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When working through any decision or change that is emotionally charged, there is a very solid argument to be made for diligently keeping your thinking in fact-based mode and your feelings in check, right?
Sometimes not so easy to do.
In fact, sometimes looking at all the facts (some of which may seem contradictory) can actually exacerbate a complicated situation so much so that decision making is brought to a screeching halt.
As counter-intuitive as this might sound at first, consider that this may be the time where you can make use of your feelings to give you the kind of insight that just might make the decision making process clearer.
Checkout this coaching tool I call FEEL THE FACTS:
Step 1: Break down each fact into a succinct statement.
Step 2: Read each one aloud
Step 3: Choose the emotional descriptor that fits how you
feel as you read each fact:
a) Anabolic: This fact makes me feel hopeful, optimistic, and enthused
b) Catabolic: This fact make me feel fearful, limited, and nervous
Now, ask yourself 3 questions:
Question 1:
Which set of facts will I CHOOSE to invest most
of my mental energy in around this situation?
Question 2:
Which set of facts will I CHOOSE to most often
point to in the words I use around this situation?
Question 3:
Which set of facts will I CHOOSE to most often reference to guide my actions around this situation?
Notice that I am not suggesting you ignore the facts that feel catabolic, as they are no less valid than the others and must be tended to. What I am suggesting is that once they are addressed appropriately, you then CHOOSE to invest the lion share of your limited time, energy, and power embracing those facts that keep you in a place of hopeful, optimistic enthusiasm. That is the place where your personal magic manifests and your true leadership strength emerges.
Try it with this example:
Fact 1:
I have lost my job through a company layoff.
Fact 2:
I have a financial window of 3 months to replace my income before my resources become depleted.
Fact 3:
Effective next week, I have the ability to spend 40-50 hours per week seeking new employment with no other distractions on my time or energy.
Fact 4:
I live in an economic environment and time where the term
'layoff' holds little-to-no stigma and I won't likely be judged negatively in interviews as a result.
Fact 5: I have the perfect opportunity to redesign, reinvent, and rejuvenate my career to better suit my needs at this stage of my life.
If faced with this situation, which facts would you CHOOSE to invest most of your energy in?
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