Are You Going To Sink To The River B.E.D Or Row Yourself To Shore With Your O.A.R?

Hey, that rhymes!

Long title aside, this week’s newsletter is going to be short and sharp.

Imagine you were in the middle of a river sitting in a canoe and it sprung a small leak. Are you going to sit there in denial as the canoe fills up with water and you sink to the river bed, or do you act quickly and use your oar to row you to shore?

This is the scenario and question that introduced me to one of the tools I utilise (and adapt) the most when identifying behaviours, beliefs and mindsets that either hinder or help my clients move closer to their goals.

It is also the tool I remind myself of often that helps me get up and out of bed to write this newsletter at 5:30am a few mornings each fortnight (it helps that I am an early riser but still, the point remains).

Ok, ok, so what is the tool, Crystal?

The tool is a behavioural model called ‘Above or Below the Line’ and it provides a simple, yet powerful, self-accountability check to determine if your actions and beliefs are either hindering or helping you move forward towards your goals.

Do you want to find or have a better relationship with your partner?

Then are you believing you are worthy of love and doing the actions it takes to learn how to have healthy communication and a secure attachment (i.e. key relationship skills)?

Or are you believing that ‘relationships shouldn’t be hard work’ and thinking this means that you shouldn’t need to grow, develop or learn how to build and maintain a relationship?

Do you have a side hustle idea or a passion you want to pursue?

Then are you believing it is possible to achieve, that you can succeed? Are you doing the actions required to launch your idea or pursue your passion?

Or are keeping it as a dream because it is easier than trying with the potential of failing?

Do you lead a team of people and want them to be cohesive and high-performing?

Then are you believing in, and valuing, their expertise, empower them to make decisions, ensure the systems, processes and resources are in place to ensure your team is well supported, and invest in their professional and personal development?

Or are you believing they don’t know what they’re doing, think it is ok to expect them to pick up the extra workload when a team member leaves because ‘that’s what a team does’ or choose not to invest in their professional and personal development because ‘what if they leave’?

Every day you get to choose your beliefs, thoughts and actions.

So are you going to choose ones that help you move forward towards your goals?

Or are you going to choose ones that will have you sink to the bottom of the river bed?

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Thank you for reading this fortnight’s newsletter!

Until next time —

Crystal McKendrick

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