Why I Frustrate My Clients!

The title of this post alone may cause some of you to say, “I don’t want to work with him if he frustrates clients.” If’ that’s the case then, you’re right, we wouldn’t be a good fit. I don’t set out to upset, frustrate, or cause my clients any kind of pain. However, there is purpose in the challenge, and results that come about even when a client cries, “You Asshole!”

The image above is just one such case where I knew I was about to frustrate a client for his own good. I asked the client to write anything that the he wanted. In this case he chose Dr. Suess! Now I have even more insight into this client that I can use for future sessions. Setting Dr. Suess aside, I also asked the client to write with his non-dominate hand. Aw, there came the frustration, walking in, strutting her stuff like a Drag Queen without Sensibond to hold her wig in place.

My client is a great guy who holds himself to very high standards, which at times also cause him to trip. He knows and he gets it. And I knew, and I got it that this exercise was going to make him trip, fall, get frustrated, and finally say, “Screw it…this may take me awhile, it won’t be perfect, I’ll get through it, and who cares!” Hallelujah! Batter up, solid hit, and home run!

You see when we are faced with doing something outside our comfort zone, like dating without mating (sex), staying in while all our friends end up at the same bar and get smashed, follow our gut to take the job with less pay but higher self-satisfaction, it’s kind of like writing with our non-dominate hand…it’s frustrating, not immediately perfect, we can usually get through it, and as long as we’re happy with the outcome then screw what anyone else thinks.

Try this exercise when you are feeling blocked, stuck, non-creative. You don’t have to write Dr. Suess, you can write anything. Just start writing with your non-dominant hand and see what starts to loosen up.