Hmm, it starts with me

As I have talked with people whose inner committees are working overtime, a few ideas seem to be repeated and the top rated item is: the reaction starts with us. When the inner committees' chatter nearly drowns out everything else, people report that these tips often work for them:

• creating some distance and some quiet, THEN reflection can begin
• creating space to recognize that these voices aren't necessarily right, they are just loud
• diverting attention to something else - going to a movie, for a walk, to coffee with a friend, to Yoga - allowing a new perspective that the din overshadowed
• disenfranchising the committee - taking back control from this insidious bunch
• creating a new committee - re-reading thank you notes, recognitions, replaying a time when you were at the top of your game
• asking others for ideas, new contacts with whom to network, or simply to find out how they have kept moving forward when things seemed to have stalled
• researching a topic that interests you or benefits a work in progress - this often created forward momentum and unleashes creativity
• listening to favorite tunes, ones that make you smile or dance or sing
• taking a break, giving yourself permission to do whatever it is that rejuvenates you

I am sure there are others! These are just the ones friends and colleagues have found to be powerful, positive and rejuvenating.

Some folks have said the most important thing of all is to be aware of the power we have given the committee. And that awareness allows us to silence them long enough to listen to other perspectives. And that along helps us breaks through the logjam.

Interesting...