SCOTTRODGERS.TV

Are You In The Zone?

You know when you’re there.  Your passion comes to life.  You’re energized.  Your skills are activated.  Your strengths are engaged.  You stay up late.  You get up early.  There’s not enough time in the day.  You’re possessed with a purpose.  That’s what it’s like when you’re in the zone – that sweet spot where your life becomes a mission.

When you’re in the zone there’s nothing like it.  When you’re not, there’s nothing like it.

When you’re in the zone, fight like crazy to stay there.  When you’re not, fight like crazy to get there.  Are you in the zone?  If so, stay there?  If not, what do you need to do to get there?

What’s your zone?

Sometimes things don’t go our way.  We experience unmet expectations.  We’re hit with bad news.  Our marriage takes a hit.  We lose a job, a business, a friend.  Or, we just let ourselves down.

I’m an optimist.  I’m also a realist.  We all have bad days.

When life seems to spin out of control, we are still in control of how we respond.  In every circumstance we have a choice.  We can choose the way of the winner or the way of the whiner.

Winners own it, learn from it, and move on.  We take responsibility for our response.  We gain wisdom from the situation.  We keep going because we know tomorrow is coming.

Whiners deny it, place blame, and hold on.  Whiners choose to become the victim by blaming their reality on everyone and everything else.  They learn nothing from the situation.  They get stuck in bitterness, unforgiveness, and failure.

The choice is yours.  The choice is mine.  Will we choose the way of the winner or the way of the whiner?

It’s easy to mistake seniority for experience.  Seniority without teachability is just time.  10 years of seniority + teachability = 10 years of experience.  10 years of seniority – teachability = 1 year of experience, 10 times.

Here are some behaviors that come with being teachable:

Ask for feedback.  What can I do better?  Where are my blind spots?  How would you approach my situation?  Those who aren’t teachable don’t look for feedback; they look for a pat on the back.

Live as a learner.  Ask questions.  Pursue knowledge.  Make observations.  Listen more than you speak – that’s easier said than done.  Experiment with new ways of doing things.  Those who aren’t teachable don’t live as a learner; they like to be the expert.

Don’t be defensive.  Stop making excuses when receiving feedback.  Receive it, process it, and adjust.  Even if you disagree, look to learn from it and increase self-awareness.  Those without teachability are too defensive.

Are you leaning back on the past through seniority or leaning into the future by being teachable?  What in your life isn’t working?  Look for some feedback.  Learn something new to bust through.  Don’t be defensive, be on the offensive.