We have often referred to the power of choice in our previous blog posts.
To explore that power a little more, we’d like to invite you to identify a current situation where you feel stuck, disempowered, anxious or frustrated in some way.
Right now – actually do it.
We all face these situations in our work and life, so it’s worth taking some time to bring to mind something that is currently real for you.
Before you move on, it may help to write it down. Try the following format:
I [can’t / won’t / should / shouldn’t / don’t]
_______________________________________________ [problem]
because
_______________________________________________ [reason]
For example:
- I can’t be a good manager because I am too young and inexperienced
- I won’t make my sales quota because the product quality is too low
- I should earn more money because I work harder than everyone else
- I shouldn’t celebrate my success because others will see it as arrogance
- I don’t have enough time for both work and life because my time management is poor
Now, with your situation in mind, consider the following ten pairs of choices. In each case ask yourself where you are currently choosing to be, not where you’d like to be – left-side or right-side?
The Ten Choices
Which side of the table best reflects the choices you are making today?
If you primarily fell to the left-hand side, in each case how might the choice on the right-hand side change how you perceive or experience your situation?
Which of the ‘choices’ do you still contend are not choices at all? What version of your truth are you refusing to let go of? And how is this truth serving you today? How might accepting that you do have a choice serve you better?
Making the shift from living mostly on the left to mostly on the right is one of the most powerful and profound ways to transform your life and work. Becoming conscious of the choices you are making in each case will radically shift you towards a more open and expansive mindset.
The Crossroads
Behind every choice, left or right, is a commitment – whether conscious or unconscious.
On the left, you are essentially committing to maintaining the status quo for yourself and others. On the right, you are committing to challenging your own perception of the present reality, and to seeking a better and brighter alternative.
The problem, however, is that to choose the right hand side is to choose the hard path. Many of us are invested in the way things are, and will be surrounded by others that are equally invested too, for us and themselves. There is a well-worn narrative and we have each been given, or have chosen, our role in it. We have our part to play, and play it we must.
To choose the right hand side is to commit to disruption, an increased risk of failure, plenty of resistance from others and the world, and a level of involvement in writing our own narrative that can be rather intimidating. It is so much easier to play the role of the victim in this story than it is to take ownership for our part in it, to let go of that which cannot be changed or controlled, and then to actively engage in writing our own future.
Here’s the rub though – the alternative is an illusion anyway. Just like trying to hold on to sand in your hand, holding on to the status quo is unsustainable. What your situation is really highlighting is that the sand is already starting to slip through your fingers. Our natural instinct is to tighten our grip – to try to hold on even harder – but the tighter you grip, the more it will slip. And so change is inevitable. The real choice, then, is whether to own that change for yourself, or to have it imposed upon you.
…
Now, look back at the situation you wrote down.
Are you ready to choose?
What now?
If this article resonates with you, please share it with others. You can also leave a comment below to let us know you visited and share any additional insights you might be able to offer other readers.
And, if you’d like to know more about how you can unlock the potential in your High Potential employees in a safe, sustainable and scalable way, please visit www.grilledcheesecoaching.com, or join our mailing list.