You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control your perspective.
We are all brilliant at seeing things our own way – it’s part of what makes us unique. When we face challenges or circumstances outside our control, however, we can very quickly come up against the limits of our own perspective.
Much of the work I do as an executive coach is helping my clients see their circumstances differently. It doesn’t matter what your position or job title is, the ability to shift perspective is absolutely key to finding a way through challenges, being innovative, or becoming a better leader.
You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control your perspective.
Shifting perspective is something I personally grappled with when fighting chronic illness for much of my early adult life – I was unable to change the circumstances of the illness but I could change my approach and attitude towards it. It was an essential aspect of being able to better cope with the daily struggle.
Sounds simple. It isn’t. Anything to do with changing our behaviour is difficult, it takes hard work and persistence, but is well worth the results.
Here are three tips on shifting your perspective:
(Feel free to add yours in the comments below)
1. Get outside of yourself.
Shift the focus from yourself to someone else. The easiest way to do this is to do something for someone else. Maybe that’s stopping to talk to your local barista, or the homeless person you pass on the way to work, or maybe it’s making an effort to talk to that employee or colleague you have yet to engage with.
2. Listen.
Seek out other perspectives. This requires listening, really listening; the sort of listening that requires practice and mindfulness. Not just hearing, not just having a conversation, but actively listening to someone else.
Be curious, explore the other person’s view, and try and see things how they see them.
3. Do something different.
Seems pretty obvious. Common sense really. The problem with things we see as common sense is doing them. It is in the doing that we shift our view.
What are we doing differently? Who have we spoken to? How have we approached things differently?
How do you shift your perspective?
* The headline is borrowed from Anton Ego, in Ratatouille.