|
|
Previous Editions
December 20, 2005
Event + Response = Outcome
It was a frosty evening, as the story goes, when the young woman set out on a walk around the neighborhood. She soon came upon a man who was down on his hands and knees, looking for something in the pool of light spilling from the streetlamp overhead. She stopped to ask if the man could use a hand. "Sure," he said. "I lost my key."
The pair spent the next hour in a fruitless search. "We've looked everywhere with no luck. Are you sure you lost it around here?" asked the woman. "Actually," replied the man, "I lost it across the street but this light makes it easier to search out here."
How many times have you gone looking for the solution to a problem in a place where the answer could not exist? Be honest: didn't you know deep down that you were wasting your time and energy? Despite that knowledge, didn't you decide to choose an ineffective response? What might have happened if you had chosen differently?
Jack Canfield the author of The Success Principles taught me this simple yet powerful formula, back in 1992,a formula that provides the results we experience in life: Event + Response/Reaction = Outcome (E+R=O). In other words, every outcome we achieve is a direct result of how we respond to a particular event. You can either react to events which occur in your life or you can choose to respond in order to achieve the routcome you want. Stephne Covey refers to this as "Begin with the end in mind". Always remember that effective outcomes require effective choices.
A primary difference between people who are successful in life and those who are not is in how they respond to situations. Successful people understand that events do not dictate the outcomes they experience; outcomes are determined by the choices they make in responding to the event. Blamers and complainers know it takes less effort to procrastinate, grumble, and slump in self-pity than to take action. Successful people do not blame or complain. They choose. They act.
You are where you are because of the choices you have made. nothing else. If you are not where you want to be,start to choose differently. Behaving and choosing the same way and expecting different results is a sign of insanity according to Einstein. As 2006 approaches, it is time to start looking at different options if you don't like where you are or where you are going.
While your mind may play both collaborator and devil's advocate, know that it is up to you to decide what you want to change and then make it happen. If you are not certain how to accomplish that, give me a call. Coaching is available. This year I undertook the in depth study of personal coaching, and I am now a Six Adviosrs Caoching Academy coach. This has been one of the best experiences of my life. Every great athelete gets to the top of his game and stays there by hiring a great coach. How do you plan to get to the top of your game?
< Go Back
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
