If you want to get better, start here

You’re dissatisfied. Good. Now, the question is: where to start, to make the changes you want to make?

Start here.

Start with acceptance. And in that light, let’s start with Koberg and Bagnall, the creators of a wonderful little book called The Universal Traveler, which is where I got the illustration above, which will be the roadmap for this brief article.

Picture it.

If you look at the picture above, you’ll see a design process from the Universal Traveler that will move you from where you are to where you want to be. Notice that the first step in the design process, no matter what you are designing, is acceptance. In the picture it’s called “accept situation.” Why is that? It’s because you have to start where you are. No matter what you want to improve, you will want to start with where you are. Otherwise, you’ll be spinning your wheels (sound familiar?)

You don’t want to.

And I know you don’t want to start where you are. You want to start with where you’re going. But the problem with starting anywhere but where you are is that you won’t feel the gap that motivates you to move, between where you are and where you want to be.

Let’s take an example.

For example: let’s say you want to be a better leader. So you go out and buy a bunch of books about leadership. Great. Except for the fact that until you address the tiniest little problem that until you can lead yourself you can’t lead others, you’ll be living in a dream world of self-help books. That’s right! You have to start with accepting the fact that you aren’t leading yourself all that well, before you can even begin to think about leading others.

Get real.

All of which means you need to get real if you want real change. Just start with where you are. It’s all right there in the present moment. The shame, the desire. Accept it all, right where you are in the present moment, and you’ll be ready for real change.

Key point:

If you want to make something better, start with where you are.

Read more.

I can help you see what is happening right here, right now. From there we can make a plan to get better at anything you want to improve.