One of the most important aspects of creating success involves a delicate balance between two somewhat opposing forces ? REFLECTION and ACTION. This balance is very similar to the balance of Yin and Yang in the Tao philosophy.
Most successful leaders in business or elsewhere are seasoned veterans at creating an ongoing balance between the reflection of where they are now and the action of pushing toward where they need to go.
Consider the variety of personalities that exist and how they can be represented by the analogy of Ready, Aim and Fire. There are those can be described as Ready, Ready, Aim. They are always planning and never moving to the action. Then, there is the opposite who could be described as the Fire, Ready, Fire. They are always acting but never reflecting on where they are or where they need to go. This means that they are often spending effort that becomes wasted effort or at least effort that is inefficient.
No matter what our personality style, true success comes when you can initiate a balanced cycle of Ready, Aim, Fire, Ready, Aim, Fire, Ready? You don't spend too much time in either the state of Reflection or of Action.
It should also be mentioned that in teams, individuals may play different roles in the Ready, Aim & Fire analogy. Some focus on the reflection roles and others on the action roles. This is valid as everyone has different strengths. When it comes to leadership (and we all have leadership roles) and our personal lives, we must take control and be active in both parts.
Stumbling blocks to success and specifically to creating the Tao of Success include acting too often without any sense of direction or spending too much time reflecting without creating outcomes. Do either of these descriptions sound like you?
So, what can you do to create more of the Tao of Success in your life. The first thing would be to understand that both components of the Tao of Success are active verbs. You are either actively reflecting or actively doing something. SUCCESS is NOT about INACTION.
The next thing to consider is whether you can spend time reflecting and acting at the same time? The short answer is? sort of. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. This is an important point for us to remember when we are considering focus and balance in our lives. It is also important in the Tao of Success. You can be going through periods of reflection and action at the same time but the truth is that at any specific moment in time we are only spending energy in one of the two areas. We may switch between yin and yang quickly enough that we "appear" to be supporting both at the same. The reality is not true.
The wonderful thing about the Tao of Success is that it applies to our personal lives, our extracurricular lives and our business lives. Whether you are goal setting, working on your motivation, working on personal development or working on your professional development, you can implement the concept of the Tao of Success.
A good way to remember the power of the balance of Reflection and Action is to consider a child swinging. When a child swings, they put energy into the swing during the motion part of the swing. Then, they have a moment where they are completely motionless where they still have a great deal of potential energy. Then, instantaneously, this energy is released in a new direction.
Then, the cycle continues over and over again creating REAL RESULTS.
To find out what is the most important skill required with regard to the Tao of Success, please subscribe to Food for Thought, our newsletter that will make you stop and think.
Go to http://www.mindscape.ca/subscriptiontao.htm
Paul has always researched and studied the fields of human performance and personal & professional development. As an engineer, Paul is extremely interested in how things work - the mind being one of the most fascinating. Paul has lived a life of opportunity and abundance, which has included living and working overseas in Africa and the Caribbean. He is a retired I.T. consultant and executive, a husband and father of 2 boys, and has conquered marathons, triathlons, and Mount Kilimanjaro. This wide background of experience has all supported his research. Paul lives a life of success by practicing the Mindscape Principles.
To have Paul Frazer speak to your organization or for more information on Paul Frazer or Mindscape, his speaking programs, his book, Stop, Drop & Re-Balance: A Self Renewal Manual, his newsletter - Food For Thought, or just to contact Paul, please call 613-264-3791, or visit his website at: http://www.mindscape.ca/subscriptiontao.htm
Oswego taxi to Midway ..According to Bill Gates there are 3 keys to success... Read More
Imagine you are a fire. Fires burn at different levels... Read More
A person who is illiterate can look at a word... Read More
Fighter pilots have an awesome responsibility. It takes a unique... Read More
One of the first things most of us remember hearing... Read More
Everything we do in life involves risk. There's no growth... Read More
With three kids, a business, a husband with a business,... Read More
I call the following seven belief lies of success, taking... Read More
It is often said that the only things in life... Read More
Success is something that happens all by itself once you've... Read More
Pain. All of us have felt that emotion some time... Read More
Have you ever heard this? "It isn't whether you win... Read More
This revelation hit me the other day while I was... Read More
They say that if you really want to stretch yourself... Read More
So you've bought into the idea that you need to... Read More
Change is one of the biggest concepts facing today's society.... Read More
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our... Read More
Do You Know You Have the Power to Harness Huge,... Read More
Champions expect pain, endure pain, and never complain. ---UnknownAfter so... Read More
You must play by the rules. Everything has rules. You... Read More
With the long-term trend of protecting employees' individual self esteem... Read More
Two weeks ago we took a look at the power... Read More
Here are 3 powerful steps you can take to free... Read More
Arsenal Football Club were the Champions of the Premier league... Read More
Do you think you have an "average" or perhaps an... Read More
shuttle from Midway Morris ..Knowing when to disconnect, shut it off, unplug, or walk... Read More
So you want to expand your horizons by securing a... Read More
"Enthusiasm is worth any pot of cream ever offered."Can you... Read More
Success is a word that is much used in our... Read More
I've long been a student of those who have achieved... Read More
When you look into the eyes of a winner, what... Read More
The most important quality you can ever develop is having... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
For our family, the Fall is filled with Friday Night... Read More
Human beings are visual creatures. Our imaginations are powerful tools... Read More
Think out of the box, they say. But what's a... Read More
Here are the 3 elements of the "Purpose" leg in... Read More
We've all been driving down the road and seen those... Read More
Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague,... Read More
Want to make success a habit in your life? If... Read More
How do you define success?According to the Collins dictionary, success... Read More
Trust is a cornerstone of human existence. It is interesting... Read More
Most of my clients had a vision of the contribution... Read More
I am constantly approached by people when I am speaking... Read More
Do you sometimes feel that you're living a boring life?... Read More
From time to time I receive correspondence from individuals with... Read More
In this week's New Age Notebook, I am going to... Read More
Friendly competition Get together with a group of like-minded friends... Read More
Challenges posed by recent economic and market shifts, though predicted... Read More
Are you on the right track?Stop for a while, look... Read More
Success |