Attitude is contagious. You've been there right? You are having a pretty good day. You are up and enthusiastic - and then someone comes into your space and sucks all of the life, energy and joy out of you. We've all had it happen to us, and we have probably all done it someone else. We have been both thief and victim.
Pay attention to the energy that you are putting out.
I am amazed at how fast the attitude of "I can't" can pervade an organization. A lot of people are accustomed to justifying why they can't do something - indeed why it cannot be done at all. Be careful. You'll be surprised at how fast you will be pulled in if you aren't careful.
Watch your own language and attitudes. Pause before leaping to the default "I can't". Give yourself just 5 or 6 seconds to process how you COULD do what is being asked rather than immediately leaping to why you can't.
This isn't just about work life. I find that the level of transference of attitude is pretty high. You may be "good" at compartmentalizing; at leaving work at work, but if you are, I think that you are the exception, not the rule. That 5 or 6 second pause can be a real benefit - regardless of the circumstances.
Give it a shot - just 5 seconds to focus on "I can".
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The next right thing
Yesterday, I wrote a bit about why we stay in jobs that don't fill us up. One critical element is the identification of what it is that you would enjoy doing. That is the tough part for a lot of people - it has been for me. But now let's jump ahead a second and make the assumption that you have figured out the "what". Now all you have to do is figure out the "how".
The how is different for different people, indeed in some cases it may be as simple as re-defining a job search. For many people though, the how is the truly daunting part.
A very good friend and mentor of mine - the late Bill Sauer - used to talk about change. Personal change, organizational change - it doesn't matter. Step one is to identify the direction of the change. Have some picture in your mind of where you want to go. The excercise in yesterday's blog can help you out with that part, or there are about a million books written every year about finding your bliss - use whatever tools work best for you. Step two: Identify the next right thing to do. That's it. you don't have to have the entire trip plotted out - just figure out what to do NEXT. Take stock of where you are. Have a picture of where you want to be, and then take a step to fill in the gap.
When I used to ask Bill about the 3rd 4th or 12th step to get from where I was to where I wanted to be, he would often say "I don't know. My headlights don't shine that far ahead. Just focus on the next right thing, and the path will clear." The path may only clear one step at a time, but it will clear.
Acknowledge where you are - without judgement. Without blame. Without identifying it as "good" or "bad" but just as "is". "This is where I am right now. What is my next step."
My wife, my uncle, my dad and I climbed Mount Princeton last summer. Mount Princeton is one of Colorado's 14ers (a peak over 14,000 feet in elevation). The interesting thing about Princeton, is that most of the climb is rock-hopping. There is no clear trail, only small piles of rock called cairns to mark the trail. You know where you are...standing on this rock at this point on the
Mountain. You can see the top...you KNOW where you want to get to eventually. The ONLY way to get there is to worry about your NEXT step. Is that rock safe? Will it shift under my wieght? Is there an easier route? You examine where you are, take stock - without seeing it as bad - and then take a step. Then you do the whole thing again.
What are you waiting for? Time to take a step.
The how is different for different people, indeed in some cases it may be as simple as re-defining a job search. For many people though, the how is the truly daunting part.
A very good friend and mentor of mine - the late Bill Sauer - used to talk about change. Personal change, organizational change - it doesn't matter. Step one is to identify the direction of the change. Have some picture in your mind of where you want to go. The excercise in yesterday's blog can help you out with that part, or there are about a million books written every year about finding your bliss - use whatever tools work best for you. Step two: Identify the next right thing to do. That's it. you don't have to have the entire trip plotted out - just figure out what to do NEXT. Take stock of where you are. Have a picture of where you want to be, and then take a step to fill in the gap.
When I used to ask Bill about the 3rd 4th or 12th step to get from where I was to where I wanted to be, he would often say "I don't know. My headlights don't shine that far ahead. Just focus on the next right thing, and the path will clear." The path may only clear one step at a time, but it will clear.
Acknowledge where you are - without judgement. Without blame. Without identifying it as "good" or "bad" but just as "is". "This is where I am right now. What is my next step."
My wife, my uncle, my dad and I climbed Mount Princeton last summer. Mount Princeton is one of Colorado's 14ers (a peak over 14,000 feet in elevation). The interesting thing about Princeton, is that most of the climb is rock-hopping. There is no clear trail, only small piles of rock called cairns to mark the trail. You know where you are...standing on this rock at this point on the
Mountain. You can see the top...you KNOW where you want to get to eventually. The ONLY way to get there is to worry about your NEXT step. Is that rock safe? Will it shift under my wieght? Is there an easier route? You examine where you are, take stock - without seeing it as bad - and then take a step. Then you do the whole thing again.What are you waiting for? Time to take a step.
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