Claim What You Control

Claim what you control. What does that mean? Well, perhaps it means different things to different people on any given day. Most of the time, most of the people do feel they are in control, until the inevitable happens. From out of the blue, something does not go as planned. It can be an employees not showing up for work, someone cancels an appointment or tells you they will return your call or it can be something really major like someone you love gets sick.
It seems to me these things happen to me in groups of three.
When I begin to feel a little edgy or OOC (out of control), I have to step back and evaluate the situation. What about this situation, am I in control of, what would the most desirable outcome to be and finally is there anything about this situation that I can control to make it better?
If there is positively nothing I can control in the situation, I have to keep moving. Find something else productive to do that I can focus on that may relate to my big picture goal.
If after analyzing the situation, I find that I may control a small part of the project or goal, I set out to do that task.
Many times goals require waiting on others, outsourcing, contractors, employees, strategic alliances, web developers, and business partners. It is usually easier waiting on people, but sometimes there is a breakdown in your systems, such as: computer crashes, technical systems, software glitches, ISP providers, web hosting and on and on.
When you claim what you control it really helps to reduce the friction and discomfort and gives you a plan to be productive. Along the way, you may even discover a better way of dealing with the situation if it ever happens again!
If you are systematizing the processes in your business, this kind of attitude will help you to develop step by step methods and ease the pain.
So make sure you are using the problem-solving method in all that you do. Most people have learned to do this innately, however if you are impulsive or extremely over-whelmed you may lose site of the importance of problem solving. After all, problem solving does lead to making good decisions in business and in everyday life.
I like the last step in the process called experimenting and gathering feedback ( some call it refining the process or the feedback loop). If you miss this part you are just not moving forward. Then you can refine your process and start over and hopefully get it right the next time.
So next time you are feeling OOC, make sure you STOP, to claim what you DO control and follow the problem solving process. In the end you will have better systems and processes to move forward with lightening speed.
Don't let anything or anyone hold you back. My husband has a favorite saying, Don't let anyone steal your dreams!
Go now and claim what you control and let me know the feeling of empowerment that comes from that!