- Let go.
- Enjoy.
I’ve been running OSMolly on and off for many years, and when I have it’s made life simpler and happier. OSMolly is kind. It is an organic way of living in reality free of the pressure of serial self improvement. Under OSMolly the way things are, including the way you are, is just fine; there’s no need to be more evolved or enlightened than you are right now.
What does OSMolly look like in business? It might look like referring clients that aren’t a perfect fit to another coach. It could mean circulating a job description for a new staff member even though you don’t know for certain that hiring a new person will work out. It might look like telling the truth when you don’t know what your next step will be. It most certainly enjoying your self even when you make mistakes. (I’ve said that mistakes are the compost of future success. Well, my compost pile is quite imposing.)
OSMolly also means acting on insight and and letting go of the results. It can mean not beating your head against the wall trying to force inspiration but instead taking the afternoon to draw cartoons. It certainly means looking in the direction of your innate wellbeing and trusting that wisdom comes when you allow space for it.
OSMolly is not really mine. It has roots in the great wisdom traditions, and it’s stood the test of time. I’m inclined to think it’s our native operating system, the one we were all endowed with at birth.
As we move into a new year, I invite you to try it on. Make it your own. And let me know what shows up.
The origins of Shaboom and an invitation to apply for individual coaching
The name of my company, Shaboom, is taken from a tune written and recorded by The Chords in 1954. The refrain, “Life could be a dream” captures the promise and impermanence of dreams. It calls us to be bold, visionary, and creative. It honors intuition and alternate ways of knowing. And it reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.
It’s exactly what I want for myself and for my clients. If you think you might want to work with me at a deep level to unleash your creativity, hook up your genius, and take bold action to create your dreams, visit my coaching page at mollygordon.com/coaching/
Photo Credit: Photo by Fluffy Avenger via Flickr
