Cathy's blog
Are you using your brain in the right way?
Wasn't there someone who predicted the end of the world in 2020?
If they did, I don't think they had this intermittent scenario in mind: the (temporary) end of the world as we know it.
I'll admit: when Covid hit in March, I wasn't sure what to think.
*Oh - they're overreacting - surely it's just another flu. Give it a couple of weeks.*
or
*Wow, that's it. I should never have started my own business. This is the end of us.*
or
*What an opportunity. Finally, some time to work ON our business, instead of just in our business.*
My mood and thoughts were all over the place.
Fortunately, what tends to calm me, is action.
So we worked ON the business. We stayed in touch with our clients, who were all impacted in different and similar ways.
We postponed things, improved things, had new assignments, went online.
If I look at Signum now, it's a different company than it was 12 months ago.
If I look at Impact Habits, it's finally ready to go to the next level.
If I look at us (me and my business-partner-hubby), we've become better, more mature entrepreneurs.
It wasn't a case of idealistically saying: How is this happening FOR us? I'm not that much of an optimist😉.
But we did ask: *How can we come out of this stronger?*
And we did.
I hate crisis and disruption as much as the next person. Scrap that - way more than the next person.
I love predictability, stability, safety.
But I don't thrive on it.
We’re not meant to live on autopilot all the time (though it's tempting, like French fries & Netflix)
Autopilot is just a very efficient energy-saving mechanism for everyday things.
Getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, making tea while starting my PC.
Fortunately, I don't have to think about these things. My autopilot takes care of that.
But autopilot sucks at setting the scene. Making bold plans. Dealing with sudden change.
The good thing is: it's not the only setting of our brain.
We can switch to our manual gearbox any time.
The best way to use our brain is to switch gears regularly.
And to do so with intention.
When you're doing habitual stuff - your getting up routine, your daily jog - it's perfectly fine to do them on autopilot.
You may decide to switch things around once in a while if you like. Take another route, eat another breakfast. But you don't have to.
But when it comes to the more important parts of your life: add focus, choice, and intention.
Lateral thinking. Scenario thinking. Preparing for the unforeseen.
In 2020, for me, autopilot has taken a back burner.
And the intentional part of my brain got a VIP place at the table.
It's been intense - but also satisfying.
What balance will you choose for 2021?
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