"This could be the most pivotal moment of our lives… if we weren't waiting for it to be over.”
— James McPartland
How easy is it to feel like a victim in these most uncertain of times?
Longing for that degree of predictability that we not too long ago were frustrated with, we yearn for that which has seemingly been taken from us. And yet, what if this is the moment we've been waiting for? The moment to do and become what we so often proclaim we never had time for?
If we are not careful, we can get caught up in the fear that is broadcasted and forecasted in the media. Fear turns us into victims, and people who assume the position of victim will never be secure. Simply put, a victim elects to turn over responsibility to outside forces, never coming to know for themselves what they are truly capable of, for as long as they remain a victim.
At all times, and especially now, we must be deliberate about the type of conversations we allow ourselves to have. Beware of surrounding yourself with "realistic thinking", as it is based on what others believe is possible while having no actual way of knowing the true depth of your potential.
Why not use this "be better moment" to become the initiator, the instigator, the aggressor? In every situation, we get to choose. We can act, or wait to be acted upon. We can assume greater control and be responsible to the things that happen to us, even the things that we thought were not under our control. Until you decide that you are responsible to everything, you will not take the action steps necessary to find the upside inside of your quarantine, much less to master the great game of life.
There is no limit to how many times you can take action. There is no shortage of opportunity when it comes to how many times you can get back up and continue. It's impossible to use up all of your energy and creativity. It's impossible to run out of ideas.
Will you accept the challenge?
Learn to rely on yourself. Develop a system for it. I encourage you to accept and implement the following "be better" 10-day challenge:
Commit to writing down a minimum of 10 ideas a day, for 10 days, without judgment
From those 100+ ideas, prioritize the top 10
Take the top 5 ideas and list the 5 action steps that need to be taken for each idea (a total of 25 action steps)
Schedule the immediate next step for the each of top 5 ideas (5 scheduled steps total) and execute those steps
Use the results to determine which next steps should be scheduled
Return to the 90 remaining ideas and repeat the process!
Act now, and then consistently keep acting with the knowledge that enough actions taken now will create the compelling future you intend to live into. The goal is to be more valuable when this crisis passes than you were before it began.
Nobody knows us better than we know ourselves. Whom should we most trust, rely upon, and look to when the stakes are high? For a great many of us, the stakes have never been higher.
Be clear on who you intend to be when this difficult period is behind us. Be certain you know who is counting on you to "be better" in this moment. Remember, we are not being tested for the purpose of revealing our weaknesses, rather to discover our strengths.
Life is a team sport and we need the power of relationships now more than ever. Recognize that it is a sign of strength to ask for help. Enroll the people who will support you in this "be better moment". Share your plans, why you have developed them, and the approach you are taking to achieve them. Ask for feedback in a way that may illuminate a new and inspiring approach. When the people you value are asked to help you get to where you want to go, they will be there for you. One of the best ways to get fresh ideas from those who understand you and are aware of your plan for improvement is to ask them:
"If you were me, what would you do?”
I close with this encouragement:
As you pursue your “be better” moment, ignore the critics. They only criticize so their excuses for not doing enough in their own lives can become their reasons for why what you are pursuing is wrong or “unrealistic”. Tune it out. It’s just noise.
Stay the course. Make this your “be better” season. Come out of this crisis better than you went into it. You’ll be grateful you did when this is all over.
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