How To Escape Escapism

Jerry Seinfeld once tweeted ‘where do forest workers go to escape from it all!?’ One of the definitions of escape is - ‘to get free of’ or ‘break away from’ something. We’ve all, at some point, felt that need to escape and just be away from it all - businesses, jobs, relationships, marriages etc. Not so?

Perhaps, however, the only thing we should escape from is escapism itself.

This may just be me, but I find my desire to escape is most heightened when I am bored, un-stimulated, imagining alternate scenario’s I think will be more fulfilling or I am literally just sick and tired. I have found that considering the following questions have helped me escape escapism:

• How energised am I?

When we are low on energy our perspective shifts into negative gear. Escapism becomes tempting. You are responsible for your own energy management - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I am amazed at how a simple bit of exercise allows me to look at my situation differently and thus approach it in new ways.

• Am I living intentionally??

What we most need to do is also what we are least likely to do. Often when we live in a reactionary way finding ourselves at the mercy of what the environment dishes out to us. With the feeling of lack of time and space, the obvious solution is escape. Wrong. The way out is to be intentional about what we most need to do daily despite whatever habitual patterns or negative cycles it might mean you have to break.

3. Am I connected to the ‘why’

If we are unsure about why we are doing what we are doing we will experience doubt. Why did you start what you did in the first place? What was your vision? In a world where it is so easy to focus on ourselves, being connected to the why helps us focus on others and how we can contribute.

In a nutshell, sometimes the only way around is through. Your context may feel like a trial. That trial could be an opportunity to develop your character as you persevere and try new ways of engaging with whatever is causing your need to escape. It may be preparing you for the next level which requires greater capacity.

All the best escaping escapism.

[Disclaimer: the following article does not mean that you should not leave your current context. Please just consider it before you do!]

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Perspective is an Interesting Concept

Over the past two days I have worked with a great group of people where the topic of perspective was spoken about at length. A bit of context: The company I am partnering has 4 values, one of which is 'PASSION'. We know that a value such as passion can't be taught. In fact we hardly speak about passion. We talk about perspective: Because (positive) perspective determines passion.

Perspective is liberating. Our thoughts and our actions (which end up as reality) are determined by our perspective. It is so easy to slip into a negative perspective. A colleague once said 'Nothing in life has meaning except the meaning that you give it'. What this means is that there is so much which wells beneath the surface when it comes to our perspectives. The more I work with it the more I see the following 3 areas in our lives either breaking perspective down or building it up.

1. Our own self talk
What we tell ourselves determined how we feel about it and what we do about it. Simple! We need to check our own 'internal language' and make sure that we are having positive conversations with ourselves.
• Right now what are you saying to yourself?
• If you had to access your internal conversations with yourself how would you describe your language?

2. Our limiting beliefs
What you have experienced in life has a huge bearing on what your perspective is at any given moment. As we experience life we develop our own lists of 'I can' and 'I can't'. So often the I cant's are simply a perceived reality which is not necessarily true. Anything that begins with an attitude of 'I can't' has already being marked with failure.
• What do you fear most? how real are those fears in reality?
• What can you do today that you would normally shy away from because of perceived beliefs? (do it and watch what happens!)

3. Lack of knowledge
I haven't saved the least for last here. This is one of the easiest to work with. Build knowledge. Lack of knowledge leads to assumption. Assumption and Perspective are enemies!
• What can you read that is relevant to your context in order to build knowledge?
• Who do you need to speak to (what questions do you need to ask) to minimize perceived assumptions that exist?

We all want to feel passionate at the end of the day. Rather than wait on the environment to make you feel that way, why not use your own influence over your own perspective and see what happens.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Past, Present and Future

Right now where’s your headspace? Past, present or future?

Reading the most common quotes leaves you with an overwhelming sense of encouragement to live in the present. In the now! In leadership, I have come to realise that this balance of engaging with all three of those arenas is a delicate one. I have also come to realise that residing in just one is both impossible and ineffective. So where should our headspace be? When do we give time to history? When do we look ahead to where we are going? When do we engage with the present?

The complexity of this dynamic can be tricky. The beauty, however, is that it gives us the best opportunity to truly lead. Because it’s actually all about context, isn’t it? When we spend time in anyone of these three zones and at the same time completely ignore the other two we enter a danger zone. For example, if your vision yields the history irrelevant, I think you missed it.

You have a vision for what you lead. What you lead has history. What you lead has factors influencing it right now. Plus there’s vision. Enter the tension. Some of it rubs you up the wrong way. Some of it you love. BUT the fact is ‘it’ is bigger than ‘you’. Leading authentically is about engaging with ‘it’ first, then influencing that context with who ‘you’ are. ‘It’ needs you. ‘You’ serve it.

So where does this leave us? Most writings about the present refer to the natural tendency for leaders to worry about the future or dwell in past failures. That does not serve us or our teams. What we need is a different set of questions.

About the past...
• What has added value up until now that we would like to continually develop and leverage off?
• What has been ineffective or potentially damaging that we would like to shift away from?

(Basically what do we need more of and what do we need less of?!)

Let’s jump to the future...
• What could the future look like if what has been working well continues to grow?
• How does who I am & what I bring influence (serve) and enhance (add) to this?

(Basically if this thing grows and my strengths / dreams influence it as well where will we end up?!)

Then, back to the present...
• What do I need to be intentional about today?
• What distractions do I need to avoid?

(Basically how can I best make a difference with the time I have today?!)

‘You’ need to avoid becoming ‘it’ and ‘it’ cannot become ‘you’. If you lead, it means you are not alone. Communicate and ask these questions together. Listen. Learn. Feel it more than you think it. Because if you feel it, you are where you most need to be...

Present.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com