I am someone who rarely gets accused of being whatever the opposite of blunt is; so I am going to give you this insipid, nasty, dream destroying, illness causing, relationship disrupting, C Word straight up.
It is COMPLACENCY.
And don’t you dare be complacent about this word!!!! 😉
It is like a ninja. A silent killer.
It adversely affects peoples potential, the quality of their relationships, the state of their health, the success of their businesses, the meaningfulness of their lives, the legacy that we create and leave behind, and a whole bunch of other negative and depressing to read stuff.
I am sure you get the picture.
How complacency can kill (we’ll start with the heavy stuff and come good later)
I was once working with a client, who had a number of personal challenges and was not really in a great place mentally or emotionally.
One day they tried to commit suicide.
Fortunately, as I am sure we have all witnessed at times, a number of seemingly random events occurred that meant this person was found in time, taken to the hospital and given the care they needed. They lived through the experience. It was not their time.
When we spoke after the event, one of the big things that came up was a complacency when dealing with what was going on in their life. In their case they were complacent about their relationship with alcohol. They complacently thought they could manage it and didn’t really have a problem with it. They complacently had easy access to alcohol in their house. They complacently didn’t think it was a major issue that needed dedicated attention, focus, and external help to overcome.
It was under the influence of alcohol that they made the very poor choice to end their life. They made a choice when they were the opposite of conscious, and it was a very poor decision. As an aside, this is why for me, a choice in my life is to do activities that enhance my consciousness. I am not complacent when it comes to what I do or don’t do with my body. 😉
Ok, so now let’s get all Carl Massy, get STRATEGIC, and work out how we can overcome complacency, so our business, relationships, health, and success can totally THRIVE.
Overcoming Complacency Strategy Number 1: Did I say get conscious (again ;-))?
Accept that the moment you become COMPLACENT, your progress starts going backwards.
So (action step) do a self AUDIT. Get clear.
Ask yourself these powerful questions:
- Am I being complacent in my relationship?
- Am I being complacent with my health and well-being?
- Am I being complacent with my kids / family / friends?
- Am I being complacent in my business decisions?
- Am I being complacent in my dreams or desires?
- Am I being complacent with my life?
- Am I being complacent with my finances?
- Am I being complacent with my leisure time?
We need to become AWARE and OWN a situation before we can do anything about it. We need to take RESPONSE-ABILITY. As you can see, with responsibility, we have the ability to respond. When we know something is a bit wobbly, we can do something about it.
Overcoming Complacency Strategy Number 2: Next question
Today’s post is very practical.
So the next series of questions you will ask is:
Where in my (relationship, health, business, dreams, etc.) am I being most complacent?
Then…
What could I do RIGHT NOW that will take my (relationship, health, business, dreams, etc.) to the next level?
The next level does not have to be big. Any forward step will halt the backwards flow. It will then reestablish momentum in a forward direction. So what can you do, right now?
Which brings us to Strategy 3…
Overcoming Complacency Strategy Number 3: Thanks Nike
You’ve got it. The just do it thingy.
Now I would like to say this is the most important strategy, but you don’t get here without the other two. But this is where the Successful and the less-Successful start increasing their gap.
The law of attraction will not work on improving your relationship, or improving your health, or improving your decision-making abilities. This is the part where you do what needs to be done. You are clear that you have become complacent in an area of your life, and you have identified where. You have even come up with a creative action to take to stop the backwards slide.
So now, I leave it with you.
Do what needs to be done. Take charge of your destiny. Be a co-creator in your success – in all areas of your life. Step out of complacency and into a more meaningful and fulfilled life. A life of purpose, passion and making a difference in your life and the people around you.
You, like me, are so much more capable than we are showing up with most days. I say this not as a slap on the wrist. It is an opportunity and invitation to open up the creative power that resides within us all.
I know you have got it. 😉
In Summary
Be aware that COMPLACENCY will sneak up on you like the stealthiest ninja killer. I am guessing it might be trying to slip into your room (and life) right now. Turn on the lights of awareness! 😉
Guard against complacency by checking in (often).
Identify where in your life you are being complacent (we all do it).
Identify what you could do right now to halt the backward flow.
Then take one small action forward to shift the backward flow. And then another small step. And then another small step…and…
YOU HAVE GOT IT!!!!
The lights have come on and the ninja has been caught with their pants down! 😉
On that note…have a wonderful day and all the very best!!
PS: My new time mantra is – “I am where time comes from”. 😉
As always, please ask questions of me, or share your thoughts in a response email or by putting a post on Facebook.