Coaching Corner: When structure feels restrictive
By "Coach" Marilou Butcher Roth
On Thursday I was chatting with a client about structure. Historically, I have interpreted structure as something put in place that I “should†do, which also historically would invite my rebel to come out and push against it! I am not alone on this. Think of times that there was structure introduced into your life, possibly even by your own doing. It could be around your business, for instance making calls at certain times. Or possibly, on the personal front, you may decide to go on a diet with restrictions as to what foods you can eat.
Regardless of what the structure is, who put it into place and why, you need to pay attention to how you react. If you find that you are distracting yourself when it is time for the activity, it may not be the type of structure you need. This also holds true if you find yourself angry or even if you just flat out do not participate in the activity this structure creates.
Structure inherently is not a bad thing at all. The key is to create a structure that supports you, who you are and what you are wanting to accomplish. If you are setting specific times to make calls and you find yourself in resistance of some kind, ask yourself if they are the type of calls you want to make. If so, is this timing the best? Are you making calls to generate leads? If so, is there another, more fulfilling method you may want to explore that will bring you leads.
The same is true for the other example I gave about a diet. What are you wanting from this diet? Is it just to lose weight or are there other health issues involved? Is there another, more pleasing way to get you where you want to go?
Once you have answered these questions, you can then decide what structure, or system will support you the best. If you have had issues with structure in the past, try to develop a new mindset of structure as support and see what great ideas come up for you! One great question that might help is “how can I source my own support?†Have fun with this one!
Marilou Butcher Roth
Marilou Butcher Roth is the owner of The MBR Group, a coaching and training company working primarily with REALTORS who have a desire to work and live from a more inspired place. She is also the Broker/Owner of Group REALTORS in Cincinnati.
Marilou is a member of the Ohio REALTORS Board of Directors and past chairman of the organization’s Communications Committee.
