The Alchemists Clubhouse is a free weekly newsletter of original art & poetry, connection tips, and periodic live workshops. Paid subscribers have access to the full archive of recorded workshops.
This week, I was given the task of booking musicians for a conference reception in Glasgow, Scotland. The first idea suggested to me was to hire a bag piper, the most iconic of Scottish musicians. But as I researched entertainment companies, one of my contacts offered the possibility of a clarsach harpist. The clarsach is the oldest known instrument in Scotland and creates an elegant sound much better suited to the grand city hall building where our reception would be held.
Due to this unexpected, new-to-me option, and my willingness to be influenced by it, the reception suddenly became much, much more beautiful and memorable!
In general, coaches help you set and accomplish goals. It is a methodical, satisfying, often liberating process of clearing obstacles, lowering stress, increasing personal effectiveness, expanding choices and discovering intuitive solutions. But just like all creative processes, there is also an element of the unknown.
That’s why even as we set concrete goals and prompt clients to describe the best possible outcomes they can imagine in vivid detail, we also encourage them to detach from outcome, meaning let go of the need for a situation to turn out exactly as they might expect it to.
If this sounds like a paradox, it is! A paradox is a powerful tool of everyday magic.
As counter-intuitive or uncomfortable as it may feel, leaving room for the unknown, for things to turn out slightly differently than we planned, is actually very strategic. When you detach from outcome, very often the end result of whatever you are attempting to achieve turns out far better than you anticipate, just like my hiring of the musicians.
Perhaps you discover a new option, like I did, or a serendipitous short-cut that saves you time and money. Maybe a chance connection changes the location or scope of your agenda entirely. The paradox is this: plan and set goals, and also let the plan (and sometimes even the goal) change as you go about implementing it.
I had no idea a clarsach harp existed a week ago. Now, 150 people will be enchanted by its resonant sound on the evening of April 25. If you find this idea appealing, you will likely also enjoy the post from last week, holding the possibility.
How to detach from outcome:
Set a goal and make a plan to achieve it
Allow space for the unknown (a form of holding the possibility)
Let your plan change based on new discoveries along the way