VUCA-ability

“Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.”
― Tony Schwartz

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VUCA – Volatile, Uncertain, Chaotic, Ambiguous. These are the times of the present. Lives are and have been turned upside down. How is your life right now?

VUCA-ability is a mindset. It is a return to routine when life all around you is chaotic. Make a point of collecting your thoughts and assessing the moment you are in right now. What part of your life is stable? Identify it.

If most things are changing identify the things that are staying the same. Focus on what you do have and what is the same. Take a deep breath.

Slow things down. When things are changing quickly it is easy to get overwhelmed. Write down the things that you need to focus on. Get a list and prioritize the list. Focus on the most important “one” thing. Yes, there are a multitude of things that need to get done, but only one thing needs your focus.

Clarity, get clear on what is important. Ambiguity is the sign of the times. Things are changing from moment to moment and it is hard at times to figure out what the right choice should be. Pause, analyze and then decide. Do you have enough information? Is the information likely to change? Do I need to act on it right away? Get clear before acting.

Acting out of fear will likely lead you down the wrong path. Ask yourself “what am I afraid of?” Is it true? Do you know if the fear is founded on fact? Do you have the facts? How do you know? Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts. Talk to someone you know and trust. What are their thoughts? Give yourself some time to think about the issue.

Ask yourself some questions.

1. What do I need in this moment?
2. Who has the information I need?
3. What actions are required of me?
4. What am I preparing for?
5. What is realistic in this moment?
6. What is most important right now?
7. What can I do that will matter now?
8. Who can I help?
9. Who can help me?
10. What am I going to do next?

Pause, slow down, reflect. Look forward. Look back. Calmly put yourself into the present moment. Take a deep breath. Take appropriate action.

push the boundaries

We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. Consequences give us the pain that motivates us to change.” 
― Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Growth requires that you push yourself beyond the boundaries you have become comfortable with. It’s a new year, perhaps you have some goals that you’d like to focus on. Do those goals push you beyond what you have done before?

If you haven’t developed a set of personal goals or professional goals now is the time to create some. What are some things you could do to enhance your life?

1. How do you want to grow as a person?
2. How do you want to grow as a professional?

Thing big, Think bigger.

Find the thing within you that inspires and motivates you and then do something with that inspiration. Make something new. Make something happen. Start today.

are you obsessed with …

“You become what you think about all day long.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is your obsession?   What keeps you awake, powerfully awake?

Think about some powerful leaders who are obsessed with their goal.  Not just being passionate about their goal, obsessed with achieving their goal.  Think Elon Musk, obsessed with making Tesla succeed.  Steve Jobs was obsessed with making Apple the best at what it does.   Jeff Bezos and Amazon, there is an obsession behind those doors.

Game changers are more than just passionate about their dreams, they are obsessed with them.   Their drive makes those dreams come true.

So, what are you obsessed with?   What drives you each day beyond excuses and fears?   How often does fear enter your thoughts and drive back your dreams?  Are you just getting by or is there something you really want to do that is a game changer?

ain’t got no satisfaction

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
― Seneca

 

How would you describe your life right now?   Satisfied, happy, joyful, content or would it be more like stressed, overworked. anxious, unhappy, confused, bored, consumed, or angry?

What would you say about your life today?   What do you want to say about your life?

Ponder those questions, give them some thought and really try to determine where you are in life today.

If you are satisfied, content and enjoying life you’re probably one of a few that do.  Many people are finding themselves more stressed and more discontent than ever before.   If you are one of the many who find themselves highly stressed what are you doing about it?   What steps are you taking to lower the total stress in your life?

To de-stress consider eating better, getting eight hours of sleep and adding exercise to your daily routine.  At work, get up and move every hour for a few minutes, do some deep breathing and stretch.   Schedule time each day to relax and do something enjoyable.   For some people de-stressing includes doing something for others (volunteering) and for others a long quiet walk will do the trick.

If you are stressed take action to lower that stress load.  The impact of negative stress over time can impact your health and well-being.   Notice the warning signs of stress – fatigue, increased anger, impatience, depression, or sadness and take action to lower the stress in your life.

If you’re not satisfied with your life as it is – take action to make some changes.  Take action to lower the stress that may be impacting our quality of life and start today.

 

how do you know?

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.”
― C. JoyBell C.

How do you know if you are living your life in the best way possible?   Have you spent time evaluating your own progress through life or are you just going with the flow?

Have you thought about your life plan (if you have one)?

What do you think your purpose is?   Your purpose for work, life, relationships, personal growth, finances, health/fitness, relationships and spiritual perspective, have you defined what you want to be doing in those domains.

I think it is important to focus on those core life elements and strengthen them.   It helps create a greater sense of peace in your life so that you aren’t just existing, but existing with purpose.  With a well defined purpose you have a starting point from which to define goals that enable you to realize your purpose.

What are  your major goals that you want to achieve?

What is stopping you from setting new more powerful and exciting goals for your life?  When do you think you’ll take that step to define your future in a way that aligns with your purpose?

 

 

nothing changes if nothing changes

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
Albert Einstein

What has changed for you this past year?   What is better?   What is worse?

Imagine yourself in one year, what will have changed?   What do you want to have changed?

I would imagine that if you are reading this you already have a mindset to create change in your life on a regular basis.   You’re driven to do better in multiple areas and you work on making improvements so that you are continually growing.

What are you unsatisfied with in your life?   What is holding you back from addressing that issue or area?   [What would it take for you really focus on that area that you want to change? ]

What will you learn this coming year?  What is that one area that you want to grow in?

Here’s something to latch onto when you are deciding not to make a change in your life.  “Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives, and we obey them without realizing it.” Vincent Van Gogh

Search your emotions if you are struggling to make positive changes in your life.

