What’s your view on a current challenge you are facing? Does this perspective serve you? What’s a better lens you could take?
You can choose your perspective on anything in your life. This isn’t always easy because your brain is hardwired to focus on the negative for survival reasons. But your perception shapes your reality. By consciously choosing a more positive perspective, you can transform challenges into opportunities 🚀
For example, one of my friends recently got laid off after 4.5 years of service in sales to a tech company. It was quite a shock. At first, he felt fear. No more steady pay checks or job security. So much uncertainty in this current job market. Then he felt anger when he thought about how much he done for the company. After some reflection, he changed his perspective to excitement. He hadn’t been happy in this role for a long time. Now was his chance to have a fresh start and to find a better opportunity.
How can you reframe a challenge you are dealing with right now?
As part of my coach training with CTI, we learned the “Balance Formula” for helping clients get unstuck and into action. Ask questions to understand the client’s current perspective on a topic they bring to the coaching session. Explore several other perspectives or different ways the client could look at their situation. From the list of alternative perspectives, ask the client to choose the perspective that would serve them the best. Brainstorm the possible actions the client could take from this new perspective. Help them commit to a course of action and create an accountability structure.
Is this an exercise you can undertake to get unstuck? Try this by journaling or chatting to your coach or friend.
According to the science of Positive Intelligence, every setback or circumstance can be converted into a gift or opportunity. It can take years to find the gift, but it’s always there.
🎁 There are three types of gifts:
- Knowledge: what knowledge did you gain, so that the payoff in the future could be much larger than what this situation is costing you now?
- Power: how is this problem building your strength and resilience?
- Inspiration: what inspiring action have you taken that you wouldn’t have taken if this “bad” thing hadn’t happened?
Although I couldn’t see it in the moment, my divorce 💔 turned out to be a powerful gift of inspiration. Without it, I wouldn’t have embarked on my journey of personal growth and wouldn’t have started my coaching business.
How can you transform a setback into a gift?
Sign up for one of my free Clarity Calls to gain a new perspective on a challenge you are facing.
Lots of love,
-Anna
