Staying In Our Power – How To Use Our Corona-Moment To Be Better - Live a More Dynamic, Lower-Risk Life

__________________________________________________________________

How do we maintain a sense of power, a feeling of free will, volition, impact and control, when an invisible force like a virus can, and does, limit us suddenly and unpredictably?

__________________________________________________

We de-fragilize (1) our lives. Apply a bit of design thinking, and get going.

This turns external stressors into barbells, strengthening our habits, work prospects, and relationships. It transfers external power - be it from a pandemic, work situation or knotty home environment – into positive resources creating value. This is basic planning for inevitable grey swan events (those unlikely, but inevitable occurrences).

Here’s how we do it.

Open multiple options across major life domains: Work, home, outside interests, social, spiritual, etc. Stay curious. Be helpful. Build relationships.

This is done by:

1.   Constantly meeting people - Being curious about how they spend their time.

Asking to see and explore with them. This values weak social links (2), the source of opportunities. Start small. A goal of three new people per week may be enough to make life meaningfully more flexible and agile.

2.   Trying new things – Investing in the same areas is a deep, narrow path.

Over time it becomes constricting and hard to break out of when needed, making our livelihoods fragile. So, as we go deep in one work area or income source, pair it with exploration. It can be within our own employer. What do other divisions do? Business partners? Suppliers? Friends?

3.   Welcoming (even celebrating!) non-linear progress - This is real life.

Known inputs often lead to unexpected consequences. Some results happen fast. Some take time. And it’s OK. Options brew as we continually initiate chains of cause-and-effect, much of which we have little knowledge or control.

This is how second and third order effects work (3). Conversations, activities, noticing, learning. They breed options… Ways to keep paying the rent or mortgage, creating value and feeling happy. They keep us moving forward.

We’ll feel expansion in multiple directions. Life becomes ever more robust as we explore beyond the gifts of straight, singular, fragile paths of one job and all eggs in one non-essential, laid-off basket.

The Power Mindset

Our dynamic, option-rich lives are ones of patience and wonder. As we speak with more people and try new things, we’ll think, “What will happen next? I wonder how this will turn out?”

Nothing seems dull or irrelevant in this powerful, antifragile world. We know opportunities are marinating. They will come to fruition over time. They lurk around us…ever brewing.

With enough dynamism built into our daily interactions and mindset, prospects flow. They’ll be friendships, professional options, social pursuits, new habits, thoughts, behaviors and emotions.

Life’s Natural Flow

This opens us to the natural flow of life. It predisposes us to meander with prospects and relationships proffering possibilities. It’s a portfolio approach to success. One that enables us to better weather storms, like economic shut-downs and sudden health risks.

When pursuing only the common, narrow path, life can ossify. The same people, places, thoughts, habits, behaviors, emotional patterns, vistas and predilections. How happy is this? How flexible to pivot in a pandemic?

With 45% of Americans concerned about paying for groceries or rent (4), this is the path of too many of us. We need to meet new people, try things, welcome unexpected possibilities - that side hustle, conversation, new option. America will become less fragile, more resilient. More powerful. 

We can make these small changes in our lives that will – over time – help us thrive. Start with micro-movements, manageable enough to commit to. Even small steps count. It’s the way to stay in our power, to beat Covid-19, to become anti-fragile.  

In helping ourselves, we help others.

Meet people. Try new things. Welcome non-linear progress.

…and include a dose of self-compassion. We’re all in this together.

_______________

About The Author: Marcy Axelrod is a management consultant, speaker and author of On Your Game, How To Achieve in a World Designed To Knock You Off Your Game.

References:

1.     Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder (Incerto) https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680

2.     Weak ties: Granovetter showed that people with weak ties not only find jobs that the rest of the tight network cannot see, but those jobs come with higher compensation and satisfaction. This is especially true for higher-educated workers, like your typical engineer. Because more than 40 percent of jobs are found through referrals, understanding weak ties is an important factor for both job seekers and recruiters.

3.     Second and third order effects: Outcomes that result after the first, or direct consequence, of our behavior. They can happen soon after the first impact, or long after.

4.     45% of Americans concerned about paying for groceries or rent – Morning Edition, National Public Radio, 5/5/20