Drill #1: Bouncing Back From a Setback with X-Ray Vision

Drills, by their nature, are simple. The improvements that one sees, however, can be huge. I chose the first drill simply because it is short and fast. It holds within it, if practiced enough, a powerful skill that allows one to persevere through any adverse situation.

To be effective in what we do during the day, I think we can agree that a positive mental state gives us an edge. To allow ourselves to descend into a funk due to a setback, primes us for less than excellent results on our next project. The first drill that I use is one that is short, simple, and designed to keep me looking to the positive aspects of anything. It is designed to help me bounce back from a setback.

Drill Criteria

• The drill should be simple and easy to do
• The drill should focus on one skill
• The drill should be as realistic as possible
• The drill should be repeatable and be repeated often

X-ray Vision

Watching my son practice his chess game, I noticed that he would set up a position that would be considered bad. He would then try to find moves that improved his position. He tried to find good moves within his bad position.

This drill from this is easy and short. The name comes from the objective of looking through adversity to see the opportunities and potential benefits that may lie within. Find a negative situation that might be experienced in the future. Take a few minutes to close your eyes and imagine yourself in that situation. Feel the way it feels. Try to hear the sounds and see the sights that you might hear. Experience the emotion. Then, grab a pen and paper and list all the positives and opportunities which are embedded within it. Try to list at least five to ten advantages or opportunities in that lie within the negative experience. You will find that the truly important opportunities -- the ones that most people never see -- come after the first five.

Practice this daily until it becomes easy and second nature. When one actually finds themselves in a bad situation, spotting positives in a bad position should be an automatic response that keeps one from sinking into counterproductive mental states.

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Comments

[Rich]

Great idea-Thanks