I certainly have been in that position before. In fact, I was recently talking with a group of colleagues and we concluded that while we’re all completely satisfied with our own status quo, we get frustrated when others are satisfied with theirs.
Why is that? Well, it’s easy to look at someone and begin a sentence, “If only you could just …
- Finish something you started
- Stop being so set in your ways
- Be more open minded to new opportunities
- Communicate more
- Get over your ego
It’s hard, though, to apply the same scrutiny to our own lives. We have egos.
We tend to not see our flaws. However, if we so desperately wish others could change, they likely wish the same about us, too.
A useful exercise is imaging that you are one of the stakeholders in your life – a trusted colleague, an important client, a spouse, best friend or sibling. Then, complete this sentence from their point of view: “If only you could just …”
It might be surprising to realize how frustrating we can be to other people. This knowledge can be incredibly useful as we seek to grow, develop and improve relationships. And any action that we can take on this guidance will help us shake up our status quo a bit, too!
