Stop trying to fix the world ? ?? and try this on for size ??

First off, what I get into in this article is purely intended to invite perspective into your thinking. Do with it what you will.

I'll be the first to admit that I thought could change the world. Not only this, but I assumed that my ideas or the inspiring dreams I heard from others were better ways forward (relative to what exists currently).

Sound familiar? Maybe your version of changing the world is slightly different, but I think you get my point here.

What this amounted to was me resisting the here and now - what is. It led me to feel frustrated by the 'system' and that people needed to 'wake up'.

I'm curious what you've felt...maybe disappointment, sadness, enraged, hurt, isolated...

As I ponder how I'd been going about thinking the world needs to change or be fixed, I can't help but think how Egotistical it was.

?? If you feel uncomfortable...stay with me...

Have you ever heard of ACTIVIST BURNOUT?

• Activist burnout is a phenomenon that occurs when a political or social activist feels overwhelmed, frustrated, hopeless, or depressed, usually after a period of extensive activism. (Good Therapy)
• 4 Reasons Why Activists Burn Out
• Black Activist Burnout: 'You Can't Do This Work If You're Running On Empty'
• Activist Burnout Is Real – And You Probably Need to Read These 4 Ways to Manage It

?? I realize this may seem disheartening to accept that you are not going to change the world. There are larger forces at play beyond our realm of knowing. The pendulum of life continues to swing back and forth and will continue to do so regardless of what you do or don't do.

I'm not saying don't do anything. I'm inviting you to consider some different perspective and see if it works for you. Here it goes...

What is a trim tab and why should you care? 

Trim tab = An adjustable tab or airfoil attached to a control surface, used to trim an aircraft in flight or a boat in the water.

Here’s a story with a client of mine:

"I was doing some core values and motivations work with a client last week where he realized his thinking had been at a very macro level which wasn’t enough to inspire action – he had been delaying taking action. He came to realization that the more specific he was about the micro actions he could take, it became easier to take actions that were meaningful to him. He also realized that he doesn’t need to try to do it all at once – rather it’s about micro adjustments to one’s actions that can lead to big changes over time. 

 Here are a couple other perspectives to consider: 

Amy Edmonson, a Leadership Professor at Harvard Business School, says: 

"Business leaders must recognize the trim tab principle. Don’t wait for the rest of the industry to act first. Just get started. Contribute, through action, to building pressure that pulls on the rudder and ultimately changes the course of the ocean liner. Of course, when you’re changing social systems, it’s hard to know the precise mechanics of the influence your business actions can and will have. But it’s a given that your business won’t have any influence at all if no changes are made." 

?? What are the changes you can make in your sphere of influence as a leader?

?? What's a small shift you can make in your business or organization today that models the change you wish to see in the world?

Val Jon Harris, CEO at Diamius Multinational Consulting Firm, says: 

 "A Trimtab moves directly into the currents that oppose it. It actually uses opposition, adversity, and resistance to accomplish its goal. A Trimtab relies on the forces pressing against it to leverage its power. Using opposition in this way is uncommon yet extremely powerful.... 

Val goes on to post some questions:

?? “...How do you engage with opposition?

?? What new possibilities might arise if you shifted your mindset to embracing resistance instead of fighting it or ignoring it?" 

Here are principles I continue to come back to as I reflect on trim tab...

Focus on what's within your control, which is not very much. Truly, it appears that all that is in our control is how we respond to the present moment. Whether it's something happening externally (people, situations, circumstances, etc.) or internally (our thoughts, emotions and behaviors). We can CHOOSE to respond consciously or we can react unconsciously.

Tinker. Experiment. Take one step at a time. Then take the next. There are no shortcuts to change. Real life will give you feedback. From each step, greater clarity emerges and it becomes more clear on what step to take next. Notice the consequences, outcomes, results, impacts of your steps. Small changes to your behaviors can lead to big changes later. Are your actions (your trim tabs) taking you closer to what you want or further away? Adjust as necessary. Practice humility and grace.

Let go of trying to change everything out there and focus on what's here and now. How can you start modeling the changes you wish to see in the world? Focus on you. When you do your part (as a trim tab), things change. When enough people model the change they wish to see in the world, major shifts can happen (assuming there's alignment, haha). Nothing will change unless YOU change. Let go of your expectations that something should happen on your timeline - it's not how the game of life works.

What's on your mind as you take this all in?