INSIDE OUT APPROACH

The fundamentals of transformation

BY Archana Law

Life moves quickly! Technology is evolving too fast and outpacing our ability to adapt. The globalised world is also becoming more fragmented and chaotic with too much data coming at us all too fast.

We know more about global politics, world events and celebrity relationships than any previous generation. Yet, we are often baffled about ourselves and the people we spend the most time with.

So what do you do? To deal with the situation and fit into the new norm, you need a different approach – an inside out one…

TRANSFORMATION In many ancient societies, the phoenix was a symbol of strength and rebirth. It lived for hundreds of years at a time. And when it began to feel weak, the creature would arrange a stake for itself and burst into flames. After being consumed by fire, the phoenix would rise from the ashes and begin a new life.

Change is constant. Transformation can be described as a process of profound change creating new perspectives, directions and results. For instance, Shell redefined itself as an energy business from being an oil company; the internet turned into the World Wide Web thanks to hyperlinks and browsers; and organisations such as Zappos gave their customer service agents free rein to make clients happy instead of providing instructions on handling their calls.

From outside, transformation can appear as magical as a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. But when we look deeper, there are definite principles at work that make it more of an art than a science in both personal and professional arenas.

Self-knowledge and a strong sense of identity help us to stay grounded when things spiral out of control. These qualities enable us to achieve a greater sense of personal security and reduced anxiety.

Here are a few brief descriptions to help you with a modest self-evaluation without inflating or diminishing your talents. Use the information to identify how you handle stress and could apply this knowledge to transform into a better version of yourself.

CONTROL You want freedom, independence and to be in control. When the situation is out of your control, you feel restricted, demotivated and stressed.

Tip: Focus on the bigger picture and your quantifiable goals. Even small steps help. Don’t get trapped in tempting power struggles because they appear to provide opportunities for immediate wins.

INFLUENCE The loss of influence, being sidelined or restricted on flexibility and lacking social acceptance can be quite stressful. You love teamwork, and are very friendly and approachable. And situations in which you are expected to focus on very detail oriented tasks entailing limited interaction with others will drain you.

Tip: Look for opportunities to move, meet people and interact. However, don’t forget to practise self-discipline to remain organised. If not, more stressful times await you in the near future.

STABILITY You are uncomfortable with unexpected changes, unstructured situations and surprises, and these can cause you immense anxiety and stress. If things are running smoothly, you consider changes to be unnecessary interruptions that may create more work for you in the short term.

Tip: Take a deep breath and don’t allow yourself to feel overwhelmed. Reflect on how you have overestimated the amount of work involved in the past, and remind yourself that you always execute consistently and get things done. Don’t forget to delegate. Others will help you.

ORDERLINESS A lack of accurate information, unclear roles, and the absence of rules and guidelines are stressful for you.

Tip: Try to let go of achieving perfection as it is rarely attainable. Above all, give yourself permission to make mistakes. As you know, everyone else makes them as well! Replaying them in your mind will only cause you more stress.

Recognise and respond to the warning signs. Let’s assume that you’ve started to identify how you’re responding to the changes around you… What’s the best way for you to intervene when the transformation is underway?

Explore your limiting beliefs. Once you commit to a certain decision, belief or way of thinking, it’s hard to change – because humans don’t like being inconsistent with what they’ve already committed to. This is known as ‘confirmation bias.’

As motivational speaker Joel Olsteen says: “The words you put after ‘I am’ determine the quality of your life.” It’s simple and profound; and yet, many of us don’t realise how much of an impact our internal dialogue has on us. Once you put a trait after the words ‘I am’ and believe it firmly, everything that happens in your life becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Inventor Thomas Edison said: “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” So let’s give ourselves a chance!