Hi! Coach J here!
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
We are now in the third full week of October! I hope the month is going well for you!
Last week, we explored choosing an approach that fits the situation.
We discussed considering our circumstances, desired outcomes, and available options to determine which approach makes the most sense.
This week, we're building on that foundation by exploring what happens after we begin putting our chosen approach into practice.
Have you ever started working toward a goal, put a plan into action, and discovered something along the way that helped you understand your approach a little better?
Maybe you realized that your method was working just as you intended.
Perhaps you noticed something that could make the process more effective.
Or maybe your experience helped you recognize that a different approach would better accommodate your circumstances.
These experiences can teach us something valuable about how we work toward our goals!
Let's talk about it!
Evaluating Your Approach Is Part of Refining What Works
When we choose an approach that fits our situation, we make a decision based on the information, circumstances, and options available to us at that time.
However, choosing an approach is one step. Understanding how it works in practice is another.
As we begin applying our decisions, we have opportunities to observe the results, learn from our experiences, and recognize what supports our progress!
Choosing an approach that fits your situation doesn't guarantee that every part of it will work exactly as expected.
And that's okay!
Sometimes, our approach works well from the beginning.
Other times, we discover that a small adjustment could make it more effective. We may even learn that another approach would better support our desired outcome.
None of these possibilities automatically means our original decision was wrong.
For example, you might develop a new routine to help you manage your schedule.
You consider your responsibilities, the time available to you, and what you want to accomplish.
After putting your routine into practice, you discover that it helps you stay organized and manage your responsibilities more effectively.
However, you also notice that one part of your routine takes longer than expected.
Does that mean the entire routine isn't working? Not necessarily!
The routine may be serving its purpose, while one part could benefit from an adjustment.
The goal isn't to change what works just because something could be done differently. It's to recognize what your experience is showing you and determine whether a change would be helpful.
This is part of refining what works.
Recognizing What Works and What You've Learned
When evaluating an approach, it's helpful to recognize what's already working rather than focusing exclusively on what could be improved.
Sometimes, we may become so focused on reaching our desired outcome that we overlook the progress we've made along the way.
We may notice one part of a process that isn't working as expected and begin questioning the entire approach, even when other parts are serving us well.
But what if we approached the situation differently?
Instead of immediately looking for something to change, we can consider what we've learned from putting our approach into practice.
For example, suppose you've found a method that helps you organize your responsibilities.
It allows you to keep track of what needs to be done and gives you a clearer understanding of how to use your time.
As you continue using that method, you discover that one part could be more efficient.
You don't necessarily need to abandon the entire method.
You can recognize the benefits it already provides while considering whether a specific adjustment could improve the process.
Remember that recognizing what works gives you something useful to build on.
Here are a few questions to consider when evaluating your approach:
What's working well? Identify the parts of your approach that are helping you accomplish your desired outcome.
What have I learned? Consider what your experience has shown you since putting your approach into practice.
What could work better? Identify any specific areas where an adjustment might be beneficial.
What can I continue building on? Recognize the parts of your approach that are already serving their purpose.
These questions can help you evaluate your approach without overlooking what you're already doing well.
Remember, refining what works doesn't require you to change everything. Sometimes, it means recognizing what is working and continuing to build on it.
Examining Information, Feelings, and Assumptions
As we evaluate our approach, it is helpful to consider how we interpret what is happening along the way.
Our experiences can influence how we view a situation.
We may feel encouraged when something goes as expected, frustrated when it doesn't, or uncertain when we're still learning how a new approach works.
These feelings matter. They can help us recognize how we're experiencing a situation and draw attention to something we may want to examine.
Our initial interpretation of an experience may not always provide the complete picture; therefore, sifting through information can be helpful!
Sifting means carefully sorting through something to separate the parts that are useful or relevant from those that may not be as helpful.
When applied to evaluating an approach, it involves considering what we know, what we feel, what we are assuming, and what we may need to understand more clearly.
For example, imagine you've started using a different method to manage a recurring responsibility. After trying it, you discover that one part of the process takes longer than you expected.
You may feel frustrated and begin wondering whether your previous method was better.
Rather than immediately concluding that the new approach isn't working, consider what you know about the situation.
Is the overall method helping you accomplish what you intended?
Is the difficulty limited to one part of the process?
Have you given yourself enough opportunity to understand how the new method works?
Is there information that could help you determine whether an adjustment would be useful?
These questions help you examine the situation more thoroughly before deciding what to do next.
The goal isn't to dismiss your feelings or assume that your first interpretation is wrong.
