I was recently working with an executive who was struggling with whether or not to pursue a promotion. On the one hand, this was the next logical step in his professional career, which would put him at the top levels of his organization. On the other hand, it would mean more travel, more work hours, and an overall commitment that would impact his personal time.
A Fresh Start: What’s Your Calendar Year?
I’ve always loved the beginning of the school calendar year. It brings with it more structure, consistency, and the hopes of cooler weather! It also brings forward a fresh start, new goals, and an opportunity to create vision. Have you noticed how the fall seems to accelerate us right into the end of the calendar year? There is a collective energy during this time of the year and at the New Year that seems to give us an extra push into possibility.
What’s Below the Surface?
The expression “that’s just the tip of the iceberg” can mean that we acknowledge what we see above the water, and there’s more below the surface that has yet to be revealed. It’s very difficult to remember that when we are judging, assessing, and sizing people up.
Flexibility
flex•i•ble
adj. (flĕk′sə-bəl)
1.a: Capable of being bent or flexed; pliable: a flexible hose.
1.b: Readily bending or twisting the body without injury: You can play soccer much better if you’re flexible.
2. Able to change to cope with variable circumstances: “a flexible and quietly competent administrator” (Jerome Karabel).
3. Capable of being changed or adjusted to meet particular or varied needs: a job with flexible hours; a flexible definition of normality.
Resistance to Change
Why are we so resistant to change or doing things we’ve never done before? Moving out of my comfort zone is always a challenge and when I examine why that is, I can’t really find any good reason. I realize I get lazy in my comfort, and the other side of that coin is boredom, being stuck, and not growing.