Time to change gears
“Even cars know that you have to change gear before going up a steep hill.”
As we reach deep into the last quarter of 2023, I’m hearing lots of people say they can’t wait for the end of the year. The past 10 months have wound up many people into a tight ball of stress and anxiety that is almost at bursting point.
To use a driving analogy, it’s the time to change gear so that we can run the race to the finish line and get there still enjoying the scenery!
For me personally that means using the three gifts method of empathy, explore and activate. Let me share what I mean with this example
- Empathy for myself and others. Let me take a moment to acknowledge my own anxieties around this time of year. My personal concerns for ensuring that I arrange and book proper down time over the holidays, concerns about work targets, growth commitments we have shared and wrapping up important deals. Then world concerns about wars in Ukraine and Israel, poverty and unemployment in Africa and every increasing climate change pressure. From this personal perspective how can I acknowledge empathy for those around me. My family, staff and wider community. We all face challenges in our lives. Using simple techniques for mindfulness and gratitude I can shift from tension and anxiety to place myself in my calm centre and powerful wisdom so that I am able to step into the next phase.
- Explore my options by setting aside time to revisit my intentions for the year and free my thinking to reach different ways to get those over the line. Creating a safe space to explore with my family and the team at work to bring our ideas together. Done in a creative way, this shared exploration will raise our energy and refresh us with a sense of excitement that allows us to uncover new ways to see and manage our solutions, and lastly
- Activate ourselves by selecting our few priorities and committing to getting them done.
This simple method removes the anxiety of needing to be right, needing to be the one with all the answers and lightens our load. The fresh ideas that come out of shared exploration allow us all to change gear and look forward to the hills ahead.
As I write this I can’t wait to get started – hopefully you feel the same way!