Let's begin at the beginning. You have challenges. You have issues. You have enemies. All of the above would be true for any of us -- from slacker to slave, from victim to hero -- but there is actually one very small but highly distinguishing characteristic: perspective. Yes, the thing that makes mountains out of molehills--and vice versa--is undoubtedly the key to success or failure, and the common thread through the story of every hero.
Something interesting about perspective: it can be found, lost, and regained -- although sometimes elusive, it's always attainable. Through the next week, we will explore the various things responsible for our lost perspective, and talk about how to get it back.
I was about to say that there are three things that generally rob us of our proper perspective, but that would imply that it can be taken from us, by force. The fact is, unfortunately, we sometimes "lose" our perspective as easily as we misplace our keys, cell phone, or glasses, in much the same was as we "lose" track of time while dinner is burning on the stove...The causes are the same, so let's explore them in the context of that analogy (one with which I am intimately familiar -- burning dinner).
THE NEMESIS: "I burned the dinner because you forgot to remind me to take it out of the oven."
Ah, yes...the arch enemy responsible for every lost or ruined item. Whether it's the children that hide the TV remote, or the unsuspecting (and equally innocent) spouse who misplaced or moved that critically-important envelope, we are always looking for someone to blame for the things we lose ourselves. The culprit can be real or imaginary, but, usually just an excuse to shift the accountability for our own choices elsewhere.
THE TRAP: "I burned the dinner because I misplaced the recipe, then started looking through the papers in the kitchen for it, then the office, and thought it might be in the closet, but then I gave up and started looking for it online, and my computer died because I can't find my charger..."
Traps, pitfalls, and stumbling blocks all have one common factor: they are only as effective as our corresponding weakness. If we are undermined by things that require being organized, it's because we are disorganized. If we can't seem to meet deadlines, it's because we are poor planners.
THE DIGRESSION: "I burned the dinner because I was trying to fold the laundry and pay the bills online, then my friend Facebook-messaged me, and we started talking, and then I started checking my email, and I got a phone call..."
A recent study concluded that the human mind is incapable of actually, literally multi-tasking. We actually shuffle between thoughts on the various tasks we are trying to perform all at once. The result is often inefficiency and error. Trying to pursue too many things at once can be your own undoing, and this also explains why we are easily distracted and sidetracked from our goals --even our daily goals.
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