Making a Case for Change
Welcome to the Me, Inc. process: How to Master the Business of Being You.
If you were the CEO of a mediocre company, what would you do? Well, you know what? Whether you like it or not, you are the CEO of Me, Inc. The key question is, are you leading the life you want to be leading—an exceptional life, and not just an average one? Chances are, you’re not leading the best possible life you could be living. And no one sets out to live a mediocre life. It just happens to us along the way. I think people are always living in one of three zones: the Complacency Zone, the Crisis Zone, or the Purpose Zone. People living in the Complacency Zone are stuck in the status-quo—even though they’re not happy about it. When you’re in the Complacency Zone, it’s as though you’re aimlessly drifting along a river, letting the currents take you where they may. You could make an effort to set and reach goals, but you aren’t motivated to do so. The Complacency Zone is a dangerous place to be. Like the Free Parking space in Monopoly, it feels safe, but hanging out there for too long means that you’re missing the game. People in the Crisis Zone are hemorrhaging but often don’t know what to fix first. Maybe they’ve spent too much time in the Complacency Zone, not paying attention. Or maybe they’ve just hit a particularly rough patch in the road. If you’re in the Crisis Zone, you frequently feel lost and overwhelmed. You don’t have enough time or energy to plan for the future because you’re too busy just trying to make it through the current crisis. You want to be living in the Purpose Zone. If you’re in the Purpose Zone, as many of the people I have coached over the years are now that they’ve completed the Me, Inc. program, you’ve already mapped out your course. You’re actively guiding your life toward your desired destination. If problems do arise, you know how to fix them. What zone are you in? Sometimes the answer is difficult to determine. Use this tool, the Quality of Life Index, to figure out where you stand:
Quality of Life Index
For each of the following items, please rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 (1= not at all satisfied, 3= neutral, 5= very satisfied).
- My overall quality of life _____
- How I manage my time _____
- My daily stress level _____
- My productivity level _____
- My physical health _____
- My sense of purpose/direction in life _____
- How well I am fulfilling my various roles (e.g., mother/father/husband/wife/son/daughter/employee) _____
- How successfully I am attaining my career goals _____
- How well I am adding value to my community _____
- How much effort I devote to self-improvement _____
So, you may now be realizing that you need to make some adjustments in your life. Change is a difficult process for both businesses and individuals. There’s something safe and reassuring with what we already know… it feels good. But there is always room for improvement to live a happier, more productive and better-balanced life. Find the cause that rallies you to kick-start the challenging yet rewarding process of self-improvement, also known as your Burning Platform. Imagine yourself standing on a 20-foot tall wooden platform that has caught on fire. In order to survive, you must decide quickly whether you will try and put out the fire, call for help or jump. Regardless of which course of action you choose to take, the fire makes you feel the urgent need to take action. That’s what makes it such a crucial first step in your journey to self-enhancement.
