Life, in all its ups and downs, requires the ability to hold steady in the face of challenges. What do we mean by holding steady?
It’s a multi-faceted concept including the capacities to:
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manage yourself
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listen
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stay quiet
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deliberate
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wait for when’s the right opening and what’s the right response
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self-discipline
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keep your eye on what really matters
So what can help us to develop this quality within ourselves? Some suggestions to help anchor within when facing an obstacle…
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Find your sanctuary – a place where you can hear yourself think and detach from pressures.
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Cultivate patience – sometimes we just need to take a breath, stay quiet and wait for the long game to play out
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Talk to your confidant – someone you can trust; someone who will give you honest feedback; someone who will help put you back together again; someone who will be patient with you
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Keep your eye on what really matters – is this something that really matter to us or can we just let it go?
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Free yourself from the myth of measurement – not everything can be measured; not all our achievements can be reduced to a number, a percentage or a graph; measurement is a tool but it does not capture all truth
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Find your allies – those within an organisation/system with us who enrich our point-of-view; we are often stronger together.
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Give yourself permission to take pleasure, heart and joy in your work – there is often much noise around us focusing on the next step, the next idea, the next target. Remember to take time to just be proud of yourself and be happy with what you have already achieved.
Including some of the above suggestions in the rhythm of our lives – both personal and work – can help us to hold steady when buffeted by storms and come out the other side.