Every Difficulty is an Important Part of Improvement.
Over the past several months, everyone has experienced some measure of challenge. Some folks more than others.
These challenges occurred on all levels and in some respects are still happening for many. You know the challenges you are facing, are disturbing to you, and that you have weathered. While we ALL societally, and globally have been, and are still, experiencing something, and we all respond uniquely in some sense, we all have emotions connected to our perceptions and experience.
It’s important to recognize this for a multitude of reasons, but chiefly because a. We should not judge how others are dealing with their emotions (maturity, life experience, current quality of life, and other things dictate how someone reacts), aside from those purposefully trying to hurt someone. b. we have to move out of our emotions, our “feelings,” and logically assess the learning so that we can better move forward into the future, and for the sake of the people who are stakeholders in our lives, ie our families, and the people we serve in business and our communities and causes.
People Who Grow Turn to The Mirror
What a different world we would be in if people spent more time in front of the mirror assessing more than what they look like. To grow, and to make the best impact and contribution we can for the betterment of our world, we must consistently be asking ourselves tough questions and holding ourselves accountable, before we EVER point a finger at another person….NOT nearly enough of this is going on in today’s world…just sayin.
You and I have to set the example.
Everyday, I journal as part of my accountability (among other things that are all good for my spirit and mind), and each week, at least once, I sit quietly and take stock of all the things that are of value in my life, from what matters personally, to the difference I am trying to make with my work in service to others.
I call myself out constantly on where I am falling short, where I need to improve, where I’m being a hypocrite, etc. I also give myself a little credit for what I am doing right and what is working. Then I make an effort to adjust and move forward.
I encourage you to do the same. Make the journaling a part of your day, and the assessment a part of your weekly planning and quiet time (I talk about this in the 3 Circles Living Book as well).
Pat Summit’s Questions
I was reading in the latest John Maxwell book “Leadershift” about the late hall of fame Woman’s basketball coach at University of Tennessee Pat Summit. At halftime of her games, she would put these three questions on a whiteboard for her players to answer relative to their performance in the first half:
What did You Do Right?
What did you do wrong?
What do you need to change?
These are very appropriate questions for anyone to ask themselves in debriefing ANY situation of importance and how they handled it. I ask these questions and similar questions in leadership sessions with clients.
Right now, is a smart time to assess, if you haven’t already done so, how you managed the difficulties of the past several months. Although, this article is timeless in that you can and should be doing this on a frequent basis anyway….I call these kinds of questions “Trigger questions.”
Even when things are going incredibly well and your life and business are hitting on all cylinders, you should be asking yourself these questions. There is no stopping point when it comes to improvement. It’s a continuous lifelong journey.
These past months will have shown you a few clear things…
From a personal standpoint: Where have the habits of your past 5-10 years strengthened your ability to weather difficulty and where are you weak, or as I have been saying in my teaching and seminars, where do you have compromise?
From a business standpoint: You will be able to very clearly see where your processes had you prepared to thrive in shifts, and where your vulnerabilities are.
Both of these areas are non-negotiables when it comes to the future. You have to immediately begin implementing new habits and processes to eliminate weakness and vulnerability.
For those of you who have been struggling with some things in your life for a long time, this video may be the kick in the pants you need to finally make the change you deeply desire…
I hope you found this helpful. Please share with others if you believe they would benefit.
Here is a recent video on How to Design an Awesome Life
Many Blessings, Todd
P.S. “3 Circles Living” will not only help you condition yourself properly, but it will also give you an exact formula for achieving your richest life possible. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen!
