There are many ways to live life. One approach is to focus on the things in your life that are in the green, amber and red zones. It is then to act on these and aim to get positive results.
Imagine that you want to follow elements of this approach. This can involve you focusing on the following themes.
The Green Zone
Looking at your life, what are the things that are in the green zone? What is going well at the moment? You may be enjoying time with your children, doing satisfying work or doing other things. One person expressed this in the following way.
“My relationship with my wife is blossoming. So I aim to keep spending quality time with her. Two broken marriages have left their toll. I don’t want it to happen again. We plan to stay together for the rest of our lives.
“I am also doing a stimulating project at work. I want to build on this and show my employers how we can turn it into a profitable service for our customers.
“Looking at other things, I have returned to singing in a band and writing songs. This is something I did in my youth, but have put aside for a while. I intend to create my own website where I can publish the songs.”
Great workers aim to build on what is going well in their work. They apply the same sense of urgency to things in the green zone as to those in the red zone.
A Formula 1 driver may be leading a Grand Prix by ten seconds but they apply the same concentration as if they were a tenth of a second behind the leader.
Superb sales people devote more time to their best customers than to their poor customers. Why? They realise that getting repeat business can be one of the best ways to get even more sales.
Great workers capitalise on what is working and also focus on continuous improvement. They do not wait for a crisis before springing into action. Similar rules apply across many aspects of life.
Looking at your own life, what are the things that are in the green zone and going well? How can you build on these? What will be the benefits of taking these steps?
If you wish, try tacking the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
The Amber Zone
Looking at your life, are there any things that may be in the amber zone? Are there any warning signs? You may detect these signals in your health, some relationships, financial matters or aspects of your work.
Some people choose to ignore or deny warning signs. Some choose to tackle the issues. One person expressed this in the following way.
“My health may be becoming issue. During the past year I have put on 2 kilos. Doesn’t sound much but in the old days I was able to lose weight easily. Even though it is January, I am going to do more walking and then move into running rather than wait for the spring.
“There are also some warning signs at work. The team I lead is successful, but a couple of the team members have started to behave in negative ways that affect other people.
“I will clarify whether they want to follow the professional principles. If not, that is okay. I will replace them with people who want to behave in a professional way and contribute towards achieving the goals.”
How are things for you in work? Do you spend the majority of your time doing work that is satisfying? If not, what is the effect on your energy? What can you do to improve matters?
Imagine you are a leader. Looking at your team, who are the people who are positive? Are there any people who take energy? If so, what are the consequences, both for you and for other team members? How can you fix these issues before they go into the red zone?
Looking at your life, what are the things that are in the amber zone? How can you take action and improve some of these? If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme.
The Red Zone
Looking at your life, are there any things that are in the red zone? Are there any issues that are causing difficulties? Are there any recurring problems that create collateral damage for yourself or other people?
Sometimes it is possible to find solutions. It can be important to identify the issues and then make decisions about the possible routes forwards. One person expressed this in the following way.
“One day I realised that I simply had to take more control of my life and work. I had allowed myself to become overwhelmed at work and this affected my health.
“I always felt tired and I had high blood pressure. I tried to turn things around by working more hours, but this did not help.
“Matters came to a head when I tried to cram in a customer appointment on the way home, got caught in a traffic jam and missed my daughter’s Christmas Play.
“This rude awakening taught me to take more control of my life. It also set me on the route to trying to repair my marriage.”
Some people aim to stop putting themselves into situations that give them negative energy. If that is not immediately possible, they work out a strategy for managing those situations.
They then make a plan: a) to keep doing things that give them positive energy; b) to find ways to separate themselves from things that give them negative energy.
This approach may take time. It also takes careful planning and focusing on finding possible creative solutions. But it is the best way to retain their sanity.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Taking Action
Imagine that you have described what is happening in the green, amber and red zones. It may be time to translate your findings into action and aim to get positive results.
How can you build on the things that are in the green zone? How can you tackle any issues that may be in the amber zone? How can you make decisions and take action about things that may be in the red zone?
How can you get some quick successes? How can you then maintain the momentum? What may be the benefits of taking these steps – both for you and for other people?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on these themes. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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