subject: Whose Afraid of The Big Bad Why? [print this page] Whose Afraid of The Big Bad Why? Whose Afraid of The Big Bad Why?
Why is a question fraught with difficulty, it needs to be asked with purposeful intent or it becomes just another 'explain yourself' type scenario which reeks of control. In a lot of ways why' is a misused and misunderstood tool for both business and personal development. It has by nature the core quality of curiosity and if used for the powerful intent of increasing knowledge and skill, then it naturally leads us toward developing a greater sense of accountability and responsibility toward our goal which means, ithas a greater chance of happening.
Why do we need to know why anyway? It may seem like a perfectly logical and easy question to answer but is it? If I asked in regards to any why question you may ask "why do you specifically need to know, what is the specific outcome you are hoping to get from asking this question" how many of us could answer.
As a Coach I have learnt to be very particular with any why question and unless it is asked with a specific value outcome for the questioned, I don't bother asking. Even with my own personal and business development I have always found I go forward quicker and with a greater sense of confident ease when I am questioning what I am doing from a position of resourcefulness. To be comfortable with this challenge, it all comes back to understanding why we do what we do and why we want whatwe wantand there lies the difficulty.
Most of you have heard the definition of insanity - repeating the same old thing over and over again expecting a different result. That I believe comes from not knowing how to get another type of result, not knowing what else to do. If we don't know what else to do then we stick to doing what we know and hope this time it will be different, except it rarely is. It's a bit like a pet mouse in one of those circular running wheels,it can go as fast or as slow as it likes but it aint going anywhere. It may be well exercised but its circumstance is still the same old cage, which is fine for a mouse maybe.
Ideas that turn into a successful action arethe beginning(the idea) and the end (successful achievement) of a process, a process that by nature is more spiraling than linear. Every time we achieve a goal we elevate our skill and knowledge base to another level. We can continue to head into new and bigger levels anytime or stay where we are. Movement up the spiral requires us to either expand and build on what we already know and do, or do something completely different.
The mindset that will allow us to take up the challenges inherent with growth is one that is prepared to test and measure, nothing new in that. The dilemma for many is we don't test and measure or even know how. To get beyond our own comfort zone of what we have always done and start toengage new territorylike any journey from here to there, it is much easier if we have a map, something that points the way.
In "A Manager's Guide to Self Development" (Page 8) M Pedler, J Burgoyne and T Boydell laid out a four step process which clearly states the journey in terms of the how to ensure success. Anyone that works with me knows creating success begins with putting success on your to do list, which means making sure success in whatever you wantis specifically on your values list and not in conflict with one that will bump it off. Our values are our major determinant of how we think, feel and behave so they are worth a look at. To do that please go to www.dreamtactics.com/e-shop/download-a-coach. I can't reiterate enough how important it is to make what you want, important enough to do.
Back to Page 8 and how we go about the process of successful engagement of our goal journey. Diagnose >Set the goal > Take action >Evaluate > Diagnose >Set the goal > Take action >Evaluate > etc.
Diagnose- Like a scientist of the self we formulate the problem we would like to solve or the solution we would like to find an answer to.
Set the goal - Once you decide what you want or set the goal then why is a great question at this point, what's your why? What is so important about this goal, think of five reasons why this is worth so much to you? Back tovalues, the why of what we do, we do what is important and if our unconscious mind doesn't think its important enough to do than forget it, you will not get to do it. Motivation is an emotion an emotional investment, an emotional investment is based on how important it is. Know your 'why' -it helps!
Take action - your focus is action, keep your focus on the goal, always asking how can I achieve this goal, how can I make this happen? The great presumption of how is there is an answer, somewhere sometime and I'm lookin, ready to see the signposts of possibility.
Evaluate- Is what I am doing working for me, am I getting the results I want, is what I want, happening, why do I think it isn't working. Whyin this momentis purely evaluative, no judgement, a curiosity which will lead tomaking a more informed diagnosis.
Why like any strategy if understood and used wellcan turn impossible into possible into probable into done.Success is a process, by evaluating our process we increase thechance for progress.
