Given the number of issues, people, and years that we all have to deal with during our lives, it will always be complex. However, there are steps we can take to reduce that complexity, making it more likely that we can achieve our goals. This article focuses on five methods that can help significantly. 1. Prioritize Its the most basic message but not often followed by many people, who believe they can be and/or do everything. The reality is that there are only 24 hours in a day, and the more issues you try to deal with the less time you can devote to each. So being clear about your values and making sure that where you put your time and effort is in the arenas most important to you is absolutely vital. 2. Make it Visible Although the human brain is a phenomenally powerful processor, all the stuff were continually thinking about often just keeps circling around, without effective decisions being made. Writing down what youre thinking about, concerned about, or trying to decide can make it more concrete, with the result being a more objective analysis. 3. Focus on Incremental Gains While wed all like to make giant leaps in progress, the reality is that most improvement comes in small, continual steps. Not only are such steps less risky, but they also allow for more adaptive responses to our environment (e.g., friends and family). 4. Persistence Not only are incremental gains needed, but one must be willing to accept setbacks without giving up. The old adage about getting back on the horse after one has fallen off definitely applies here. While our energy levels may wax and wane at various stages of our lives, making sure were defining and pursuing a continual path in the right direction is a sure way to avoid stagnation (which some might call a living death). 5. Failures are Learning Opportunities Ok, probably no one likes to hear this one, nor is it easy to do when youre in the midst of a downturn. However, the evidence indicates that we learn more from our failures than from our successes, so a mindset that accepts that failure will occasionally occur, and extracts key learnings from it, is itself a key part of success. 2006 Duke Okes |
