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

Ancona limousine airport .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

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

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

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

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

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

Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.

The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.

Arcturus sets up cameras around the edges of baseball stadiums to capture real-time action and generate a 3D digital clone of the game.

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

The CyberGuy explains why healthcare organizations are vulnerable to hackers after there have been a half dozen data breaches this year.

Developed at two California universities, the innovative technology combines brain-computer interfaces with advanced AI to decode neural activity into audible speech.

Want Better Outcomes? Check Your Perspectives!

Success