Once you have your crew and you’re starting a regular pattern of gathering, the question will come up: How are we doing this?
Start with transparency. It doesn’t have to be complicated. One of my clients is part of a small group through YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization). Their regular practice is to start meetings by describing in a single word or phrase where they are right now.
What happens next matters. Take a deep breath. Run through your self-management playbook:
- “What am I feeling?” For some of us, that’s a struggle. But there is help.
- “What story am I telling myself?”
- “What habit of thought, feeling, or behavior is reinforcing that story?”
Pretty soon, you’ll have your word or phrase. You don’t need to say anything else. You don’t need to explain. But in that one moment of stopping, breathing, and reflecting, you’ll know the one word or phrase that sums up your condition and even have a hypothesis for the reason why. When you know why you’re feeling the way you feel, you have a fighting chance of changing your narrative and engaging in a better habit.
See? Your crew is already making a difference. And you’ve only gotten to the very first word.
