Personal leadership is expansive thinking – learning to be more, do more, and achieve more by thinking in powerful ways. Pay attention to your usual thought patterns and change the ones that limit you or hold you back.
One easy way to practice is consider this: are you an either/or thinker or can you embrace both/and?
Either/Or
Either/or thinking means thinking in black and white.
- Either I can make a difference or I can make money.
- Either I can be relaxed or I can be accomplished.
- Either I can be happy now, or I can be happy later.
Either/or thinking is an extremely restrictive, yet common, way of viewing the world.
We can box ourselves into a corner believing we can either have this or that, and we force ourselves to make a choice.
Not so. You can integrate the things you want to get them all at once.
Both/And
Both/and thinking means combining ideas for a more streamlined, synergistic approach. Just look at how a simple change in wording can shift your perspective.
Either/or: Either you can work a less crazy schedule or you can keep your job.
Both/and: You could both work a less crazy schedule and also keep your job.
Either/or: Either you can retire, or you can stay busy and active.
Both/and: You can both retire and also stay busy and active.
Either/or: Either she can exercise and rest, or you can fulfill your responsibilities.
Both/and: You could both exercise and rest and also fulfill your responsibilities.
Just reading these sentences, can you see how both/and thinking opens up the possibilities? By practicing both/and thinking, you’ll start to see different aspects of your life overlapping to get the real synergy going. Then the momentum will take on a life of its own.
How can you pull together the different parts of your life so you can both be a better leader and also lead a better life?
Fill in the blanks and ask yourself the Both/And questions on the worksheet (or online: www.theinneredge.com) in as many different ways as you can.
How can I both__________________________________ and also __________________________________________________?
To find more guidance on being an expansive thinker, visit www.TheInnerEdge.com and use the free worksheet called Your All.
Please join us for The Inner Edge Book Club! This month we will be practicing Both/And thinking for a more innovative approach to “having it all.” For more information, click here or email.