Every year about this time I hear from many people that it was a wild and weird year. But that’s life right? Wild and weird! And it is in that wildness and weirdness where there are huge insights and lessons to help you enjoy today even more and plan for your future more effectively both at work and in your personal life.
But if you’re like most people (me included) sometimes you just want to leave the gunk and hard stuff from the past back there where it belongs…in the past. And that is definitely where it belongs. However…don’t leave it behind until you have given it a good shakedown to be sure there wasn’t something you were supposed to learn in there somewhere.
I approach the weird and wild times with these 7 steps for growth:
- Whine/Wallow/Complain – Yes – as most of us do I too have a little period of time (from a minute to weeks/months) when I throw myself a little pity party when bad stuff happens. This is okay. Vent. Eat too much ice cream. Cry on the floor. Do what you need to do as the emotions evolve and you process what’s happening if you’re still in it or what happened if it’s in the past.
- Get Off the Couch – After the pity party it’s time to clean up the mess. Get your act back together and get back into life and focused on moving forward. Only you have the power to do this.
- Scan the Scene – What just happened and why did it impact you so much? What role did you play in the fallout? Why did it hurt you so much? Was it rejection? Failure? Judgment from others? Financial setback? Guilt? Regret? Something not playing out as you wanted?
- Write It Down – Journal out some brain dump feelings onto paper. Just let yourself go and unload all your feelings and emotions. I call it puking on paper. The release feels good. I am also a fan of the car rant – just talk (or yell) it all out while you’re alone in the car.
- Course Correct – Identify what you need to do differently going forward. When tough times hit in the future what can you do during those inevitable times to balance out the stress with things that light you up? What patterns are happening that you can interrupt with new habits or actions?
- Do It! – The key to change is to do it – and then keep doing it consistently over time. What’s your motivation and how will you reward yourself when you successfully move through tough stuff?
- Do It Again! – Don’t stop experimenting and learning. Life is one big classroom and when you die you’re graduating with a degree in life. I heard that at a funeral recently and loved the analogy. What will your degree be in? Keep growing and being open to life experiences. Every one of them – especially the hard ones – will make you stronger and add energy to your life.
If you want help with your plan and reviewing your past for the golden lessons that can drive you forward let’s talk. We can work together one-on-one or bring me to your company to help your organization better analyze past trends for future planning and success. (That’s what I did in my 15 years in corporate America – lots and lots of analysis to drive growth.) Learn more at www.KristenBrownPresents.com.
