No One Thing Is To Blame

No One Thing Is To Blame

When we look at the cause of something gone wrong, it usually become apparent that there is not one thing to blame, but a chain of events. A great example is if we are overweight. It isn't the donut we ate this morning that caused the excess baggage, but the donuts and other consumed items that contributed to the extra pounds. Our life is a combination of events and happenings. Instead of looking for the one thing to blame, look for the chain of events that is causing the problem.

To try to blame one thing, or even one person, we will miss the cause and the chance to prevent problems from reoccurring. Instead of looking at just the end result, take a systems approach and look at all the contributing factors. Everything affects everything, so notice what is happening in your life and when you first noticed the problem. Taking the weight example, perhaps you were going along fine and something stressful or challenging happened. Exercise became too difficult to fit into your schedule, next the eating habits slid, then you ran out of your vitamins and didn't purchase more and the next thing you knew you had gained twenty pounds and were not feeling as energetic as you once had. You can see that it was multiple events and not just one action that caused the slide. By understanding what contributed to the slip, we can better understand what needs to be corrected in order to make the changes we desire. We can also see that in challenging situations we have a tendency to let go of healthy habits, and this is good to know. This way we can prepare for challenging situations and guard against letting a slip become a rapid fall.

Coaching

I once had a friend, who never ran up debt, tell me it was never one purchase that got people into trouble. It was a combination of purchases that crept onto their credit cards that created the large debt. Often people don't even realize how deep in debt they are until they are in over their heads. This is because it doesn't happen overnight, it happens over time. No one purchase is to blame; it is a string of purchases. This is true with almost every problem we have. It didn't just happen; there were a series of events that led to the problem.

The good news is that at anytime we can stop the next event from happening and take new actions. We can turn the situation around, but we first must stop the process that has begun. The chain of events will continue to happen until we stop it and take back control.

Coaching Question

Are you ready to change your life one action at a time?

Coaching Challenge

No one thing is going to change your life. It takes a series of events and actions that will create a problem or create something great in your life. Since we have the freedom of choice, you can choose at anytime to begin to change your life one action at a time. Today, decide to do one thing differently than you did yesterday. For example, if you usually have a donut for breakfast, have a healthier breakfast. If you want to save money, but can't seem to, just put one dollar into your piggy bank. Change happens one action at a time. If you put one dollar a day away for a year you would have $365.00 by the end of the year. Every action adds up.

Daily Success Formula

Time + Action = Results

Quotes

"Fate knows where you are going, but it is up to you to drive there." Michelle Keesling

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, nothing else." Mahatma Gandhi