Do you have a work challenge you’d really like to change?
Counterintuitively, doing nothing can be a very productive first step when we want to make change happen. This approach to change is based on the “paradox of change” principle: “change occurs when we become what we are”.
Rather than trying to make something new or different happen, instead we spend time really understanding and being with how things are. This helps to establish a firm footing in the current situation, and it’s from this present and aligned foundation that movement and change naturally occurs.
This reflection exercise supports this approach by developing your understanding and experience of your current work challenge, allowing ways forward to naturally emerge.
To start
- This reflection exercise shares a sequence of open questions, feel free to answer them in a way that works for you – pause or stop whenever you need to
- To start, take a moment to figure out how you’d like to approach this: Would you prefer to think, write or type your responses?
- What does getting the most out of this exercise mean to you, and what will support this?
- As you notice more, respond to what your body might need in this moment – perhaps warmth, a drink, movement, a loo break, etc
Start with where you are
- How has this week been for you so far?
- Choose an object in the room that represents your week:
- What about the week is similar to your week?
- What about the form of the shape is similar to your week?
- In what ways do the colours of the object represent your week?
- How might how you’re feeling influence what comes up in this exercise?
Describing the challenge
- Thinking about the challenge or problem you’d like to make progress with, describe this like you would to a friend who is a good listener
- How long has the challenge been around for?
- How is it impacting you?
- How is it leaving you feeling?
- How is it impacting others?
Understanding the challenge
- What is the hardest thing about this challenge from your perspective?
- What makes this hardest thing particularly hard for you?
- What else is happening that makes it challenging for you?
Your experience
- As you explore this challenge what feelings come up for you? Try to really acknowledge these, whether they are big, small, subtle or stark.
- Where do you feel tense and at ease?
- What do these feelings ~ your body’s language ~ tell you about the challenge?
Where are you now?
- As you reflect on the challenge now, what are you thinking?
- What, if anything, has shifted for you?
- Are there ways forward you’d like to note or consider?
To close
- What have you found interesting about this exercise?
- What’s the most important thing that emerged?
- Is there anything else you’d like to note?
- Reflection can bring up useful, moving and interesting things – whatever has come up for you, what do you fancy doing now?
I hope you found this reflection exercise useful. I always welcome hearing your experiences and feedback, so feel free to get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to share.
If you’d like to receive emails from me including more exercises like this along with inspiration to support you through the highs and lows of making change happen for yourself at work then sign up for my newsletter in the footer below.
