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The Stress Cycle is that never-ending cycle of short-term
focus, external motivation and reactive decision-making
that results in stress, anxiety, burnout and depression.
The Balance Cycle requires long-term thinking, clarity
of internal motivation and pro-active decision making.
The vehicle for moving from the Stress Cycle to the
Balance Cycle is a personal vision for your life and
your career. This is a picture of yourself in the future
that is meaningful and fulfilling for you. It can help
you at each turning point when you make decisions about
your life and your career. It can help you every day
to make those small decisions that add up to the Stress
Cycle or the Balance Cycle.
The process of creating a personal vision that has
the power to change your life must involve all of the
following behaviors:
- You must stop. The Stress Cycle
keeps you in constant motion. You must give yourself
a period of empty time to do the work of getting to
a personal vision. Block out significant time over
several weeks or months that are scheduled and inviolable.
- You must get outside of your systems.
Next to stopping, this is the most difficult step.
You need other answers than your family, friends or
corporate systems can provide. Their stock of answers
is virtually identical to your stock of answers. What
you need at a turning point is the ability to take
a fresh look at your answers and preconceptions. It
takes time and energy, but the payoff can be significant,
both in terms of success and of satisfaction.
- Go explore. You must engage in
a structured exploration of all eight critical factors:
stage of development, abilities, skills, interests,
personality, values, goals, and family of origin.
If you leave one out, it may well be significant.
It can be the blind spot in your vision that forces
you to stumble back into stress and crisis at the
next turning point.
- Creatively integrate all eight of the significant
factors. It is too complicated a task to
perform logically. How do your values interact with
your goals? How does that relate to your natural abilities?
These are not linear questions. You must use your
creative mind.
- Make it work in the real world.
A personal vision that is just an idea is not complete.
You need to bring in information from the real world
to make it a useful tool for your life.
Top
Dr.
Cheryl Leitschuh, Ed.D. is a Leadership Development
Consultant. Her focus is to create measurable results
in career satisfaction, motivation and productivity
for both the individual and the organization.
Practice services include:
- Career Development assessment, retreats and coaching.
- Practice Develoment coaching and assessment.
- Key leader development and assessment.
- Executive Coaching.
- Team Coaching.
- Performance Improvement Coaching and Assessment
- Speaking and training on key aspects of workplace
development.
- Succession Planning.
651-398-7151
Cheryl@career-future.com
www.career-future.com
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