Wednesday 1 August 2012

Perspective and Paradigm Shifts

It doesn't take much to create a paradigm shift in your life...



I was having what I would consider a "bad day" in my job hunting endeavours - one rejection, no follow up calls (two of which had been promised for today), and very little through my network or on the job boards of interest.

Then my daughter screamed from outside, where she was playing on the trampoline, and was just repeating over and over "my neck, my neck hurts".

In that instant, all of my worries about work transformed into petty irritations, if not total irrelevancies, and all of my focus was on my daughter, and hoping that she had not just permanently damaged herself.

Fortunately, one frozen pack of peas, some TLC, a cookie and one of her favourite TV programmes later, the neck pain had declined to merely "sore", and I felt that I was able to breathe again.

This episode though, does just highlight the importance of maintaining the appropriate mindset with regards to whatever you are doing. Whether it is job hunting (as in my case), working towards a presentation deadline, going for promotion, getting engaged, married, having your first child, it is important to ensure that you are not getting wrapped up in an introspective bubble, distorting your fears and concerns out of all proportion.

With planning and preparation, you will not need an accident as befell us to snap you out of your existing paradigm - merely having a preprepared mental image of "what if" ought to be enough to rearrange your priorities, and help you keep everything in proportion.

If you have not read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", by Stephen Covey (recently passed away, RIP), I strongly recommend doing so. Even if you do not agree with all of the content (as I do not), there is nonetheless something for everyone to take away and improve their self awareness and interactions with others.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Habits-Highly-Effective-People/dp/0684858398

“It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view.” 
George Eliot

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