Managing means doing
Dr. Joel Klein told budding therapists at The Institute of Child Study that his best advice for managing depression was to keep busy and to be with people (he said he wasn’t big on drug therapy). That’s very clever because those are two things you feel least like doing when you’re feeling down; if you do them, you’re pushing back, you’re more likely to feel a tad in control.
Everyone has their own way of being with people/friends. The “keep busy” part of Dr. Klein’s prescription is more amenable to the sort of advice you might get from a column like this, so here goes.[1] Think of something you might do as if it was a project. After we take a bird’s-eye view of managing a project we’ll look at the three things required for positive outcomes.
The Project Life Cycle
Plan, design, build, test, communicate, execute, review: like the seven shakras from the ground to the cosmos, these steps develop, synthesize and focus your energy.
Your project is certain to involve others (bonus!). As you conceive it and begin to plan, it’s crucial to consider who will be affected—who your stakeholders are. Failure to consult a stakeholder often turns them into a critic: “people support what they help create.”[2] Similar thoughtfulness matters throughout the process, but the review stage is another biggie for stakeholders, not the least because their pleasure in the outcome of your project is a big part of its success, right?! You want to maintain what you’ve created…
The Holy Trinity of Performance
Tools, skills and motivation are all necessary for a good outcome. (Some would add ‘time’ to the list, but let’s shove that under the tools heading.) Note how, even if your project is as insignificant as making a piece of toast, the outcome still depends on these three things! Add complexity, people, budgets et cetera, and the outcome—the performance of the team—still depends entirely on this holy trinity.
Note, too, that motivation is the oddball of the trio, in that you can pretty well put your finger on (count/list) your tools and skills, but motivation has that “woo-woo” factor. This is where we return to the fact that November is under way and we’re unable to avoid The End of 2016.
Believe in spring
Beautiful ceremonies and songs do pop up around solstice time, but essentially and unavoidably here in Toronto we’re in for nasty weather and darkness for weeks and weeks. Travel is out of the question, of course, because We Care about the Planet and know that seven hundred litres of fuel are necessary to lift a plane into flight. (I must remember to tell you about my friend who’s planning her walk across the country!)
Find the beauty in winter. Connect with the beauty in the New Human City conscious community. Kindle your spirit with the flame of love for another or others; lord knows there are many for whom your kindness would mean a huge lift. You will find motivation there, in doing and being in community.
If you are content—at the closing circle of your weekly dance, perhaps—apply that to the rest of the week by making a project of seeking opportunities to be a stakeholder in the project of someone else’s life.
First published by newhumancity on November 1, 2016
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