Make the start of the New Year at great start.

making the circle bigger ….

“Life is a full circle, widening until it joins the circle motions of the infinite.”
― Anaïs Nin

 

Your thoughts shape your world.   That world can be your world of work, community, family or your personal growth.  The circle defines your world, the limits of your experiences, talents, abilities and values grows slowly and for some not much at all.   Expanding your circle enables you to grow and generate more options for your life.

Some would call expanding the circle (outside of the box thinking) as the set of skills that are needed to thrive in an uncertain world.  If you feel that your growth is blocked or inhibited think about expanding your circle.

Expanding the circle may require that you invest in yourself and even working with someone who can ask you questions you wouldn’t normally ask yourself.

What can do you do to add more value?

What things limit you today?

What is the most challenging aspect of your life now?

What is it costing you to stay the way you are?

What would it take to live outside the circle you are in right now?

What do you think would be different if you could step outside of your circle?

What stops you from stepping outside your circle?

Think about those questions.  Examine those questions and write down your answers.  Just merely reading those questions will do little to expand your own thoughts or drive changes in your life.  Step outside your comfort zone (the circle you live in).  Challenge yourself – challenge your thoughts and your actions.  Do it now.

 

where are you going?

“Man is not born perfect. He is born incomplete, he is born as a process. He is born on the way, as a pilgrim. That is his agony and his ecstasy, too; agony because he cannot rest, he has to go ahead, he has always to go ahead. He has to seek and search and explore. He has to become, because his being arises only through becoming. Becoming is his being. He can only be if he is on the move.”  Osho

Have you spent any time at all planning out what you’d like the next 10 years to look like?

What do you really want to happen?  Do you believe that you have the power, skills and abilities to create the future you want?

It’s time for your mid-year check-up.  It’s time to evaluate the progress you hoped to make.  It’s time to forge a new set of objectives if your current ones aren’t working for you.   Create a list of things you want to accomplish this year.

In what areas do you want to grow and improve?

Are you focused on exercise, diet, sleep and mindfulness?

• How much sleep are you getting?
• How is your diet?
• How much exercise are you getting?
• Relax, take a deep breath or a few and restore your energy.

Are you living the life you want to live?  Are you aligned with your purpose, goals and dreams?

Spend some time and check-in with yourself.  Journal some thoughts that you’ve had.  What is working?  What isn’t working?   Make the adjustments and finish the year strong.

 

 

 

beckon happiness

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”    Marcus Aurelius

Your happiness … your thinking.

Would you like to increase your happiness – would you just like to be happier?

One way to increase happiness is to release the past (anger) and think about today, not tomorrow (anxiety) or next week, but just today.   By letting go of anger you’re letting go of the past.  The people I’ve talked to all have said there is nothing that they can do to change the past – so why live there.   There is nothing that can be done to change the past and by letting it go you permit yourself to experience greater happiness.

Take a deep breath.  Maybe a few of them, 3-5 minutes.  Get into a comfortable chair or position and just do some nice slow deep breathing.    Put on some nice music and put life on pause for a few minutes.  Deep breathing can really help calm the nerves and help you relax.  Go ahead try it.

Remove negative thoughts.  Are your thoughts true?   How do you absolutely know your negative thoughts are true?  Ask yourself, “How does this thought make me feel?”  and then “What would it be like if you didn’t hold that belief?”  In a few minutes you can test your thoughts and find out if they are helping or hindering you.

Take a moment to write down in a journal your thoughts.  Doing this before you go to bed helps you sleep better.   Better sleep means a better tomorrow.  Journaling is a way to release the past (what just happened) and allows you to examine your day.   What did you learn today?  What did you experience today?  What can you do to make it better tomorrow?

Increasing your happiness is just a few easy and quick steps away.  Start today.

survive or thrive

“Only you can decide how far you get to travel in life. Therefore, you definitely owe it to your future self to be courageous and ambitious enough to strive and thrive without limitations.”
― Edmond Mbiaka

Take time to hit the pause button on your life.

How did you do today?   Did you just survive the chaos of the day?  What was it like?  How does it feel to be spending your time and energy only to just survive the day?  It doesn’t feel so good does.  It can feel draining.  It can be filled with anxiety, stress and turmoil.   A lot of people are just surviving the day.   Careers go sour when the focus is on just surviving.  If I get through today then I’ll be OK.

Are you one of those who are just surviving the day?   Do you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning?  Do you feel drained and used up by the end of the day?  Do you believe what you do matters?   Does your boss believe you matter?  When was the last time you were complemented on your work?  How many hours are you being asked to work?  How much time do you have off?

What does it mean to thrive?   Araianna Huffington wrote, “Nothing succeeds like excess.”  We live in a world where “more” and “having more”  drives us to be doing more, working more hours, earning more money, filling the day with more activity.  At the end of the day – there is nothing left – there is no more.  Day after day of pushing yourself to the limits doesn’t result in a better life, it results in a battered life.  Thriving isn’t about just surviving the day-to-day race.  Thriving is about living a rich life, and by rich meaning a life that includes time to relax and find peace.  A thriving life is one that has time, enough time for family, friends, personal growth, contribution and time for you.  Thriving means that you do have time and you don’t feel rushed and you don’t feel that the day has to be absolutely packed with activity.

Part of the reason to completely fill each day with activity is because everyone else is doing that, filling their life with stuff.   Eating becomes a quick stop at a fast food restaurant and the food is consumed as you drive to the next event.   Sleep can be reduced to just a few hours, maybe 4 or 5.  It is no wonder people are totally exhausted much of the time.

What would it take for you to thrive every day?   What would you want to change to feel like every day mattered more than yesterday?   What can you take out of your day that will give you time to relax and recover?