It is spring! One of my favorite seasons, with the days getting longer and plants greening up from all the wintery rain. It is also the season of… SLUGS. They’re out there…. I sense their nighttime scheming to munch through the garden I just planted. I find slime tracks on my newly washed windows. I see evidence of them partying on the trails I love to run. I SEE SLUGS EVERYWHERE!
SLUGS on our PATH
Seeing slugs everywhere struck me as a great metaphor for what happens to us in difficult seasons. Many of us may be feeling like we are stuck in a “Season of Slugs” right now; having difficulty “seeing the path thru the slugs” (or “the forest thru the trees” if my slug metaphor is making you too squeamish!)
Our lives can be like a path overrun with slugs. We have our path (goals) laid out in front of us and yet we can easily get discouraged by the slugs (disappointments or setbacks) along the way.
How do you get your eyes of the “slugs” in your life and refocus back on your path?
Adopt a more optimistic outlook during this season. The way that you think about the slugs in your life (your explanatory style) will help you refocus on your path. In his book, Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, Martin Seligman Ph.D shares how each of us have a particular explanatory style when we interact with our world.
Explanatory Style
The way we explain what happens in our lives is our explanatory style; a habit of thought that we learned in childhood and adolescence. How you explain when setbacks/disappointments (SLUGS) come your way, substantially effects your ability to continue down your path and achieve your goals.
Optimistic or Pessimist Explanation of Circumstances?
Some people who give up easily when misfortunes strike and think, “It’s me. It’s going to last forever, it’s going to undermine everything I do.” This type of pessimistic explanatory style often leads to feelings of helplessness, lack of motivation and even depression.
However, if when misfortune strikes you think, “It was just circumstances, it’s going away, and, besides, there’s much more to life.” That Optimistic explanatory style leads to feelings of value and resiliency.
Do you find yourself in a season of pessimism these days? The good news is that you can change your explanatory style to be more optimistic!
3 Optimistic Thoughts to help deal with your slugs:
1. TEMPORARY: Realize that the disappointments/setbacks in your life are only TEMPORARY and not permanent. Your “slugs” are seasonal. Acknowledge that they are temporarily in your life then create a plan of action to get rid of the “slugs” so that you can clearly see your path.
2. PERVASIVENESS: Realize that the disappointments/setbacks you are experiencing coincide with this specific situation or season. Your “slugs” are not universal to every situation. Stop carrying “slugs” around in your back pocket to explain your life circumstances when a new challenge comes your way.
3. PERSONALIZATION: Do not automatically take all the blame for the season you are in. Yes, it’s good to be introspective and see how your actions and thoughts (internal personalization) influenced the “slugs” in your life, but also consider the external factors that created the “slugs”!
If you are in “that” season right now, and ready to focus your attention back on your goals, coaching may be the perfect fit for you to get back on your path! Contact me for a complimentary 20-minute coaching session to see if coaching is right for you.
Curious to find out if coaching is right for you? Contact Carol for a complimentary 20-minute session.
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