Left
Brain Right Mind
With everything that is happening in
business and the economy it is obvious that radical change is required. The problem is that we are not changing
our way of thinking.
In the past our attitude in business has
been driven mainly by left brain processes. Left brain thinking is all about
rationale, logic and analysis. It is about action, getting busy, meeting
targets – and uses the masculine approach to getting business done. Right brain
processing is about feelings, emotion, intuition, creativity, listening,
inspiration – what are traditionally known as more feminine characteristics.
Just like when a car is skidding out of control, turning the wheel in the opposite direction will stop the spin, so we as individuals are being asked to look at things another way. Whilst it seems counter-intuitive to turn the wheel the other way, it is the only thing that can stop the crash.
Just like when a car is skidding out of control, turning the wheel in the opposite direction will stop the spin, so we as individuals are being asked to look at things another way. Whilst it seems counter-intuitive to turn the wheel the other way, it is the only thing that can stop the crash.
A client with a successful business, and many of the symbols of success, came to see me because he felt he was struggling. He did not feel successful. He felt that something was missing; running the business seemed like hard work and home life just seemed to echo the feelings of heaviness and exhaustion he felt at work.
Journey without end.I know a lot of people, men in particular, who are caught in this pattern. They have achieved a level of success and yet don’t feel successful, nor are they able to enjoy the trappings of their success.
In fact, after years of work the only thing they feel is trapped by it all. They know there must be more to life than this and they want things to change, but they do not know how to go about it. Often the only way to get some kind of excitement back into their lives is to either create a situation that gets them feeling alive again by bringing their business to the brink of collapse, or have a change of career, an affair, buy a motorbike. Reckless decisions are made with little or no thought to the long-term consequences.
Stopping
the tailspin
With coaching my client was able to do the
counter-intuitive thing. Instead
of working on how to increase productivity, create bigger sales targets (which
would only increase his dissatisfaction and misery), we worked on addressing
the feelings and beliefs he had around his business and, more importantly,
himself.
He realized that he felt
resentful of having to work so hard, of feeling unappreciated by his family,
for having to be the provider. We
explored where these feelings and beliefs came from and discovered that he had
been working hard all his life to avoid feelings of failure and inadequacy.
With new awareness he began to apply a new level of thinking which changed his attitude and relationship not only to his work, but to his sense of identity. He began to feel less burdened by his business and felt inspired, motivated and creative – he even gave himself time off to pursue a long forgotten love of fishing. He now feels able to give himself wholeheartedly to his life, family and work.
And his staff and loved ones feel the difference too!
He realized that he felt
resentful of having to work so hard, of feeling unappreciated by his family,
for having to be the provider. We
explored where these feelings and beliefs came from and discovered that he had
been working hard all his life to avoid feelings of failure and inadequacy. With new awareness he began to apply a new level of thinking which changed his attitude and relationship not only to his work, but to his sense of identity. He began to feel less burdened by his business and felt inspired, motivated and creative – he even gave himself time off to pursue a long forgotten love of fishing. He now feels able to give himself wholeheartedly to his life, family and work.
And his staff and loved ones feel the difference too!
“You cannot solve a
problem with the same level of thinking that caused it”.
Albert Einstein
To be successful in the 21st century business needs a new level of thinking. I believe the only way business can achieve this is by rethinking itself, its purpose, its possibilities and conduct, and start leading the way forward in this time of huge uncertainty. Only when we are able to bring right-minded thinking to problems will solutions start to present themselves.
When my client accessed feelings underneath
exhaustion and inertia, he was he also able to reconnect with his more creative
side. With access to this part of
his mind was he able to uncover possibilities and find answers that he had been
seeking previously so desperately through hard work and exhaustion.
Business is good – and so is life.
Business is good – and so is life.
If you would like to explore a revolutionary
new level of thinking about your business, contact Guy at info@themillarmethod.co.uk
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