Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable-Evaluating Your Current Situation
As we continue our journey of becoming the courageous CEOs of our own lives, this week's focus is on evaluating our current situation. It's a time to pause, reflect, and take a sincere look at where we stand in our personal and professional lives. This introspection isn't just about taking stock of our achievements or the setbacks we've encountered. It's about understanding the alignment between our actions and our deepest values and aspirations.
Just like a CEO scrutinizes every aspect of their business, take this time to scrutinize your life. What are the elements that make up your day-to-day? Are your current routines, habits, and the people around you contributing to your growth and happiness, or are they holding you back? Remember, the environment we cultivate significantly influences our capacity to thrive.
Reflecting on the goals and aspirations you've set for yourself. Are your daily actions propelling you toward these goals, or are they leading you astray? It's easy to get caught up in the immediacy of tasks and responsibilities, losing sight of the bigger picture. Use this time to realign, making sure that every step you take is a step towards where you truly want to be.
An example of this is for a long time I had the habit of compulsively checking my email first thing in the morning. There was generally some perceived emergency that drew me in, and I immediately started my workday. It was a small habit, but it set a reactive tone for my entire day and became a drain on my health and values. When I went straight to work, I didn’t take the time to get a workout and focus on my Bible reading. Those two activities give me energy, lower stress, and keep my priorities aligned. Changing that habit to delay the start of my work engagement allows me to be more productive and create more value in less time.
And speaking of alignment, let's talk about diets. We all know that person who decides to eat healthy but somehow convinces themselves that chocolate cake is a vegetable because, well, it contains eggs and milk, right? Just as we can't cheat our way to health with quirky diet justifications, we can't shortcut our way to our aspirations. Our daily actions, like our diet, need to reflect our ultimate goals - no sneaky cake exceptions!
Being comfortable with being uncomfortable means recognizing that growth often requires us to step out of our comfort zones. Evaluate the challenges you've been avoiding. Ask yourself, what's holding you back? Is it fear of failure, discomfort with uncertainty, or something else? Embrace these discomforts. Each one presents an opportunity to learn, grow, and become a more resilient version of yourself.
That leads me to this week’s challenge… Write down the areas of your life you're avoiding scrutiny in. These could be habits you know are detrimental, relationships that aren't serving you, or professional goals you've been hesitant to pursue. Acknowledge them. Then, take the first step in addressing these areas. It could be as simple as having a difficult conversation, changing a small daily habit, or setting a clear intention for a goal.
As always, I'm here, taking this journey with you. Share your reflections, your challenges, and your victories. Your stories inspire and remind us all that though this path may not be easy, it's worth it. Because in the end, the quality of our lives is a direct reflection of the choices we make, the challenges we embrace, and the people we choose to become.
I’m thankful that you were willing to go to work today, that you took the time to read this, and for being a part of what makes this world wonderful!