It's to consider your feelings alongside the information available so you can develop a clearer understanding of the situation.
You may discover that your initial concern points to something that needs attention. You may also realize that the approach is working better than you initially thought.
Either way, taking the time to understand what you're observing can help you make more informed decisions about how to move forward.
Determining Whether an Adjustment Would Be Beneficial
Once you've considered what's working and what you've learned, you can determine whether an adjustment would be helpful.
Sometimes, the answer may be yes. Other times, you may recognize that your current approach is working well and doesn't need to change.
Both are good outcomes!
If your approach is helping you accomplish what you intended, you don't have to change it just because another option exists.
Recognizing that something works well is a valuable part of refining what works.
However, if your experience reveals an opportunity for improvement, you can consider what adjustment might help.
For example, perhaps you've developed a routine that generally works well, but you've noticed that the order in which you complete certain tasks makes your day more difficult than necessary.
You might discover that changing the order of those tasks helps you use your time more effectively.
You haven't necessarily changed your overall approach. You've identified a way to improve one part of it.
In another situation, you may discover that your current method doesn't adequately accommodate your circumstances or support your desired outcome.
If so, considering another approach may be valuable.
The important thing is to understand why you're making the change.
Ask yourself:
What have I observed that makes me consider an adjustment?
Is there a specific part of my approach that could work better?
Would a small change address the concern, or would another approach be more suitable?
What makes the most sense based on what I've learned?
These questions can help you identify adjustments that serve a purpose rather than changing things because you may be unsure whether something else might be better.
Refining what works means recognizing opportunities for improvement while appreciating what already serves you well.
You can make adjustments without dismissing your progress, and you can maintain your current approach without feeling obligated to change something that is working.
A Practical Approach Can Continue to Evolve
One of the benefits of evaluating your approach is that it gives you an opportunity to learn through experience.
You can carefully consider your options before making a decision and still discover something new when you begin putting that decision into practice.
That's part of applying what you've learned to real-life situations.
Sometimes, your original approach may work as expected. Sometimes, you may recognize that a small adjustment could be helpful.
And occasionally, you may discover that another approach would better accommodate your circumstances.
These experiences can help you better understand what works for you.
Understand that you don't have to anticipate every possible outcome before you begin.
You can make a thoughtful decision, put your approach into practice, pay attention to what you learn, and use that information to determine your next step.
And if your approach keeps working well, you can appreciate that without searching for something to change.
Growth doesn't always require a different approach. Sometimes, growth means recognizing the value of what you're already doing and continuously building on it.
Other times, growth means acknowledging that you've learned something new and using that knowledge to adjust.
Neither experience means you need to criticize your original decision. Be gentle with yourself as you learn and grow.
You can make thoughtful decisions with the information available to you, learn through experience, and make adjustments when appropriate
without expecting yourself to have known everything beforehand.
Remember, you're learning from your experiences and using what you've learned to determine how to move forward in ways that better support your goals!
This Week's Challenge:This week, I challenge you to evaluate an approach you're currently using to accomplish a goal, manage a responsibility, or work through a situation!
Choose one approach you've begun putting into practice and consider what your experience has taught you so far.
Ask yourself:
What is working?
Identify the parts of your approach that are helping you move toward your desired outcome.
What have I learned?
Consider the information and results you've gained from putting your approach into practice.
Is there anything I'd like to improve?
Identify a specific area that could benefit from an adjustment, if one exists.
What makes sense to do next?
Determine whether to continue with your current approach, make an adjustment, or consider another option.
If your approach is working well, acknowledge that!
If you recognize an opportunity to improve something, consider what that adjustment might look like for you.
You don't have to find something wrong with your approach to complete this challenge.
Simply recognize what you've learned, acknowledge what is working, and use that information to determine what makes sense for your situation.
Coach J's Final Thoughts:As we continue exploring Refining What Works, remember that evaluating your approach isn't about constantly searching for something to fix.
It's about recognizing the value of what you're doing, understanding what your experiences teach you, and remaining open to opportunities for improvement.
Sometimes, you'll discover that your approach works just as you intended. Other times, you'll recognize that an adjustment could make it more effective or better suited to your circumstances.
Both experiences can contribute to growth.
You don't have to change something simply because you have the option to do so. And you don't have to continue using an approach that you've discovered could benefit from an adjustment.
Instead, recognize what's working, learn from what you're observing, and determine what makes sense for your situation.
You can appreciate the progress you've made while staying open to ways of improving it. So go out and be great!
As always, be kind to yourself and others this week!
Until next time...!
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