The Leading Edge: The way you play the GAME is how you win the GAME
As Spring arrives here in North America, nature awakens from its Winter slumber. Plants begin to sprout green shoots of growth and the promise of flowers comes forth in the appearance of new buds. Thoughts of opening day of the baseball season and the boys of summer are on the minds of many.
My mum loved baseball. When she was a kid, she would sneak out of the house to play in the empty lot with the other neighbourhood kids. Now, that doesn’t sound like too big a deal except all the other kids were boys and this was a time when girls did not play sports, at least not with boys, but she did.
When Toronto got its first major league baseball team in ’77 she was so thrilled! Unfortunately she passed away before she was able to see her beloved Jays become the World Series champions back-to-back in ’92 and ’93. Well, maybe she did have a hand in it as she passed away in the late Summer of ’91.
A lot has changed since my mum was a young girl. Everything is changing and it seems like change is happening faster than ever before. Things that used to take a generation to change are now happening in the blink of an eye. So, how do you keep up with this ever-increasing pace of change? You do it by increasing your capacity for growth.
Here are 4 ways you can play to win the GAME and be ready for change when it happens:
G – Growth over comfort zone: Growing up, mum continued to do things that most of her peers did not. She went back to work after each of my siblings and I were born, at a time when almost every woman was a stay-at-home mom. By her example, she taught me to not only be independent, but to continually test boundaries, both internal and external. That’s how you grow, by challenging the comfort zone of the status quo.
A – Awareness and knowledge: Carl Jung once wrote, “Until we make the unconscious conscious it will rule our lives and we will call it fate.” Raising my awareness through being a part of the John Maxwell Team has allowed me to make better decisions and take back control of my time and my life.
M – Mentor or coach: We all know that when driving, if you want to change lanes you ALWAYS check over your shoulder and in the mirrors. Even with that, accidents can happen because we all have blind spots. They’re called blind spots because you can’t see them. You don’t even know they’re there. Having someone who can point out your blind spots can shorten the learning curve and help to avoid accidents or mistakes.
E – Environment conducive to growth: The Toronto Blue Jays were a powerhouse club from ’85 to ’93. They won 5 division championships over the course of 9 seasons. This was made possible through having a core group of award-winning All-Star players. Who we spend time with determines our level of success on so many levels. Being a part of the John Maxwell Team not only raises my awareness, but I am surrounded by people who are farther along the growth curve than I am. They push me to get out of my comfort zone. They help me see my blind spots and areas of opportunity for further growth.
According to Wikipedia, “The Blue Jays became the first (and, to date, only) team outside the US to appear in and win a World Series, and the fastest AL expansion team to do so, winning in their 16th year.” Since then, however, they haven’t done so well. I wonder which of these lessons our boys need to learn to play a better game and win back the championship. We’ll see come September. What lessons do you need to learn?
When you increase your capacity you not only develop your ability to adapt to change, but you also build your confidence to face whatever curveballs life throws your way. What will you do this week that will increase your capacity? Don’t wait until you strike out. Get in the GAME now!
About Lorna
Lorna Weston-Smyth is a Leadership and Mindset Executive Coach who brings her years as a serial entrepreneur to businesses and professionals to help them grow to the next level. Lorna works with decision makers to refine their thinking and make better decisions for themselves and their business so they can create the culture and business that they want by choice not by chance. She is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and a founding member of the John Maxwell Team. She is on the John Maxwell Team President’s Advisory Council (PAC) and serves as Chair of the Website Committee for PAC and the President of the Board of Directors for the Durham Workforce Authority. She has also served on a number of other boards and committees from Toastmasters to the Whitby Chamber to Business Networking International, and the Business and Professional Women organization. You can find out more about her and her business on her website.