Are you sleep walking through your life?
Well are you alive? Do you have pulse? At best, are you sleep walking through life? Are you wandering from one thing to another not particularly enthused by anything, maybe grumbling when you have a chance, spreading your vague dissatisfaction but wishing you weren’t?
Are you keeping company with people who are dull and dusty? Do you work in an industry or a company which is really a zombie? Slowly dying, but not aware of their slow decay and certainly not in the market for anything lively or exciting?
Deteriorating as slowly as possible is not a life. Denying that we are just deteriorating as slowly as possible is not a life either.
6 symptoms of stagnation and deteriorating as slowly as possible
John Olgbert listed 6 symptoms of a community that is “slowly deteriorating”, stagnating in self-satisfaction and lack of urgency.
1. “Phoning-it in”
We go through the motions. We take short-cuts. We do our second-best work in the belief that we are so good that 2nd best is good enough. When we are challenged, we even argue that no one will notice – and probably laugh.
Assessment: What task will take the longest this week – either in one go or when you do it repeatedly? Are we going to try a new way of doing it or are we going to use the same methods and words that we have recycled for years?
5 If you will add a completely fresh and flourishing look
3 If you are making an improvement
1 If you are following a script written by you or by any one else.
2. Cynicism
When other people do better than us, are we are jealous or envious or admiring and curious. Do we find some way to diminish the successes of others so that we don’t have to take any action ourselves, either to catch up, or to advance our own dreams?
Assessment: Who does what we do so much better than we do? What do they do that we would like to do just as well? Or are we able to dismiss our dreams readily with “don’t have time”, “not important”, “not my priority”? Of course not, :), that’s why we noticed in the first place.
5 I know someone who does a better job than I do and I watch what they do with curiosity
3 I am jealous of someone but I do try to find out how they do what they do
1 I don’t care!
3. Nostlagia
We spend more time describing what used to be and how good it was than talking about what we are doing now and the people we are with now.
Assessment: What were the best conversations that we had during the week. How many were about the past and how many are about now!
5 Our enjoyable conversations about now exceed enjoyable conversations about other times, other places and other people by 5:1
3 Our enjoyable conversations about now exceed enjoyable conversations about other times, other places and other people by 3:1
1 Our enjoyable conversations about now exceed enjoyable conversations about other times, other places and other people by 2:1 or less
4. Few volunteer
We don’t volunteer to lead and no one else does either! Fewer and fewer people want to be part of this game!
Assessment: How many young people are banging on you door to be taken on as an apprentice? How many tasks did you volunteer to do with a spring in your step knowing that this is a community that you really want to be part of?
5 We have more good volunteers for leadership positions and they volunteer without cajoling
3 We have enough good volunteers for leadership positions but we have to put some effort into attracting them and rewarding them
1 We have not been able to find enough people to take on leadership positions
5. Dull tasks don’t get done
The little things that make the difference don’t get done and feel like drudgery.
Assessment: Do you spend all day chasing people to do what no one wants to do?
5 Everything is shipshape here and I wonder how and when all this work gets done
3 Work gets done but I do have to make a list and double check
1 There are small tasks everywhere that are yet to be completed
6. Self-importance
Even though the celebration is over and we are in a new race with new people and new priorities, we are still introducing ourselves as winners of the last race.
Assessment: We are rightly proud of what we achieve and so is every one else. Everyone admires us and we rarely hear any negative feedback. Of course, everything is perfect around here 🙂
5 We are alive to differences in opinions and interests and when we agree to differ we do so respectfully expecting to join forces on other projects
3 We do have goal but we expect to be respected by our rivals
1 Rivals? What rivals?
Rate your life and your involvement with our community and company!
I’ve used this to rate the various places I have worked. It provides a good summary of when we should be thinking of “recrafting” our jobs. A rating less than 25 and we should we listening to Dr Rao on Googletalk (YouTube) and doing some career housekeeping!
Of course, if you have rated 18 or below, you will be feeling so energy less, you will click away and look for another diversion. Do you yourself a big favor and right this minute, right a short summary of your day, figure out what you could do better. Then right away, write down Why you did so well. Do that now. Recover your life. Fall back in love with life again. Even if it seems the most impossible thing to do. Begin.
