G.R.O.W. Into Joy

G.R.O.W. Into Joy

Much of our joy, or lack thereof, comes from being frozen on the trigger of a decision in our lives. I’m not talking about “chicken or steak” decisions, but larger decisions like where to move, a commitment to truly get healthy, a new business to start, a new job to take, etc.

This week, at our annual Halftime Institute Coaches Conference, I saw a few of our coaches have huge breakthroughs by working through big life decisions.  Ah, the joy of getting unstuck!

This brought to mind a decision-making model I often use called The G.R.O.W. Model. It goes like this:

Goal: What is your goal?  I encourage you to examine not just what the goal is, but why you are contemplating it. Don’t rush this “why” step. Lots of pain and frustration stem from pursuing the wrong goals. Let’s consider, as an example, the idea of someone trying to decide if they should really, truly work on their health. Not a diet. Not a 30-day workout plan. What’s the why behind it all? Is this goal good for your family?  Is it consistent with the teachings of Jesus? Does it put you in a position to be more loving? Is it rooted in fear or pride? Run your thinking by a few trusted friends before you launch into your plan.

Reality:  What’s are the hard facts of your current reality? Get very clear on where you are today relative to this goal. Being naïve about the financial, relational, and emotional elements of your today could make your tomorrow nothing but a pipe dream. Don’t let the gaps between your ideal and your real depress you. But at the same time, don’t let blind spots about the gaps sink you. Consider our health example here: Where are you with your eating, exercise, sleep, stress levels?

Options: Brainstorm all the options you have for moving forward. Get creative here. Write them down. Don’t just think of them in your head. One place where I often see people get stuck comes from thinking in binary ways. They make their decisions unnecessarily “all or nothing-based.” For instance, instead of saying “How do I get from A to Z?” create options for testing “A to B in the direction of Z.” (For instance, instead of saying “I will eat nothing but organic the rest of my life”, shoot for eating organic every meal at home.)  Or, “How can I test out Z before making a full commitment to it?” Push yourself in this step to come up with lots of options.

Obstacles: Next, take a sober look at the obstacles in the way of each option. Many people are good at the practical obstacles like time, money, a resistant friend/spouse/co-worker, geography, etc., but I encourage you to also analyze the psychological and emotional obstacles. These are the ones that could really hold you back. Analyze the fears buried within the decision you are trying to make. What are the psychological barriers that have prevented you thus far and how will you get over them this time?

What. When. Who.  Next, lay out specifically what you are going to do by when and who can help you. Don’t forget the who. Going it alone increases your odds of failure.

Lastly, know that on the path way to realizing your goals, we often know just the next step.  Don’t burn too many calories trying to guess what specifically you should do eleven steps down the road when you’re only on step two.

Dream. Think. G.R.O.W.