Breakdown, Breakup, Breakthrough

Making change seems insurmountable. Before us often looms wants and needs while having less. Finding ways to think and feel more effectively is becoming harder and harder. Unless we stop ourselves this downward spiral can become devastating. we can feel beaten down and up. Ben Zander says it best in the his wonderful book The Art of Possibilities.

"I am so sorry for you,
you're lives have been so easy.
You can't play great music
unless your heart has been broken."

Understanding that feeling sorry for ourselves gives us very little chance. Becoming a creature that focuses on results and then simple processes has much greater potential for sustainable and successful change.

The company is failing. The career is tanking. The project is stalled. Let's move past the heart break and get to work with a new three step process.

Breakdown: This is the phase where you analyze, outline and brainstorm all that is happening in the situation. Be detailed, leave out none of the essentials. Identify all the thoughts, feelings, actions and results related to what is causing you pain.

Ask: "How can I break down the problem to what is causing all the angst?"

1. Lack of money
2. Lack of friends
3. Lack of time
4. Lack of a plan
5. Lack of goals
6. Lack of clear focus
   
7. Lack of action
8. Lack of accountability
9. Lack of creativity
   

Sound familiar. And this is only a short list. Keep the list going.

Breakup: This is the phase where you take your list, find common themes and prioritize.

Ask: What is the best way to break this list up into practical and realistic elements.

If you actually look at the above list, it can at first be broken up into 3 major categories:

• Resources (Money, friends and time)
  
• Planning (Plan, focus, and goals)
  
• Action (Action, creativity and accountability)
  

Now look at your list and break that list up into no more than 3 or 4 major categories. Keep in mind that we are working towards creating a manageable list.

Breakthrough: Think of this phase as getting your life back, your hope back and ultimately your success back.

Ask: What can I do right now, today, to actually help me to breakthrough at least one barrier that is holding me back?

Resources - Find a mentor - Call a colleague, friend, former boss that you highly respect and ask for help in managing time and money

Planning - Get lots of blank paper, flip charts are great, identify where you want to focus and set goals.

Action - For one goal outline a very specific action plan, be creative and hold yourself accountable.

A simple process - Breakdown, breakup and breakthrough! Now it's your turn. Let me know how it works out.