“What do I do?”
I remember asking my Dad this question when we were really little and would go along to help him out with his work.
Usually, it was a way of being cheeky because we could see he saw us getting in the way or playing around…
“Take a look around!” he’d say.
A lack of instructions is an interesting situation. Almost always, “not knowing what to do” arises not because the problem is too complex, but rather that we don’t want to try to “see,” or we are too scared to “do.”
Typically, we can break through in one of two ways:
- “Take a look around” – if you feel sick, don’t go in to work. If there’s a mess at the gym, clean it up. If there is a guest in your place of business, welcome them in… Looking around sounds bland, but it’s the first step in “seeing.”
- Learning to put ourselves on the hook by “trying.” A lot of times, we ask the question not because we don’t know, but we don’t want to try. We look for assurance. Fear of it not working, fear of it working, fear of looking bad, all can stop us from trying.
While a lack of instructions can feel frustrating if you’re going a hundred miles per hour, a lot of times it’s a great opportunity to slow down, look around and have a crack.
