MacGyver, Indiana Jones, and Wonder Women were all pretty handy with a rope when it came to getting out of a bad situation.
Use your ROPE to breakthrough your adversities, setbacks, and dilemmas. When you are feeling stuck or up against a hard place, practice this four-step process to get yourself to move beyond it.
R – Remember your purpose and vision. People of success have a compelling vision of a bright future which pulls them through the rough spots. Get in touch with where you are headed and realize any particular challenge you may be facing currently is preparing you for greater things. The business philosopher Jim Rohn was known for saying, “Don’t wish it was easer…wish you were better.” The becoming better comes about during our handling of hardships. Embrace them while believing your vision will come about. Denis Waitley, author of The Psychology of Winning tells us, “We must do within while doing without.”
O – Optimize Your Organize. Environments are either helping or hindering our efforts to get done what we must get done to achieve our desired future. Take a few minutes to limit or eliminate any clutter (outer environment).. Gather the tools and resources you need to complete the project. Collect and correct your thoughts (inner environment). Keep the thoughts that serve you at this time. Cast out the ones that don’t support you and your future. Journal the thoughts that may be current distractors from your mission. If you want to recall them for later when they are more relevant you will have them in your journal
P – Polish Your Gold. It’s not who we think we are that holds us back; it’s who we think we’re not that does. Part of the human condition is the voice we have formed in our heads. Some call it the gremlin, others call it the inner critic. It’s the narrative we take on of who we think we are or are not based on how others have talked to us as we grew up. Whatever its name, it has the same effect as an alloy to gold. It can make us stronger and can take away the sheen. We can polish our own gold. In fact,
we must make it a daily habit. Our negative thoughts are the equivalent of the tarnish and corrosion. Pure gold doesn’t tarnish. That in each of us that is pure will shine. We may need to polish up our gold from time to time.
E – Execute the One Thing. As we remember our vision, organize, and polish our gold, we will then be in the best position to do what must be done to advance. Identify the one thing in each segment of your day that if you got nothing else completed would have the biggest positive impact toward moving you toward your goal.
When you find yourself lacking hope remember to grab your ROPE and keep on keepin’ on.
Make it up, make it fun, and get it done!