Life is a Tapestry
How to think about your less than perfectly focused life.
Focus! Prioritize!
We’ve been conditioned to believe that focus, and prioritization and getting rid of the non-essentials is the way to succeed - and there's an element of truth to that.
But how you apply this principle makes all the difference.
Your life has a lot of different things going on in it: family, pets, job, volunteering, friends, not to mention what you do to maintain your physical and mental health, creative pursuits, hobbies and more.
People who want to focus, have a tendency to feel impatient or overwhelmed with the multi-threaded nature of life.
The multiple threads of life can be viewed as distractions or conflicts against each other.
But there’s another way. You can also take a deep breath and tell yourself:
"Life is a tapestry."
Think about the interwoven threads that make up a tapestry, like the one pictured in the headline graphic above.
When you look at the back of a tapestry up close, it actually looks a bit messy. The image isn't clear. There are threads all knotted up in some pretty non-artistic ways.
Kind of like the average day at work? Or like the rough week you're finishing up right now? 😄
But when you look at the front of tapestry from a few feet away, its stunning! You see this beautiful image that wasn't evident in the threaded little details.
I've been reminded of this in multiple ways:
- Looking back on a time that felt out of control, nuts, chaotic, - and realizing some amazing things came out of it.
- Leaving the daily grind temporarily to go meet with another group or maybe present at a conference. Having other people come up and ask how your group managed to accomplish so much (!)
- A long period of effort appears to fail, and amount to nothing. But then a door opens, and the effort you and your team put into that other supposed failure, actually has put you within pouncing distance of an even better opportunity.
These kinds of moments remind us life is a tapestry.
What to keep in mind (and remind yourself and your teams):
- There is a stunning image that is coming to life that you can't see yet. Your work, and the intertwining of all the things you and your team do, with all the interruptions and detours, is creating something.
- So you have to be patient with yourself, your colleagues, and your circumstances. Be patient with the interweaving and messiness. Its what makes strength and beauty possible.
How to intentionally build your confidence in the process that's creating the tapestry
Watch for the small wins and good indicators. Tell others about them: "I notice you are all talking more often, that's really good.
When you see promising improvements or behaviors, use forecasting language like "This bodes well" or "That's a really positive indicator". This may sound silly but it sets expectations and builds positive guardrails for you and your team to move forward in.
Reflection for this week:
What are the different elements in the tapestry of your life? Write them down and think about
- Which ones seem to fit or feed each other
- Which ones do not?
- Note which ones are your favorites and least favorites
How will you commit to being more patient with yourself and with your team?
Click here to go to the next learning segment: The Abundant Mindset vs the Scarcity Mindset
Scarcity always loses, and makes everyone else lose too. An abundance mindset enables more effective solutions to the complex challenges of the 21st century.