Be Flexible By Master Coach Keith Rosen
Be Flexible to Succeed
Your routine will evolve! A client of mine told me that if he is
unable to follow through on one thing he had planned for in his
routine, he'd become frustrated and toss the rest of his routine
out the window for the remainder of the day. While he believed
he was a good self-starter, he wasn't good at re-starting. In
his mind, his routine was either perfect and in sync or it
didn't work and he'd give up on the remainder of his schedule.
There is another alternative that exists which will prevent you
from becoming a victim of "Either-Or Thinking." After all,
there's a big difference between having a perfect routine and
having an effective routine, so don't get caught up in trying to
make your routine "perfect" the first time around.
The fact is, even though one item on your routine may not go
according to plan, the remainder of your routine may be
effective and work great. I can assure you, as you enhance and
strengthen your relationship with time and continue to refine
your activities so they best support your goals, your routine
will evolve as well.
Instead of thinking, "My routine is not working" or asking
yourself, "Why can't I follow this?" use this as an opportunity
to learn how to better manage your time and make your routine
even more effective. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?"
"Am I over committing?" "What needs to change?"
Be creative when developing solutions for managing your-self. If
one strategy doesn't work for you, don't force it. Instead, see
what you can to do modify it so that it's better aligned with
your values, talents and strengths.
Here's another thought. If you have a tendency to deviate from
your routine once you encounter one component that's not
working, consider this may be one of your diversionary tactics
(Chapter Eight, b). In other words, this actually gives you the
right not to follow your routine!
Remember, perfection is paralysis. There will be times when you
will be able to honor your routine completely and times when you
will not. (More on this below.) Give yourself permission to go
through some learning curves and make adjustments. If you can't
honor your schedule perfectly, that's okay. Give yourself a
break! All that may be needed is a simple revision to the
timelines you have allocated for certain activities. However, if
you are having trouble honoring your routine throughout the
week, you may need to take a closer look and evaluate where the
breakdown is. Being flexible and open to change will enable you
to think clearly and uncover new solutions and opportunities
that would otherwise go undetected.
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