Making the Quantum Leap

Many readers of this newsletter and Members in our Advisor program know that over the past few years I have become a real student of change and the principles that govern positive experiences in one's life.

To effectively study this material, you need to open your mind to certain possibilities that, to otherwise logical people, seem very - well for lack of a better term - strange.

For example, we know that "there are from 10 billion to 14 billion nerve cells in the human cerebral cortex, and we know that these are arranged in definite patterns. These arrangements are not haphazard. They are orderly . . . It is inconceivable that such a network of intricate equipment should be in existence for the sole purpose of carrying on the physical functions incidental to growth and maintenance of the physical body."

Napoleon Hill wrote those words nearly 80 years ago in his classic book, "Think and Grow Rich". For those who have read this book, you know that Hill talks about potential for any person that far exceeds what any of us think is possible for our businesses and for our lives.

One of the challenges of opening our minds to this huge potential comes from our conditioned thinking and upbringing. We are educated and raised in a 'stair-step' manner, one step at a time - grade 1, then 2, then 3, then middle school, then high school, then college, then graduate school, and so on. We are taught to think in terms of 'next steps' - logical next steps - all of the time.

But what if we - just for a moment - entertained a new way of thinking? What if we set a goal not based on logic - i.e, what seems possible to achieve next - but rather based that next goal on something totally illogical - such as writing a book and getting it professionally published within 10 months. Is it possible to entertain the idea that what you can achieve in the future is more about being able to believe that you can do it, rather than knowing that it will be difficult or cumbersome, or extremely time consuming? Is it possible that Napoleon Hill talked about our brains in a way that led him to firmly conclude - after interviewing 500 of the wealthiest people in America over a 20 year period - that there is something beyond logic at work in making great advances forward?

So, one may think, 'If that is true and I set a goal to reach a point far beyond anything that I think I can accomplish today, how will I know what to do to get there?'

And therein lies the problem. Once you resort back to logic to figure out how to achieve your goal, you have once again put yourself in the way of it happening. If your ego needs to know how something seemingly impossible is going to happen, it becomes that much more difficult to happen because your mind is not open to it appearing in a way that you are not expecting (which, of course, is illogical).

As I said, to effectively study these concepts, you need to open your mind to certain possibilities that, to otherwise logical people, seem very strange. Logic and reason, which many professional advisors hold as their calling card and standard-bearer (it's part of what our clients pay us for and expect out of us), is often the enemy of exponential growth.

So, one may ask, what is the point of this lesson? And, where can I find applicability of this lofty notion in my work and in my life?

Well, I can share that it has been my experience, that making a Quantum Leap forward (as many advisors who find Pinnacle's program are looking to do), essentially begins with self-reflection and examination, more than it does with learning new material or purchasing a new program.

Further to the point, one may ask what any of this has to do with growing my exit strategy planning practice? Well, if you consider that an exiting owner is going from working and running a business that they likely built themselves and heading into retirement, this is a Quantum Leap of a different sort. This is a lifestyle change that is taking the exiting owner from one path in life and putting them on another.

Well, I would argue that in order to be effective in assisting an owner with this process, it really is helpful to see beyond the technical components of an exit strategy plan and to begin filtering in the more subjective notions of addressing the changes that are going to occur in this business owner's life. At that point, you earn the role of trusted advisor as you assist your owners through these massive changes.

Gain an understanding of the dynamics of change in order to better assist yourself and your clients with their complex needs. Make this type of study - the study of oneself - your highest priority, and you will be rewarded in your business and in your life.

Making a Quantum Leap is therefore about embracing change. And with that thought I leave you until next week when we resume our newsletters and begin to focus on our big and expanding agenda at Pinnacle before 2008 closes out behind us (much, much more news on many of our current, bold & illogical initiatives will be shared in the coming weeks and months - many to be revealed at our October Workshop).

Specializing in Business Exit Strategies, John M. Leonetti, Esq., M.S. Finance, CM&AA founded Pinnacle Equity Solutions to provide exit strategy planning services to business owners as well as education and training programs for professional advisors. To learn more about John's Exit Strategy Services and his recently published book, "Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth", visit ExitingYourBusiness.com