I find that people are inclined to take immediate action when they are negatively impacted in a material way.
Their manager leaves them out of an important meeting.
They get passed over for a promotion.
They must do a task which causes a lot of personal discomfort.
These are the moments that cause pain or hurt and our survival instinct kicks in.
Unfortunately, this feeling can quickly pass and we can revert to justifying the status quo.
This is even with the awareness that another painful event could be just on the horizon (and the cycle repeats).
I encourage my clients to hold onto these body blows when they happen.
I help them understand that if these events conflict with their principles or their career prospects, then they deserve to keep this memory alive to drive effective action.
And if they’re building a bank of body blows, soon enough they’ll begin to question these justifications.
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