Three Things To Look at When Things Aren’t Working

How Do You Figure Out What to Change?

It has been said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.

Technically this isn’t true, but practically it hits pretty close to home. The caveat I would add, is given enough of a sample size. In other words, over a long enough period of time and with enough applied effort.

If there is something in your life that isn’t working out the way you want it to, and it’s important to you, and you really have been giving it maximum effort, then you have to change something. This short article will give you a little recipe on what to look at in order to make the changes necessary.

The Parable of the Sower is the Foundation

Accomplishing just about anything is about sowing. Essentially, to boil it down, the sower (the parable is told by Jesus in the New Testament…here is a link to an old post called Be The Sower) is the farmer sowing seed. He/she follows a tried and true process: Prepare the soil, plant the seed, nourish and protect the crop, and eventually harvest.

This process never fails. Certainly there are nuances and challenges that arise in all aspects of this process from year to year, but the process is always the same. This is the nature of EVERYTHING that you want to accomplish in your life, and any area of your life you want to improve. This is one of my personal platform principles in life and for 3 Circles Living: “everything is a process.”

3 Circles Living is a process. A sequential set of steps relative to priority areas. Then every single thing inside of each circle, also has a process…physical health, mental health, personal and professional development, relationship development, career building, business building, pursuit accomplishment, purpose missions, and on and on….ALL processes of sowing and reaping.

The 3 Areas to Assess for Change

When things don’t seem to be working out, i.e. the harvest you are reaping is not anywhere near what you feel you deserve based on your effort, stopping the process is not the thing to change, unless you have truly had a major life change and value shift and the thing you were pursuing is no longer applicable. While there may be many things to consider depending on the complexity of what you are doing, these three are the first place to look.

Sower: The first place to look, in my opinion is in the mirror. Are you truly putting forth maximum effort? If you can honestly answer yes, then you have a few things to consider: Do you need more knowledge? Do you need more skills in the task? Do you need more skills in the fundamental core competencies that influence results (interpersonal and productivity competencies)? Do you need a coach or accountability partner? Do you need an attitude adjustment? Do you need more patience? Essentially, take an inventory of you and consider where you can improve.

Soil: This is the environment you are operating in. It includes all the influences around you in addition to the markets you are serving if this is business based, and the shifts and changes that bring forces to bear on everything. For example, if you are trying to market a product or service, are you focusing your attention on the demographics that are most likely to need or want it? If you are trying to get in shape, are you going to  gym where you are surrounded by dedicated people or socializers? There are many environmental things to consider from algorithms, to regulations, to people.

Seeds: This is whatever you are consistently planting to bring your pursuit to fruition. This would be your workout, your marketing pitch, your diet, your personal conversations, the investment of resources. It’s the thing you are “doing.” Most any seed will work if planted enough, but it is smart to work at developing the best seed you can.

So, in short, look at what you are doing, where you are doing it, and at yourself IN doing it, and you will find many things that may be tiny taken in isolation, but together can subtly be causing you to make little progress.

If this was helpful for you please share. Below is a video that is targeted for people building a network, and applicable for anyone building anything!