Navigating Challenging Times

Everything is  just fine most of the time, and so are we. That's why so few challenge the status quo. Human beings like to know what's expected and where they stand.

And then...

Things get topsy turvy, turned upside down, or go sideways, and the status quo is no longer the status quo. As creatures who find comfort in "another one of those," this can create uncertainty and anxiety.

Here's a five-step process that can help you navigate challenging times.

1. Acknowledge - State what is going on now as plainly as possible. Avoid language that includes value judgments and strong emotive language.
2. Affiliate - Find the others. Who are the 3 - 6 people you already know that you can convene to assess the situation? Work together to make things better?
   
3. Aim - Decide the destination and intention of where you want to get. What does that look like? How will you feel when you get there?
   
4. Act - Having appraised the situation, gathered the right people, set a goal, take a deliberate step into possibility every day.
5. Assess - Pay attention as you go. Small steps allow you to tack, pivot, iterate, and improve as you measure your progress toward the end you have in mind.

When you decatastrophize a situation, convene a small group to set a small goal, take small steps toward it every day, and pay attention as you proceed, anxiety and overwhelm melts away. In what was once overwhelming, you now see opportunity, and what once caused anxiety now cultivates excitement.

What challenge are you facing today? How can you acknowledge it objectively? Whom can you ask to affiliate? What's your aim? When do you act?

Do the work with and for each other with intention and integrity. Whether you hit your target or not, the effort will be worth it and reveal even more possibilities for what's next.

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose

If what you just read resonated, please share it with a friend.