You’ve heard of “Murphy’s Law”, “if something can go wrong, it will.” Like it or not, you have a couple of choices during those times. You can get sucked into the negativity of the moment or you can look at the potential positive in the situation. In other words, accept the things you cannot change and focus instead on the things you can change. Often, “Murphy’s Law” moments are opportunities for creative successful forward motion.
1. Accept What You Cannot Change
Accepting the things you cannot change is not defeat or giving up. It’s simply acknowledging the fact that there are things in this world and in your life that you do not have control over. Acceptance positions you to grow and move forward. As 2016 begins, consider the things that you have been working hard to change that are out of your control. What can you do to accept them?
2. Look For Opportunities To Be More Efficient
Acceptance is a part of self-management. It is challenging and it requires time to be effective at it. While setting the right priorities is important, (check out Monday’s blog for more on setting priorities) there is more. You must learn to be efficient at what you do, essentially multiplying your time and energy, doing more with less. As you experience a “Murphy’s Law” moment, look for opportunities to become more efficient.
3. Don’t Take It Personal
It’s easy during a “Murphy’s Law” moment to make everything personal. To wallow in self-pity, and yet self-pity will only make a “Murphy’s Law” moment worse. This often leads to a sense of worthlessness and hopelessness. One of the most important concepts, that I teach on Life Palette and in my life, is the truth that God created you as His masterpiece. The more you know and understand who you are in Him and who He has created you to be, the more you will be able to stand strong during a “Murphy’s Law” moment. Remember in those moments that God is not finished with your life as His masterpiece. As long as you have a heartbeat, God is working in and through you to do a significant work.
4. Develop Personal Leadership Skills
A “Murphy’s Law” moment is also an opportunity to develop your leadership skills. This is the time to ask if there is something that you are doing that you are not gifted and skilled at. Then you look to others who are gifted and skilled in that particular area. How can you enlist them to be a part of your particular mission and vision? You are designed to share the load with others, to do life together. While we often applaud the “lone ranger” mentality, it is a lifestyle that leads to unnecessary personal stress. If you are going to maximize the masterpiece Life God has created you to live, you must be investing in others and allowing them to invest in you. Regardless of what you do in life, one of the greatest things you can do is to raise the level of others by adding value to them and what they do, that is leadership. The more you do this, the more you will discover that during a “Murphy’s Law” moment you are not standing alone. You will have a team of people who are walking with you side by side to navigate through the hard times.
How can you take these 4 ways to successfully navigate “Murphy’s Law” and apply them for your personal growth as you begin 2016? Make the decision right now, that regardless of what may come your way, you are going to stand strong this year and successfully navigate everything that life throws at you this year. This is the way to grow!
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You may have a friend or co-worker who is facing a “Murphy’s Law” moment today, take a moment and share this post with others to encourage them as they navigate these moments, they will be glad you did.