Provision #635: Broaden Your Focus

by Bob Tschannen-Moran

Laser Provision

Sometimes it's hard, in the thick of the fray, to maintain a positive focus. On those occasions, it may be time to step back and look the situation over from a distance. Viewed from the right vantage point, opportunities become visible in ways that might otherwise be unimaginable. So do yourself a favor and unplug from the daily grind. Step back to the 10,000 foot level. Appreciate your strategic advantages. Then, once your mood has improved, reengage with the zest that comes from a positive outlook. Today's Provision shows you how.

LifeTrek Provision

• Step back
• Think
• Organize your thoughts
• Proceed

Sounds simple, right? The trick is to actually take the time to do it on a regular basis. Tim recommends short STOPs, periodically throughout the day, as well as longer STOPs to gain more perspective and strategic advantage. Here is how Tim introduced the tool in the Inner Game of Work (2000):

Performance momentum is like being part of a fifteenth-century army fighting off an enemy with swords in a valley between two mountains. While you are engaged in active fighting, your focus is very narrow. You are totally occupied with the immediate threats and opportunities within a few feet of where you are fighting. Perhaps you are fully aware of only the person you are fighting and peripherally aware of one or two potential foes or your compatriots fighting near you. The demands of the immediate situation take all your attention – as well they should.

Now imagine that you take a few moments to disengage from the action and move a few steps up the hillside. Immediately, two things happen. First, you are removed from both the threats and challenges of the fight and all its physical and mental intensity. Second, your perspective has changed. From your more elevated position, you have the advantage of an expanded point of view. Instead of being aware of only a few soldiers, you may be able to see your entire unit. With this improved perspective, you may see where someone needs your help or where there is an advantage to be taken, and you can change your tactics accordingly.

If you allowed yourself the time to take a few more steps up the hillside, your view would be further expanded and perhaps you could view the tactical situation of your entire division. And if you went to the very top of the hillside, you could view the entire valley and gain a strategic view of both armies at once. The increased disengagement and elevation from the battle would give you a broader perspective and the ability to make more clearheaded choices. If you should conclude that this a battle worth fighting, you could determine where you could make your best contribution and reengage in the battle with clarity and a renewed sense of purpose.

In other words, when you broaden your focus, when you travel up the hillside, when you view things from the 10,000 foot level, it's easier to have a positive attitude about what's going on. That's because as you get up higher you lower the intensity and see more options. Even when the situation is difficult or challenging, a broader focus can reveal a way forward. As Tim Gallwey notes, "Our best and most creative thinking usually comes when our minds are quiet and relatively relaxes, and it often comes when least expected. Creative people have learned to keep notepads by their beds and showers for this reason.

So take Tim's advice and win the Inner Game with frequent STOPs. When the going gets tough, the tough STOP going – before they start going again. That's the positive advantage of champions that you may not have heard about before. Go, go, go is not the secret to success. Start – STOP – Start is a better way to go forward in life.

Coaching Inquiries: How addicted are you to performance momentum? How often do you take time to stop and think? How would you describe the quality of your life right now? What would it take to gain perspective on what is going on? Who could you talk with to see the forest from the trees?

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LifeTrek Readers' Forum (selected feedback from the past week)

Editor's Note: The LifeTrek Readers' Forum contains selections from the comments and materials sent in each week by the readers of LifeTrek Provisions. They do not necessarily reflect the perspective of LifeTrek Coaching International. To submit your comment, use our Feedback Form or Email Bob..