Have you ever attended a meeting where someone was droning on and on…and you just wished that you could take a remote control and put them on “mute”? Or, even better, change the channel to another, more interesting discussion?
If you think about that familiar mantra—accept the things you can’t change, have the courage to change the things you can, and possess the wisdom to know the difference—I’ve found that one of the best ways to take greater control of your life is to imagine that you have a magical “Life Remote” available to you. Because you do. While you can’t control everything, here are some of the remote control buttons that you can push at various times throughout your day, when needed:
When you wake up in the morning, you need to hit the Power button to start your day. While this will vary for each person, think about what it takes for you to “power up.” It could be jumping in a hot shower, having that first cup of coffee or a hearty breakfast, meditating or exercising, reading the news, or listening to music. Whatever it is for you, think about what’s going to “empower” and energize you to start your day on full strength.
OK…you get to work and now you’re ready to hit the Play button. But you also need to “check your local listings” (that is, your calendar schedule) to make sure you’re tuned to the right “channel” and watching the right show at the right time. If you’ve ever missed a meeting or shown up at the wrong place at the wrong time, you know what I’m talking about.
Let’s say you are in that first meeting of the day, and one of your colleagues is delivering a presentation on the latest departmental figures. There are times you may want to use your remote and hit any of the following buttons…
• Pause: “That’s a great point! Can you hold that thought for a second…?”
• Record: “I’d like to write that down so I don’t forget it!”
• Rewind: “Can you go back a minute and repeat what you just said?”
• Volume: “Can you do me a favor and speak just a little bit louder, as we can’t hear you in the back of the room?”
• Fast Forward: “I see from the clock that we only have about five minutes left. Can we jump ahead to the end so that we can discuss next steps and ‘who’s doing what by when’?” (As a side tip: ending every meeting (or conversation) by determining and agreeing on “Who’s doing What by When” is an effective way to establish accountability and improve productivity. More on that later.)
• Stop: “OK, I see that our time is up; see you all next time.”
These are just a few examples—using a meeting as a sample scenario—of how you can use the TV remote control as a metaphor for taking greater control of your life. But what are some others?
Do you need to change your Volume by speaking up and speaking out more…or, perhaps, less, by knowing when to stay “mute” and just listen?
Do you feel you are being heard and understood, or might you benefit from hitting the Closed Captions button, or translating your message into another language?
Do you occasionally need to hit the Guide button and ask for help?
Or the Search button to find whatever it is you’re looking for?
Everyone’s busy, but do you make the time and take the time for your Favorites?
And do you make time to hit the Info button to learn more?
Is it time to change the Channel to a new career?
If you feel like you are always On Demand, do you still find ways to occasionally Power off so as to avoid burnout, or to hit the Pause button, allowing yourself time to relax and to reflect?
Do you need to find a way to Recharge yourself by changing your batteries?
Again, while you can’t control everything—especially other people—in a lot of ways we have a lot more power than we think. So it may help to remind yourself on a daily basis that you hold that power right in the palm of your hand.
In Review
The Big Lesson: Act as if you have a magical remote control that gives you the power to take greater control of your life…and know that you have the power to press those buttons accordingly.
The Big Question: What are some areas of your life in which you would like to take greater control…and what buttons can you push to make that happen?
Your Insight:
Your Action: