God takes care of even the birds of the air, but He doesn’t throw the food into their nests. (I don’t recall where I heard this, but I loved it!)
Have you ever wondered, as you listen to people complain about their circumstances, what do they expect to change if something doesn’t happen to create change? I mean really, do they expect that promotion to just happen if they don’t work for it; or that person to go out with them if they don’t ask; or the car to run better if they don’t repair it?
So often, we complain about something and yet do nothing.
Perhaps we blame others for our situation. Maybe we even expect others to see what needs fixed and just do it.
What is it about our human existence that we are content to be discontent and be vocal about it, rather than possibly be uncomfortable correcting it?
‘For things to change, things must change’, I have heard Chris Brady, CEO and best selling author say. That statement speaks volumes.
When we want a different outcome, we first need to tweak what we are currently doing (or not doing as the case may be). Like the proverbial hamster on the wheel, we will continue to go nowhere if we don’t change our course.
Many of us have heard the saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We have even laughed at that, thinking how ridiculous one would have be to expect anything different. Yet, can’t each of us recall a time that looking from the outside that is exactly how we were behaving?
So, how do we go about rectifying the problem?
Honestly it often starts with stopping.
Yes, I know that sounds crazy. But really, if you think about it, sometimes you must stop and look at the whole picture to determine where the best place to add something new is.
Yet…. wasn’t it just today that I realized I had raced through my day and it wasn’
t until the evening had well begun before I caught the fact that I hadn’t accomplished some of my ‘big rocks’?
Steven Covey in his book, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effect People’ uses an analogy of placing big rocks, small rocks, sand and water in to a vase. Unfortunately I began my day with some sand and small rocks and then added water before picking up a big rock, only to drop that thing on my toe! (Ok, not really, but you get my point)
As my night was coming to a close, I had the revelation that if I had just done a list, an easy one to mark off tasks, making sure I ate my biggest ugliest frog first (‘Eat That Frog’ by Brian Tracey) – that I would have been able to follow that and head to bed feeling productive instead of frustrated.
So, something as simple as stopping to write a list for tomorrow would be wise.
I have heard it said that life is our story, and that even though we may not have been able to chose the beginning it’s up to us how the next chapter plays out. So, instead of blindly forging forward, what if we make our moments intentional?
Orrin Woodward, best selling author, businessman and leadership expert suggests using a specific method which he calls PDCA. P is for plan. D is for do. C is for check. A is for adjust. What if you stop, take a sincere look at your life, and plan the steps that will get you the outcome you desire? Then proceed, actually do what you planned. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time, and check it. Are you getting the results you wanted? What adjustments do you need to make?
As we begin this new year, this is an excellent time to do just that.
– Stop!
– PDCA
– Revel in the victory as you close out 2018, and can look back to today as the day you decided to pick up the pen and write your own story!
So, instead of being that dog on the porch that whines because the nail hurts, yet doesn’t hurt enough to make him move; let’s be the change we wish to see!
Happy New Years! Amy