Home
>
Success
>
Want Better Outcomes? Check Your Perspectives!

Want Better Outcomes? Check Your Perspectives!

In my work with clients, the issue of perspectives comes up quite often. Usually, I have to give my clients a quick refresher on what it is, and why it is pertinent to our discussion. Being good at choosing perspectives is so helpful that I thought it worthy of an article.

What is a perspective?

The definition of perspective that fits best for my discussion is "a specific point of view in understanding or judging things or events." Perspectives are not facts. They can be completely true or completely false. But they have huge influence over our lives.

To illustrate what I mean, one of my colleagues once had to address a problem with his work group where two individuals had completely different perspectives on each other, and were both rigid in their positions. To illustrate the point that there are more than one way to look at something, my colleague had these two individual sit facing each other, then showed them a rubber ball and asked what color it was. One person answered "red" and the other "black".

As it turned out, both of them were correct because the ball was half black and half red. From their respective perspectives, they were both right. But from the other's perspective, they were both wrong.

What I am trying to convey is that there are often many, many different ways to look at a situation, and we can consciously choose what perspective we hold. We can take that ball and choose the perspective that it is red, or it is black, or that it is half red and half black.

Why is that important?

Our perspectives have great influence over us because it impacts how we feel, how we think, and how we act. In other words, perspectives can run our lives.

Here's another story from ancient times:

A man walked into a quarry and ran across a worker. He asked him, "What are you doing?" The worker replied, "I am cutting stone." The man walked on a while longer and ran across another worker, and asked him, "What are you doing?" The worker said, "I am building a cathedral!"

How's that for different perspectives? Both men were doing the same work. Which one do you think was more inspired to go to work everyday?

So, when you are faced with a challenging task, do you want to think of it as cutting stone or building a cathedral? Which perspective will motivate you, or empower you, or get you excited? What kind of effect on the work product do you think these different perspectives will have?

What can I do?

So, here's my advice on using perspectives to your advantage. When you are in a funk, or you feel overwhelmed, or frustrated about something, here's what you do.

1. Notice and tell yourself that you are in one particular perspective. Figure out what it is. Is it the "I am in over my head and can never get this right!" perspective? Decide if this current perspective is helpful or not. If not?

2. Think of a different perspective you can have about the situation. How about the "Big projects are made up of little parts, so I can tackle one part at a time, and before I know it, I'm done" perspective?

3. Think about how you feel about the situation from this new perspective. Does it put you in a good frame of mind?

4. If this one doesn't do it for you, try another one, and another one, and another one until you land on one that works.

5. Once you've found the perspective that you like, choose it and stay with it until you feel the need to change.

From this new powerful perspective, you can go out and build your cathedral. You just have to choose it.

"The circumstances of the event will be essentially the same no matter what perspective you are in, AND your way of looking at the situation has enormous impact."

So, set yourself up for success by being aware of what your perspective is and if it isn't useful to you, choose one that is more helpful. Because the better your perspective, chances are, the better the outcome will be.

? 2004 Inez O. Ng

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Do you need some structure and accountability to propel you forward? Personal Coach Inez Ng has worked with professionals and entrepreneurs to transform their aspirations into reality. While focusing on specific areas, her coaching positively impacts all areas of her clients' lives. Learn more about coaching with Inez at http://www.realizationsunltd.com

maid service near Bannockburn ...

In The News:

New research shows Americans increasingly trust AI for wellness guidance over social media, with 63% finding artificial intelligence reliable for health.

Luxury fashion brand Dior experienced a January 2025 data breach affecting customer personal information, and notifications were sent months after the discovery.

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tesla vehicles manufactured since mid-2021 with AMD Ryzen processors can now access Grok 4, xAI's witty conversational assistant designed to make drives more engaging.

Want Better Outcomes? Check Your Perspectives!

Success