There’s a famous quote defining insanity as doing the same thing again and again, yet expecting different results. We laugh because on the face of it we recognize the futility of such behavior while also being aware we’ve each been guilty of doing exactly what is being warned against.
Do you wonder, along with me, what’s going on that this is such a universal experience we joke about it?
My theory is that we often get so focused on the result we want, that we don’t stop to realize we’re still using a method that’s been proven to fail. Even if you know your approach isn’t the best way to go about handling a situation, still, you want something to be different.
And that’s exactly what I recommend:
Notice when you’re not getting what you want and instead of blaming the other person for not giving it to you, challenge yourself to try something different. Look at some change you can make in what you’re doing that might work better at attracting what you want.
Click on the above image to download and print out the 2-sided worksheet. Cut into 6 cards that, folded in half, will fit nicely in your wallet.
Think of each one as a mini science experiment. Write down a problem you’re struggling with, then think of a new, positive behavior you can try. Test it out and discover what you can learn from doing something different. Repeat, using your new information to get closer and closer to the results you want.
This can be tough to do on your own. When you care about something a great deal, it can be hard to step back and look at the “big picture” of the situation. If you’re stuck, find someone to help you. That’s one of the things I do–help people get unstuck.
Maybe you remember a time when you were trying to get a different result by doing the same thing, but then experienced a shift that helped you go about it in a better way. What happened that you could bring that about?
