Paralysis

Let’s talk about paralysis – specifically decision or action paralysis. Many smart people become paralyzed when faced with uncertainty, or an unprecedented situation. The need to be right, or to do the right thing

According to The Responsibility Process®, we love to be right. In an unprecedented situation, there’s no right answer. Right and wrong have to do with the past. They have to do with approval by others. They have to do with being right.

If you’re practicing responsibility, you don’t care about being right. You want to be free, powerful and at choice.

“What should I do?” and “What’s the right answer?” map to shame and obligation in The Responsibility Process.

Wanting to do the right thing keeps us below the line of Responsibility. Wanting to do the right thing keeps smart, ambitious, caring people, from being free and taking ownership of their lives and situations.

In this time of unprecedented change, how do you take action?

Sometimes there’s a mess. Sometimes there’s uncertainty. Sometimes there’s chaos. When you’re feeling paralyzed, I invite you to ask – what do I want about the situation?

What do you want about the situation? 

If you study The Responsibility Process, you know that asking that question helps you find your intention. Intention is one of the three big keys to responsibility. This question invites our minds to take ownership and start using our own genius and inspiration to find our own “right” actions.

I invite you to check in with yourself and ask if you’ve been paralyzed. Is there someplace you are stuck in terms of taking effective action? Is there a situation where you’re unclear on the right answer?

You’re in a novel situation. There is no right answer, so I invite you to let being right go.

I invite you to face your areas of paralysis by asking yourself what you want about the situation, whether that’s your house, your mortgage, your employment, your business or anything else.

Ask yourself what you want about the situation, then listen to your response.

To see how others faced their freakout, check out our webinar series.