In personal and work life we are consistently faced with challenges – the challenges we face are often the catalyst to our growth.
We like how Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle is the Way, 2015) tackles how to transform roadblocks into success in both our personal and business lives. He highlights the pathway to transformation by saying:
“Perception = how you interpret what’s happening around you. It affects how you see and respond to a situation. Manage your perceptions: calmly and objectively evaluate what’s happening, look for opportunities and actions within your control.”
Here are a few tips from Holiday on how to work through challenges to get to the growth:
CONTROL YOUR NERVES
Breathe – seriously! Slow deep breaths, in through the nose – hold – out through the mouth (longer than the in-breath). It calms the nervous systems & gets you present.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO
Accept what is. Don’t fight the current situation. Accept it and move on to solutions. Focus only on what you CAN change.
MODIFY YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Look at it from different viewpoints. Reframe how you interpret the events. Add a ‘bigger picture’ perspective.
FAIL FORWARD (WE LOVE THIS ONE!)
Every failure is a learning event. We now know what doesn’t work! Make adjustments, modify and move forward.
BE PERSISTENT
You may need to run through all obvious options before landing on the one that works – don’t quit before you find the correct solution.
Removing panic and resistance allows for clearer thinking. Clear thinking initiates solution-finding. Nailing solutions to difficult obstacles builds confidence. With confidence, we know we can handle the next obstacle, which reduces panic and resistance. We’ve got this…
…but we can’t ‘got everything’! Learning to prioritise is key to sustainable wellbeing and productivity. Richard Koch’s 80/20 principle can help us here.
“It is not shortage of time that should worry us, but the tendency for the majority of time to be spent in low-quality ways.” Richard Koch, The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less (1999).
The most successful leaders live this principle. They focus on the most important things (20%) and have strategies for getting the highest output (80%) from the smallest effort.
“They are going places fast. They are rarely short of time, and never flustered. They are usually relaxed and happy, not workaholics. They look to their people for a few valuable outputs. They pay no attention to inputs such as time and sweat. They take the time to explain to you what they are doing, and why. They encourage you to focus on what delivers the greatest results with the least effort.”
Perhaps there are some challenges facing you right now that are leading you to start applying this 80/20 principle? The challenge forces us to look for better solutions – better solutions lead to more growth economic & personal.
We can help individuals develop this skillset. Connect with us here.