We know new insights come to us when we look at things afresh. But it’s remarkably difficult to do that properly. Our minds get very comfortable with a particular way of looking at things, and of looking at people.
That’s my experience anyway…
Just before the holiday time, I had what I hope is a breakthrough insight about a family member—one who has some challenges, which are not of his making; challenges that we have been living with for the best part of a decade.
The thing is…
We’d settled into an approach based on a particular belief about what we were dealing with. In a sense, we had it handled.
Except we didn’t really…
After a particular experience observing the person concerned, and whilst reading what at first sight was an only obliquely relevant magazine article, with some of the practical issues going on literally in the background, it dawned on me that there is almost certainly an additional dimension to the situation we had completely overlooked.
One that offers some possibility of change.
It scares me, if I’m honest, just how much has to align for us to see things afresh. It could so easily not happen.
Here’s the thing…
The more committed we are to working on an issue, the more at risk we are of a kind of tunnel vision about it—missing signposts to other possibilities.
So what do you do to make sure you truly take a fresh look?
It’s much more easily said than properly done.
I do know it begins with facing the issues and going over the ground in lots of different, even deliberately off-axis ways—at the same time being both immersed and stood back; sort of seeing the situation out of the corner of your eye.
With effort and a little luck…
A breakthrough may await.
Have a great 2015.